Every morning at the Don Bosco Center in Rundu, Namibia, a little boy offers a thanksgiving prayer for a meal he never dreamed he would eat. Recently abandoned and living on the streets, with no way to find or pay for food, his situation teetered on disaster—until our missionaries stepped in to help.

“Income inequality in Namibia is particularly difficult,” explains Father Timothy Ploch, interim director of Salesian Missions, “and its effect on families can be hard to fathom. In many parts of the country, impoverished parents have no other choice than to leave their children to fend for themselves. Homelessness and hunger are among the daily afflictions of poverty that hit these kids hard.”

And it’s not just in Namibia, either. In nearly every single one of the 130+ countries where our Salesian missionaries serve, underprivileged children and their parents face heartbreaking personal emergencies that should garner global attention—yet no truck carrying humanitarian aid rumbles to their rescue.

“It’s human nature to gravitate toward the sensational,” Fr. Tim explains. “But the need for compassion and material assistance is no less dire—or deserving—just because families suffering from the effects of poverty don’t make the news.”

And that’s where our missionaries shine! They step up to lead measurable change, one individual crisis at a time. Take that precious seven-year-old in Rundu, who now lives with 62 other orphaned kids at the Don Bosco Center. Thanks to our feeding program, he no longer lives with the gnawing hunger he knew on the streets.

“This young boy always thanks and prays for the people who donate to us,” reports Father Louis Malama, the Salesian missionary who oversees the project. “This feeding program means a lot to the youth and families we serve.”

Generous supporters like you make similar food programs at Salesian-run schools possible around the world. Together with our dedicated missionaries, you help provide safe water, clean clothes, vital medicine, and temporary shelter for children and families with nowhere else to turn. At the same time, you support comprehensive programs that address the root causes of poverty-driven emergencies for so many people. And we are tremendously grateful.

Learn more about our work in Namibia.

Our mission addresses the many crises of poverty by offering compassion and material support for children and families in need. What’s your mission?