Mission News
Tenin. Mamadou. Bernard. Suleyman. Their backgrounds are as diverse as their names, ages and countries where they were born. But all are united by one common purpose … to build better lives and futures in Italy, far from the conditions that drove them from their homes. With help from our Salesian missionaries, they’re laying the…
Shining a Beacon of Hope
January 16, 2024
It hit below the fold—news of cyclone Michaung was hidden among reports of endless wars, natural disasters and other catastrophes around the world. But for thousands of people in India and our Salesian missionaries serving in the region, the storm’s immediate impact and devastating aftermath remain headline news. Roaring toward Chennai at the beginning of…
Feeding the Hungry in Sri Lanka
November 9, 2023
“May the Lord bless you!” exclaimed Chaminda when he received desperately needed, nutritious rice meal packages for his young family from our missionaries at Don Bosco Chinthanaloka in Ahungalla, Sri Lanka. And it’s thanks to the support of friends like you. Like many of his neighbors, Chaminda works hard in the nearby cinnamon fields—investing long…
A Clinic Without Walls in Myanmar
November 9, 2023
Myanmar* is a country in crisis. And with no apparent end in sight, our Salesian missionaries on the ground have adjusted their ongoing relief efforts to bring critical aid directly into the hands of those who need it most. “I’m not exaggerating when I say, ‘it can’t happen soon enough,’” says Father Timothy Ploch, interim…
Planting the Seeds for Brighter Futures
November 9, 2023
Life is hard for any single mother. It’s even harder for young women in Rwanda, where pervasive gender inequalities and intentional exclusion push them to society’s most distant edges—where they find little support for improving their lives … and the lives of their children. An innovative new farming program in the Gasabo district of Kigali…
Restoring Hope for Victims of Trafficking
October 6, 2023
It’s hard to imagine that child trafficking exists. But every day around the world, children are being robbed of their innocence. Profound poverty—combined with little or no protection for children’s rights—creates a culture of modern-day slavery in which literally millions of innocent girls and boys become victims of a heartbreaking reality with no means to…
New Opportunities for Brighter Futures in Lebanon
October 6, 2023
Due to a deepening economic crisis, more than 80 percent of Lebanon’s population now lives in poverty—and youth, especially, face many disadvantages. At Don Bosco Technique in Fidar, a significant number of marginalized students are overcoming these obstacles. Our missionaries know that high-level training is one of the best ways for young people to improve…
Educating for Global Peace, One Child at a Time
October 6, 2023
“Peace is needed today more than ever. War and conflict are unleashing devastation, poverty and hunger, and driving tens of millions of people from their homes,” says U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres. Our Salesian missionaries agree—and continue to take concrete, positive steps toward reversing these trends. Those steps start with individual children, whose minds are eager…
Workforce Training + Job Opportunities = A Brighter Future
September 12, 2023
Every day, impoverished young people in Papua New Guinea yearn for a better way of life—but the road to get there is challenging to navigate. Salesian missionaries at the Don Bosco Technical School Gabutu, located in Port Moresby, are working to provide the education and marketable skills that youth need to find their way. “These…
Higher Goals at Don Bosco Farm
September 12, 2023
“When I was little,” says 17-year-old Henri, “I wanted to be a goalkeeper.” Not an unusual fantasy for a young boy raised under the shadow of Ecuador’s Estadio Bellavista, home to three top-tier professional soccer teams. Yet it was never a given that Henri could have dreamed of playing sports—or anything else for that matter.…