Salesian missionaries have developed the St. Joseph’s Farm, in Sagamu, thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions. The farm is a center for training, research and production on 25 hectares of land acquired by the Salesians. Forty farmers received training in better methods of crop production to help improve production and revenue. A piggery and fishery were also constructed with this funding. The current pig barn has 20 rooms for pigs and two rooms for feed storage. A total of 29 boars and sows are at the farm, along with 135 piglets that have been purchased or reared at the farm.

Since it started, the farm has improved the farming skills of many local and small farmers, brought awareness to youth on the importance of farming, trained local people on various farming techniques, and created a cooperative of small farmers.

St. Joseph’s Farm assisted mostly poor women, young girls and unemployed youth from the local area and provided training and hands-on help with farming techniques. In addition, the project helped small farmers develop skills to manage their farms for increased productivity, self-employment and sustainability.

With a population close to 256,000, including a mix of Christians, Muslims and traditionalists, Sagamu is known for its agricultural products such as cocoa and kola nuts. The region’s rich vegetation and large masses of unoccupied or unused land attract people who develop an interest in agriculture. Yet, the region has high rates of unemployment and underemployment, as well as a low rate of formal education.

In addition, Salesian missionaries in the Imo state had the funding to help local farmers thanks to donor support from Salesian Missions. The project “Post-COVID Empowerment through the Provision of Poultry and Farm Crops for Poor Young People and Women in Nigeria” supported four poor families with their farms. These families had established small-scale farms and saw improved revenues at harvest time given the training and support received from the Salesians. Training topics included crops, organic manure, pest control and spacing of crops. Additional training was provided directly at the farm locations, and it included clearing, mapping and planting periods.

The Don Bosco Child Protection Center in Lagos is able to provide ongoing support for 25 boys thanks to funding received funding from Salesian Missions. The center provides care for boys, aged 7 to 15 years, who were living on the streets, had faced physical abuse in their homes or were rescued from child trafficking.

The funding from Salesian Missions provided tuition and skills training, counseling and psychological care, medical care, and clothing for the boys. Some funding also went to support the operational expenses of the center for such items as fuel, internet access, stationery and toiletries.

In January 2017, Salesian missionaries launched the Bosco Boys Home in Ibadan. The new Salesian home was developed to address the rising issue of street youth. Young people, some as young as 9 years old, end up living on the streets because of serious social and family problems. On the streets, they are faced with exploitation, delinquency and addiction.

In 2018, the Bosco Boys Home cared for 55 children at the shelter. Children were provided accommodation, nutrition, healthcare, rehabilitation, psycho-social support, and reintegration and education assistance. Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, supported the center with donations including food, household items and medical supplies.

Salesian missionaries in Nigeria were able to train 15 girls in tailoring and give them self-employment starter kits thanks in part to funding from Salesian Missions. The training project “Post-COVID Relief through the Provision of Skills in Tailoring for Young Girls in Lagos and Ijebu Ode” ran from November 2020 to April 2021. A second phase of the project ran through July 2021.

Guided by the goal of equipping trainees with adequate skills in tailoring and sewing, the training consists of 90% practical work and 10% theory, which also involved life skills training, marketing, human management, interpersonal communication and other essential aspects of running a business. The trainees also completed a one-month internship before being provided with starter kits to help with self-employment to improve their livelihood.

Ten communities in Nigeria have clean water access thanks to donor funding through Salesian Missions “Clean Water Initiative.” The borehole projects have been completed in Ibadan, Akure, Ijebu Ode, Ondo, Onitsha, Abuja, Koko and three poor communities in the state of Benue. All of the communities are home to Salesian programs that provide education and help to meet the basic needs of poor youth and their families.

In addition, more than 20,000 people across the Nigeria states of Bagbe, Litaye, Ondo, Akwa Ibom and Imo have access to clean water thanks to Salesian Missions “Clean Water Initiative.” Due to geographic conditions, there is very little potable water in this region. People are forced to travel long distances to access clean water for their daily needs or rely on rain and river water, which can sometimes be contaminated. The five new boreholes will provide clean water, reduce outbreaks of waterborne diseases, and eliminate the need for traveling hours each day in search of water.

Most recently, Salesian missionaries were able to complete a water project at the Don Bosco Secondary School, located in Onitsha, impacting 450 students at the school, 500 youth who use the youth center and 45 staff, as well as 1,340 members of the community who use the compound for training, summer camp, vocational training, formative programs and more.

Nigeria, the most populated country in sub-Saharan Africa, has roughly 3.5 million people infected with HIV, ranking it third among the countries with the highest HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) and AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) burden in the world, next only to India and South Africa, according to UNAIDS.

The country has 1.5 million of its residents requiring antiretroviral therapy treatment and more than 200,000 people die each year from HIV/AIDS-related complications. Nigeria also has a staggering 2.1 million AIDS orphans whose parents have succumbed to the disease. Entrenched gender inequalities, chronic and debilitating poverty, and stubborn persistence of HIV/AIDS-related stigma and discrimination significantly contribute to the continuing spread of the infection.

In 2009, the Salesian missionaries were awarded a five-year U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Centers for Disease Control grant to work to combat the spread of HIV in Nigeria. The program, known as Don Bosco Life Choices, targeted Nigerians between the ages of 15 to 49 years and worked to increase knowledge and decrease the stigma of HIV while increasing the number of people who knew their HIV status. The program also increased access to voluntary counseling and testing and increased the number of people who had access to HIV treatment by offering a referral network to those who tested HIV positive.

John Bosco Institute of Technology in Ondo has a new school bus thanks to a donation from Stocker Bus Co. in Newton, N.J. Salesian Missions secured the donation and shipped it to the Salesian school. The bus will be used for transport for student activities and sports competitions. The staff and students at the school are very grateful for the new transportation.

John Bosco Institute of Technology was established in 1987 and graduated more than 2,000 students. Today, 400 students are taking courses in mechanical engineering, wood and aluminum technology, automotive engineering, electrical installation, business administration, computer science and technology, and event management and decoration. Youth at John Bosco Institute of Technology are learning important skills and trades in order to be prepared for the workforce.

Donations like the bus help ensure that youth are able to take full advantage of everything offered at the school including academic competitions at other schools, peer to peer activities and sporting events. These help students to have a well-rounded school experience while learning important life skills.

Salesian missionaries in Onitsha are establishing the Don Bosco Solar Energy Training Center thanks to donors from Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. Donors have provided the funding for the materials, labor and staff for the new center.

The launch of this new Solar Energy Training Center is the first of a four-step process to develop a reliable and renewable energy plan in the region. The center will teach local youth the skills required to install and maintain solar energy systems and will also create job opportunities for the local community.

Salesian missionaries with Corpus Christi Catholic Church, located in Ikoto, Ijebu Ode, Ogun State, have been able to make improvements to their chapel thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions. This project has benefited 500 young children, 400 older youth, and 600 women and men. The chapel can now be used by all who want to find some solace, peace and quiet as well as by groups and organizations who are holding prayer meetings, reflections, retreats and novenas.

The Salesian Hostel in the Don Bosco community of Onitsha has the support needed for a new roof project thanks to donor funding. Close to 800 youth, ages 11-18, are boarders of the hostel and will benefit from this project.