Preparing the Visually Impaired for Work, and Life
June 10, 2014
In Thailand, the visually impaired inhabit the margins of society. Millions of men, women and children have literally been cast aside -- deemed “third-class” citizens incapable of meaningful work. In the capital city of Bankok, Salesian missionaries are preparing previously marginalized young...
Read Full Story
Addressing the Global Water Crisis
June 10, 2014Here in the developed world, we take water for granted. Readily available from municipal pipes or backyard wells, we drink it, bathe in it, and brush our teeth in it -- all without fear of becoming ill. Unfortunately, for 783 million people around the globe without access to a clean water source,...
Catastrophic flooding in the Balkans impacts 1 million people
May 29, 2014Never before in 120 years of recordkeeping has the Balkan region experienced the amount of rainfall seen in the past few weeks. Entire villages are under water. Mud slides have wiped out homes, schools and other buildings. Dozens have been killed and hundreds of thousands are homeless.In Bosnia,...
From Misery to Stability in Madagascar
May 15, 2014“This is misery, not poverty.” So describes the plight of Madagascar’s people - by Bishop Rosario Vella, a Salesian missionary in Ambanja, Madagascar. This island nation of more than 22 million people is one of the poorest in the world - where education is not guaranteed, and illiteracy tops...
Overcoming Physical Disabilities in Cambodia
May 15, 2014According to a 2013 UNICEF report, children with disabilities are significantly less likely to complete their education than their peers - a situation that directly correlates to ongoing unemployment, endemic poverty and poor health. In Cambodia, Salesian missionaries are working to ensure that all...
Education and New Hope in Guinea
May 15, 2014Although Guinea boasts a wealth of mineral and agricultural resources, its people are among the poorest in West Africa - often forced to survive on less than $1 a day. In the west-central region of Kankan, Salesian missionaries are working on behalf of Guinea’s youth, improving their future...
Overcoming the Odds in Peru: Children of Lead Project
April 23, 2014As a young child living in the slums of Puerto Nuovo, Peru, little Alvaro happily played in the shadow of shipping barges -- never knowing the danger lurking in the air he breathed, or in the soil beneath his feet. These barges carried one of Peru’s largest exports, lead. And the nearby mines...
Giving Hope & Dignity through Water & Electricity
April 23, 2014On March 22, global leaders, communities, and individuals marked World Water Day with a slate of activities highlighting the growing need for fresh, clean available water. More than 768 million people worldwide lack access to reliable water sources. This need is especially urgent -- and Salesian...