Journey of Hope

In more than 130 different countries, our Salesian missionaries carefully steward the legacy of our founder, Saint John Bosco—whose preventive system of education has helped millions of precious girls and boys pull themselves out of poverty and live as independent and productive adults. Worldwide, in more than 5,500 primary and secondary schools, nearly 1,000 vocational and pre-professional programs, 330 orphanages and homeless shelters, and many temporary classrooms established in refugee camps and disaster zones, we help youth gain the knowledge and skills they need to reach their full potential—regardless of their ability to pay.

When you support our dedicated Journey of Hope campaign, you help us provide educational opportunities, food, shelter and other services to as many children as we can.

Thank you for your generosity! Every dollar matters, as even partial funding gets us closer to our goals.

Here are just a few examples of what your generosity can accomplish:

Educating Poor and Vulnerable Children in Ecuador

Where: Quito, Ecuador
Ongoing Costs: To fund scholarships for 90 children from impoverished households = $26,983

$300 can change the life of a child!

Providing a Home for Orphans

Where: Don Bosco Care Home Namakkal, Tamil Nadu, India
Ongoing Costs: To keep the home operating through 2027 = $107,140

$1,000 can shelter and protect abandoned children from the dangers of living on the streets!

Feeding Hungry Children

Where: Don Bosco Mission Site Gatenga, Rwanda
Ongoing Costs: To provide nutritious meals to more than 500 children annually = $97,000

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Thank you in advance for your compassionate consideration of these requests. Should you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our Donor Services team at (914) 633-8344 or [email protected].

Thank you in advance for your kind consideration of these requests. Should you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our Donor Services team at (914) 633-8344 or [email protected].

From Hurting to Healing in Colombia

Not too long ago, both Catalina and Claudia were shouldering powerful weapons as “volunteer” soldiers in Colombia’s decades-long civil war. Now 21 years old, these poised and intelligent young women have graduated from nursing school and eagerly anticipate futures defined by fulfilling careers—and lives—in service to others. If this sounds like a movie plot, perhaps that’s because some of it is. Both Catalina and Claudia have previously been featured in Alto el Fuego (“Cease Fire”), an award-winning documentary directed by Raúl de la Fuente that details the reasons for, and consequences of, youth participation in Colombia’s violent conflict. Catalina’s reason? An abusive stepfather. And the consequences? So unimaginable that she attempted suicide. Although the particulars of Claudia’s story are less clear, they are likely rooted in the collective despair of a society so distorted and debilitated by poverty that the prospect of guaranteed daily meals, a place to lay her head, and the “protection” afforded by armed militants seemed a reasonable choice. Sadly, the consequences of her choice were the same: marching for days in the woods, deprived of food, treated “worse than animals,” robbed of her dignity and hope. Fortunately, both girls eventually managed to escape such horror and found their way to Medellín—where, at Ciudad Don Bosco (Don Bosco City), their respective transformations began. For the past 19 years, our Salesian missionaries there have devoted significant resources toward rescuing and rehabilitating former child soldiers. Through a targeted program which focuses on social reintegration (called “Specialized Protection House – Building Dreams”), a staff of professionals guide children through a three-step process comprised of trauma recovery; education and life skills training; and internships and job placement support. Already, the program has returned more than 2,000 youth like Catalina and Claudia to normal lives. Driven by highly personal reasons, both girls have spent the past several years studying hard to achieve their goals. For Catalina, it was a sense of gratitude for the second chance she was given at Don Bosco City. “I want to dream big,” she has said. Claudia, who had witnessed her father’s death due to inadequate medical care, wanted to help ensure that such things never happen again. “Their stories are truly remarkable,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions. “Not only have they graduated as auxiliary nurses, but they also serve to inspire dozens of other youth whose childhoods were lost to war and violence, demonstrating that it is possible to return to school and achieve a future full of opportunities.” From hurting to healing, in more ways than one.

“Don Bosco Teaches Us That Education is the Future”

Like the Ivory Coast and Colombia, Syria has struggled with ongoing conflict and despair for far too many years. When war first erupted there, more than eight years ago, Salesian missionaries serving in Aleppo reluctantly closed their schools and youth center due to safety concerns. Six months later—when they “realized the conflict would last a long time,” explains Father Pier Jabloyan—they reopened and resumed activities as usual. “There was no other way,” says Fr. Pier, himself born and raised in Aleppo. “Staying closed up in their houses would have been incredibly difficult for the children.” Indeed, missionaries in Aleppo, Damascus and Kafroun report that the psychological effects of ongoing war have touched the lives of nearly everyone who remains in the country…especially young people, who tend to internalize the violence until it manifests in their own aggression. “Often, boys express hostility and sometimes a football match can become a pretext for them to explode,” says Fr. Pier. “We try to help them remember that they are better than what surrounds them.” More than ever, the ability to attend school, or receive vocational training, is paramount to the futures of such youth. Otherwise, they risk losing their sense of dignity and value—which fuels the dissatisfaction and despair that leads to ongoing social instability. This is why Salesian missionaries around the country are committed to educational continuity, despite the inherent challenges of providing it. “There are enormous educational needs here in Syria, especially because many of the schools have been destroyed or transformed into shelters,” explains Fr. Pier. “Moreover, if they have no water in the house, no electricity and have difficulty feeding themselves, it is hard to tell them to study. But Don Bosco teaches us that education means the future. This is why we continue to offer children what we have available.” “In times of crisis, education remains one of the most effective ways to pave a path toward peace,” adds Fr. Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions. “In addition to the crucial role it can play in building a sense of normalcy and a culture of respect and tolerance, education arms youth with the knowledge and skills necessary to gain long-term employment, achieve economic stability, and become global citizens who make meaningful contributions to society.” Time and again, when brutal wars, catastrophic disasters and endless violence threaten the very lives of the children and families in our care, Salesian missionaries stand with, and for, them in solidarity. At great risk to their own lives, they offer their buildings, their grounds, their support and their hearts to those who seek an oasis of hope amid a desert of fear. “It is the attitude that I am noticing in my Salesian brothers that really touches my heart,” says Father Ángel Fernández Artime, Rector Major of the Salesians. “The same thing happened to me in Sierra Leone, and in Liberia. When great conflicts arise, our Salesian missionaries care about the affected people so much that they are not able to leave those people in moments of suffering.” Please join us in prayer for all the innocent victims of war—in Syria, the Ivory Coast, Colombia and elsewhere around the world.