Thanks to caring friends like you, the Don Bosco Farm in Lusaka, Zambia is now home to a new arrival of chickens, pigs and cattle. What’s more, impoverished students from the local Salesian-run agricultural school are gaining the skills necessary to provide a sustainable food supply for their community.

In addition to providing nutritious meals, the Salesian-run farm offers social development programs and academic courses that empower poor and at-risk youth who attend the school. This hands-on approach enables young people to acquire a basic education while gaining valuable experience in agriculture and farm management that will lead to rewarding employment opportunities later in life.

Don Bosco Farm offers a beacon of hope in a country plagued by poverty. Many residents living in remote rural areas don’t have enough money to meet basic needs such as shelter, nutritious food and medical care. That’s why the farming programs implemented by the Salesians are so important to suffering families.

Our missionaries operate three agricultural schools in the region where students participate in classroom instruction and spend three months learning the skills needed to run a working farm. What’s more, Don Bosco Farm strives to be self-sufficient.

“The farm will generate income through the sale of agricultural products, such as livestock and meat for local markets,” explains Father Michael Conway, Director of Salesian Missions. “Funds can also come from farm visits and educational tours. These types of activities will help support the school and the surrounding community.”

Fr. Mike adds, “Our missionaries want to create an integrated farming system that includes fishponds which will be another source of revenue to support the farm. This project has been essential for ensuring young people have access to the practical education they need while the farm products feed our students, staff and their families.”

Whether it’s harvesting crops, cultivating fish, gathering eggs, or caring for livestock, the students at Don Bosco Farm are ready to do what’s necessary to get healthy food in the hands of those who need it most.

Learn more about our work in Zambia.

Our mission is to implement agricultural programs that provide sustainable food supplies for impoverished communities. What’s your mission?