Salesian technical and vocational education aims to help poor youth gain the skills and learn a trade for later employment. The Salesian center in Damala has an orphanage, youth center, professional center and high school. At the center in Galabadja, Salesian missionaries offer primary and secondary education along with a college and professional training program.

During the height of the violence of the 2014 conflict, the Salesian center in Galabadja took in 20,000 displaced youth and their families while the center in Damala took in an estimated 50,000. Many arrived at the Salesian centers injured and in serious need of medical attention.

Once the situation improved, many left the shelter of Salesian centers. Yet, the situation remained precarious. Those still internally displaced were homeless and had no other source of shelter and food other than what was provided at the centers.

To help those displaced, funding allowed training to resume at the centers so that youth affected by the war could return to school. Generators were provided for the school and vocational training center in Damala, and an accumulator system was installed to prevent power outages. Funding also supported the purchase of educational materials, footwear, clothing and basic food products. More than 100 scholarships were awarded for youth to access professional training.

In addition, Salesian missionaries repaired all of the damage that was done in the school, the vocational training center and youth center, which was caused by shootings, explosions and assaults, along with the presence of thousands of refugees that were accommodated there. Salesian educational staff also accessed additional training to provide psychological support for children affected by war. Working to meet a local need, missionaries also used funding to start a new training course for taxi and delivery drivers who are in great demand within the country.

In December 2013, a wave of violence broke out in the city of Bangui sending people fleeing from their homes in search of safety and shelter. During the escalation of violence, communities were raided and homes burned. Salesian missionaries, who were already working in communities in the Central African Republic prior to the outbreak, reported at the time that a Salesian center in Galabadja had been host to 20,000 internally displaced people and one in Damala had taken in an estimated 50,000. Those at the Salesian centers were able to access safe shelter as well as food aid and other services.

Many displaced victims arrived at the Salesian centers injured and in desperate need of medical attention. Salesian missionaries partnered with Doctors Without Borders to convert one of the rooms at a Salesian center in Bangui into a small health facility. Doctors were able to treat a variety of ailments suffered by those in the centers.

Thanks to the Salesian center, Doctors Without Borders has had access to a safe workspace, electricity, water and coordination of services, enabling them to carry out much-needed emergency and ongoing health services.

At Salesian centers in Damala and Galabadja, Salesian missionaries operate the Spaces of Peace project where youth of all ages, cultures and religions learn to live and work together peacefully. Through the project, Salesian missionaries offer sports, musical training, summer camps and other activities that promote teamwork and social skills while giving youth opportunities to grow and mature.

In addition, thanks to an ongoing partnership between the Real Madrid Foundation and Salesian missionaries, soccer balls, shirts and other items have been donated to help the sports program succeed. The young athletes have shared with each other their experiences of war and have developed friendships through their participation in the program.

There are also close to 15,000 youth who are ready to participate in Scouting activities and become messengers of peace in the Central African Republic. In a country torn by conflict and marked by the use of child soldiers, these boys want to revive their Scouting activities and contribute to peace and reconciliation.

For more than 100 years, through international meetings such as the World Scout Jamboree and weekly activities organized locally, Scouting has been a vehicle for lasting peace throughout the world. However, for the program to be effective, it needs trained staff. Having a national training center is a key element for the development of Scouting and its values in a given country.

The Don Bosco Foundation in France, in collaboration with the Association of French Scouts and Guides, has decided to support the commitment to help the Central African Republic rebuild its national Scouting training center in Bangui, the capital and largest city.

In addition, the Don Bosco Foundation in France will provide human, logistical, technical and financial support to the Bangui Scouts as well as support fundraising efforts to further develop the center’s training classrooms and multi-purpose activity areas.

The reconstruction of the training center will provide clean water access for villages on the outskirts of the center. The project will primarily impact the young people of Bangui and its surrounding areas. By 2020-22, thanks to the rehabilitation of the center, Salesian missionaries expect to have a wider range of action and greater reach into other cities.

Vulnerable people who access Salesian programs in the Central African Republic are often in extreme need of the basics like proper nutrition, clothing, shelter and education.

Thanks to an ongoing partnership between Salesian Missions and Feed My Starving Children, a non-profit Christian organization committed to “feeding God’s children hungry in body and spirit,” shipments of fortified rice-meals were donated to two Salesian centers: Don Bosco Damala and Don Bosco Galabadja, both located near Bangui, the capital city.

The donated rice-meals were distributed to children, women and the elderly at a Salesian school and church as well as to local villagers. The distribution happened quickly in order to reach those in need without any interruption from armed groups of rebels and bandits. For many families, this donation has brought critical relief, as they had gone months without supplies for regular meals. The rice-meal donation has improved the health of students and helped them concentrate on their school studies.

After violence broke out in the city of Bangui in December 2013, a Salesian center in Galabadja was host to 20,000 internally displaced people and the one in Damala host to an estimated 50,000.

Many displaced victims arrived at the Salesian centers injured and in desperate need of medical attention. Salesian missionaries partnered with Doctors Without Borders to convert one of the rooms at a Salesian center in Bangui into a small health facility. Doctors were able to treat a variety of ailments suffered by those arriving at the center for the first time and those who had been sheltering there.

Thanks to the Salesian center, Doctors Without Borders has had access to a safe workspace, electricity, water and coordination of services, enabling them to carry out much-needed emergency and ongoing health services.

After violence broke out in the Central African Republic, Salesian missionaries had to repair damage that was done in Salesian schools, a vocational training center and youth center, which was caused by shootings, explosions and assaults. The structural repairs were important for Salesian missionaries to be able to carry on their work providing education and training to help youth have a chance at gaining the skills needed for future employment.

In addition, there are close to 15,000 youth who are ready to participate in Scouting activities and become messengers of peace in the Central African Republic. In a country torn by conflict and marked by the use of child soldiers, these boys want to revive their Scouting activities and contribute to peace and reconciliation.

The Don Bosco Foundation in France, in collaboration with the Association of French Scouts and Guides, has decided to support the commitment to help the Central African Republic rebuild its national Scouting training center in Bangui.

The Don Bosco Foundation in France will provide human, logistic, technical and financial support to the Bangui Scouts. The Foundation is committed to supporting the rehabilitation project through fundraising efforts to further develop the center’s training classrooms and multi-purpose activity areas.