Queen Sophia of Spain visits Haiti to officially open the new Salesian educational center

Thanks to the generosity of caring friends like you, there is a ray of hope for suffering children and families in regions devastated by disaster and violence. While there is much work to be done in places like Haiti, the Ivory Coast and the Horn of Africa, the process of recovery and rebuilding continues through your kindness and support.

In Haiti – Queen Sophia of Spain led the ribbon-cutting ceremonies of the new Salesian Institute in Gressier, just a few miles from the epicenter of 2010's catastrophic earthquake. In addition to primary and secondary schools, the institute includes two hostels for abandoned and orphaned children. What's more, construction is underway on a multi-purpose hall and an agricultural school that will have four more hostels for students wanting to take vocational training courses.

On the Ivory Coast – After months of overcrowding and horrible conditions, life is slowly returning to normal for tens of thousands of refugees forced to seek shelter and safety at the Salesian Vocational Training Center. Although many of the children and families have returned home to their villages, they remain traumatized by their experiences and the fear of more violence. As the emotional scars take months and years to heal, the Salesians remain devoted to the service of the poor and needy in the region.

In the Horn of Africa – Emergency food supplies by the Salesians have reached the first orphanage just opened in the city of Jijiga – a grim reminder that so many children have lost their parents to the deadly famine. Elsewhere, the Salesian refugee camp in Dolo Ado is feeding 11,500 people and we are distributing more than 10,000 liters of clean drinking water each day.

Your continued support of Salesian Missions is so critical to the victims of violence, disaster and famine who depend on us for life-saving help! Thank you for whatever you can give to ensure that these children and families have a fighting chance to survive.