Mission News
This past May, Salesian missionaries in Pucallpa, Peru organized a free medical campaign to serve residents who otherwise could not afford care. Since 2005, similar initiatives throughout Peru have helped improve the quality of life of those living in extreme poverty — and have shined a spotlight on a much broader effort to provide health…
Education: Paving a Path Toward Peace
July 17, 2014
More than three years after the outbreak of war in Syria, little children breathe an air of sadness and pain. Their homes, families and innocence have been brutally torn from them by continued and horrifying violence; their futures literally smashed apart. In cities around the war-torn country, and in refugee camps across the border, Salesian…
Nourishing Bodies and Minds Around the Globe
July 17, 2014
Right now in Madrid, Spain, our missionaries are providing hot meals to more than 50 girls and boys attending programs at a Salesian center in the city. Hit particularly hard by the economic decline, these children’s families are struggling to meet basic financial demands — and are having to make the impossible choice between paying…
All the World a Village
July 17, 2014
Less than a year after super-typhoon Haiyan wreaked widespread destruction across the Philippines this past November, positive signs of progress have emerged from the rubble. Much of this progress can be credited to the hard work and determination of our Salesian missionaries — who are leading reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts throughout this island nation.
Addressing the Global Water Crisis
June 10, 2014
Here 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, water-borne sickness is…
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 adults for careers, and life — by teaching them a traditional art.
Catastrophic flooding in the Balkans impacts 1 million people
May 29, 2014
Never 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, the destruction is being compared to the…
Education and New Hope in Guinea
May 15, 2014
Although 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 opportunities through education.
Overcoming Physical Disabilities in Cambodia
May 15, 2014
According 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 students, regardless of physical ability, can access the basic education required…
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 31 percent. In response, Salesian missionaries…