According to the World Bank, Namibia is just one of nine countries in Africa considered as upper middle income, but poverty is still prevalent with extreme wealth imbalances. Namibia’s poverty rate is 32 percent with an unemployment rate of 29.6 percent. Poverty in Namibia is acute in the northern regions of Kavango, Oshikoto, Zambezi, Kunene and Ohangwena, where upwards of one-third of the population lives in poverty. HIV prevalence in the country is 16.9 percent.
The Salesians of Don Bosco have been active in Namibia since 1998 and work in Rundu, the country’s second largest town. The number of homeless youth and AIDS orphans in Rundu is growing steadily. The country is one of the five in the world hardest hit by HIV/AIDS.
Salesian missionaries with the Don Bosco Youth Center, located in Rundu, were able to continue with a feeding program for vulnerable children thanks to funding from Salesian Missions donors. Missionaries provided feeding support for youth who have dropped out of school and other vulnerable children. The second half of the feeding project coincided with the coronavirus pandemic and lockdown. The children were able to stay indoors during this tough time because of the food supply that was available for them. The Don Bosco Youth Center also supported some families that were in dire need of food and on the verge of starvation.
In 2021, Salesian missionaries in Rundu were able to feed vulnerable children and parents who are a part of the Don Bosco pre-school. They also provided hand sanitizers for the prevention of COVID-19 as well as blankets thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions. This project benefited 123 children aged 3-11 years who are from poor families, orphans and from families headed by children.
Youth attending Don Bosco Youth Center in Rundu received nutritional support thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions. The funding provided breakfast and lunch to 200 poor children ages 3-11 who attend local Salesian schools to give them the energy they need to be able to focus.
There is a Don Bosco Hostel for boys at the Shambyu St. Joseph’s Catholic Mission and village in the Shambyu kingdom in Kavango East. The mission was founded in 1930 by the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate and is staff by two native pastors, Father Berthold Mukongwa and Father Michael Murongo. The mission also has a clinic and a Marian House Hostel for girls
The Don Bosco Youth Center is situated on a two-hectare piece of land, where it takes in children and older youth from the poorest communities in Rundu. The center consists of a large multi-functional hall, a kitchen and bathroom facilities. Children are able to play, access healthy food and use the bathroom facilities. Rehabilitation programs and family social workers help children connect with their relatives in order to reintegrate them back with their families, when appropriate.
Students at the Don Bosco Center and Don Bosco Primary School in Rundu have access to clean water thanks to donor funding from the Salesian Missions “Clean Water Initiative.” The project provided a new water tank and pump to supply fresh drinking water. The water supply at the newly opened school has been limited due to water interruptions in the town of Rundu, which has created a challenging situation. The Don Bosco Center, which includes the primary school, administration, computer training center, chapel and other youth facilities, welcomes more than 600 people each day. The Don Bosco Primary School teaches children ages 2-10 who come from conditions of poverty in their home lives. The lack of water often cancelled classes and other programs at the Don Bosco Center.
To address this crisis, funding was provided for a 10,000-liter (2,641 gallon) water tank to avoid water interruptions that often last up to two weeks. The water tank, which has a lifespan of up to 15 years and can hold two weeks’ worth of water, was constructed at the center and connects to the school’s water supply line. A new water pump is helping the school to automatically pump water in the tank, improve water pressure, and save money, time, and energy.
Residents of the Ruurumwe village, located outside of Rundu have access to clean water thanks to donor funding from the Salesian Missions “Clean Water Initiative,” which provided a new borewell, water tank and pump. The 550 people living in the village are poor and survive on small-scale farming and government grants. The water supply from a small seasonal river is erratic and too often not enough. During the summer, residents survive on water from holes and small wells, but this water is not safe for human consumption. The new borewell and 5,000-liter water storage tank will supply fresh, clean water for the entire village and allow people to grow food for the community.
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Don Bosco Youth Center in Rundu renovated a children’s playground thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions. Prior to the renovations, the playground was in a dilapidated state and dangerous, leaving children without a place to play and connect with their peers. With the donor funding, Salesians were able to buy renovation materials and paint. The children who attend the youth center come very poor families and some of them have been abandoned. Since the launch of the primary school, close to 120 children use the playground each morning before school. On the weekends, 180 youth attending programs at the youth center utilize the playground. To safeguard the playground, Salesians have asked the school to contribute a small amount of money toward the maintenance.
From Namibia
From Namibia
Salesian Missions makes clean water projects a priority. NEW ROCHELLE, NY (March 22, 2023) Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, joins humanitarian organizations and countries around the globe
People in Ruurumwe village previously survived on unsafe water from holes and small wells. NEW ROCHELLE, NY (Nov. 29, 2022) Residents of the Ruurumwe village, located outside of Rundu, Namibia, have access to clean water thanks to
‘Clean Water Initiative’ prioritizes building wells and supplying fresh water. NEW ROCHELLE, NY (Nov. 19, 2022) Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, joins humanitarian organizations and th
Projects give access to clean water and soap to people living in poverty. NEW ROCHELLE, NY (Oct. 15, 2022) Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, joins the international community in celebrating
Don Bosco Youth Center provides 2 meals a day to give youth energy to focus in school. NEW ROCHELLE, NY (June 29, 2022) Youth attending Don Bosco Youth Center, in Rundu, Namibia, received nutritional support thanks to donor fundin
The project, part of the Salesian Missions ‘Clean Water Initiative,’ provided a new water tank and pump. NEW ROCHELLE, NY (March 29, 2022) Students at the Don Bosco Center and Don Bosco Primary School in Rundu, Namibia, have a
Salesian Missions highlights programs that empower youth, giving them a sense of well-being and happiness. NEW ROCHELLE, NY (March 20, 2022) Top of Form Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, jo
Project made possible thanks to donor funding from the Salesian Missions ‘Clean Water Initiative’. NEW ROCHELLE, NY (March 14, 2022) Top of FormPeople living in the Ngwa-ngwa village, close to Rundu, Namibia, have access to cl
With more than 5,500 Salesian educational institutions and youth centers, missionaries are educating children in some of the poorest places on the planet. NEW ROCHELLE, NY (Nov. 20, 2021) Salesian Missions, the U.S. development ar
More than 3.6 billion people are living without access to safely managed sanitation, according to UN-Water. NEW ROCHELLE, NY (Nov. 19, 2021) Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, joins humanita
Salesian Missions includes agriculture in its vocational training programs – to ensure that youth of Rwanda learn better agricultural practices as well as keep the school self-sustaining in the face of the country’s food shortages.
Salesian Missions includes agriculture in its vocational training programs – to ensure that youth of Rwanda learn better agricultural practices as well as keep the school self-sustaining in the face of the country’s food shortages.
Salesian Missions includes agriculture in its vocational training programs – to ensure that youth of Rwanda learn better agricultural practices as well as keep the school self-sustaining in the face of the country’s food shortages.