Mission News
The stories rarely, if ever, make the headlines: news of natural disasters in remote and impoverished communities far from the orbit of entertainment-thirsty attention. And yet — whenever and wherever catastrophe strikes — our Salesian missionaries are among the first to respond.
A Brighter Future for Ebola Orphans in West Africa
April 10, 2015
Late last year, as the Ebola crisis was raging in West Africa, a parallel “epidemic” was emerging: one that stigmatized little girls and boys who lost one or both parents to the disease. Ostracized by society due to fear and misunderstanding, these innocent orphans had nowhere to turn — and could easily have become Ebola’s…
Small Loans, Huge Opportunities
March 9, 2015
Touching lives for a better future. For the past 21 years, this motto has guided the activities of Bosco Seva Kendra (BSK), the development arm of the Salesian Province of St. Joseph in Hyderabad, India. From poverty-eradication programs, to sustainable development initiatives, to education and skills training opportunities, BSK strives to arm marginalized children and…
Defending the Human Rights of Youth
March 9, 2015
I Am Not A Witch Video“It is impossible that a child has made a pact with the devil.” These are the words of Father José Luis de la Fuente, a Salesian missionary working on behalf of marginalized children in Kara, Togo. Sadly, too many adults in his community believe just that — and as a…
New Shoes, New Hope for Impoverished Youth
March 9, 2015
Until recently, 14-year-old Carmen suffered from what she called “much abused feet.” Living under the blistering sun of Tuxtla Gutierez, Mexico, her long walks to school without proper footwear left her vulnerable to sunburn, cuts and infections. Not only that, but the fact that she felt poorly dressed negatively impacted her self-esteem and performance in…
New Hope for East Timor’s Orphans
February 5, 2015
Living conditions in East Timor are among the worst in the world. More than one million people struggle with extreme poverty, malnutrition and poor health — conditions directly related to a brutal and lengthy civil war that claimed an estimated 183,000 lives and left survivors struggling to meet even their most basic needs. Now that…
A Contract for the Future of Colombia’s Youth
February 4, 2015
For 15 years, Father Jaime Garcia enacted his dream of training the poor youth of Colombia for future employment. Now, a new program called Pacto Motor is helping ensure that the vast majority of his students find decent jobs immediately after graduating.
Help for Sri Lanka’s Flood Victims
February 4, 2015
On Dec. 26 in Sri Lanka, a week of non-stop torrential rains unleashed nature’s fury — triggering catastrophic flooding and mudslides that killed at least 39 people and forced more than one million men, women and children from their homes. Salesian missionaries in the central and northern regions of the country were among the first…
Escaping Poverty Through Tea
January 16, 2015
“This project has been a miracle!” So says Lawrence Kerketta, a former tea laborer in the Indian province of Assam. Having once earned less than $1 a day — an amount that left him unable to cover his family’s basic expenses — he now owns and operates a modest tea garden that provides income to…
New Hope for the “Children of Conflict”
January 16, 2015
More than 35 million people around the world — 85 percent of whom are women and children — have been devastated by war, natural disasters and other catastrophic events. And many of these innocent victims end up in cramped refugee camps — where they languish for years, with no chance to work or even attend…