Nalgonda, India, a small town in the center of the agricultural district, has always suffered from poverty and underdevelopment. Recently, alternating periods of water scarcity and devastating floods have prevented farmers from growing crops needed for food, making it increasingly difficult to support themselves and their families. But thanks to the Salesians, there’s new hope for children in this remote community.

At the Don Bosco Academy in Nalgonda, our missionaries offer a wide range of programs and activities that benefit disadvantaged youth from kindergarten to high school. Since opening in 2008, the school has enabled thousands of children to enroll in academic classes, participate in various sports, attend summer camps, and receive personal tutoring.

“Don Bosco Academy is making a huge impact,” explains Father Michael Conway, Director of Salesian Missions. “Unfortunately, however, many children living in remote regions are unable to attend school because they live too far away, the roads are treacherous, and there is a lack of reliable transportation.”

But thanks to a generous benefactor, our Salesians missionaries were able to purchase a school bus that will make the Academy accessible to remote children who, until recently, have been denied an education. Now the school is seeking funding for a second bus.

“The Academy is doing its best to extend the reach to as many children as possible. A second school bus will make it possible to cover an additional route and reach even more boys and girls deserving of an education so they can have a real chance for a better future,” says Fr. Mike.

In a region where nearly half the population lives in absolute poverty, access to the Don Bosco Academy will give desperate young people new hope and the skills they need to break the centuries-old cycle of poverty.

Learn more about our work in India.

Our mission is to lift impoverished children out of poverty by making education accessible to remote communities. What’s your mission?