A fresh coat of paint – inside and out. Toilets that finally flush properly. Window and door frames free from rot. Cement and plaster pillars without cracks. Recent renovations to the Don Bosco Technical and Vocational Training Center in Makuyu, Kenya are lifting the spirits of students. And you helped make that possible.

The Center is a vital resource in the community and a pathway to a better life. It offers training to disadvantaged youth and adults, and provides them with the skills they need to find good jobs and become self-sufficient members of society.

But a lack of funds and many years of wear and tear had taken its toll on the building. Peeling paint, deteriorating wood, and cracked concrete threatened its structural integrity. The unsightly, rundown school was a sad, visible reminder of the poverty that its students endured.

Thanks to your generosity, we were able to fund significant repairs and upgrades that have transformed the school into a centerpiece of community pride. Next up is replacing the asbestos roof.

“The area around the school is made up of communities that face significant hardship,” explains Father Michael Conway, Director of Salesian Missions. “We know that the best way to break the cycle of poverty is through education, which is why our investment in the Don Bosco Technical and Vocational Training Center is so important.”

The Center is a beacon of hope and opportunity for impoverished young people striving for a better life. They gain valuable expertise by taking practical classes in masonry, plumbing, electrical installation, welding, auto mechanics, carpentry, printing technology, and cabinet making.

Most students who attend the school cannot afford tuition so our missionaries find a way to make it work by stretching every dollar, thanks to the kind support of caring friends like you.

It’s a meaningful collaboration that benefits young people like James, a student enrolled in the auto mechanics class. “When I finish school, I want to get a job and help my family. I will pay the school fees for my brothers and sisters. Thanks to the repairs and painting, our school is very beautiful, and I feel proud to be here,” he says.

Learn more about our work in Kenya.

Our mission is to empower young people to break the cycle of poverty through education and vocational training. What’s your mission?