Trapped in a community stricken with poverty and despair, Alicia and her younger sister Gabriella have found a glimmer of hope. Thanks to the generosity of Salesian Missions donors, fourteen new computers were delivered to their school, providing opportunities for a better life.

The two sisters attend the Madre Candida Center, a Salesian school located in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, which serves some of the most impoverished children in the region. They come from families too poor to pay for an education that would allow their sons and daughters the chance to break free from their dismal conditions.

The new computers offer a promising opportunity for change. They replace old and outdated equipment in the school’s computer laboratory which held students back and prevented them from gaining skills needed to advance their education.

The new devices will open valuable doors in computer technology that would have otherwise excluded these students from brighter futures. This is just one example of how our Salesian missionaries at Madre Candida are improving the lives of 125 disadvantaged and at-risk youth enrolled at the school. The Center also provides courses in tailoring and dressmaking, cosmetology, office administration — and now computer technology, thanks to the updated equipment.

“These children are smart, eager and motivated, but the cards are stacked against them. Widespread poverty, hunger and instability make it nearly impossible for them to excel,” explains Father Michael Conway, director of Salesian Missions. “That’s why we do everything we can to give them the upper hand. The new computers will enable students to gain the skills needed to pursue a technical degree and find gainful employment.”

For Alicia and Gabriella, it’s a dream come true. They are taking full advantage of the new computers and aspire to someday become working professionals so they can provide a better quality of life for themselves and their families.

Learn more about our work in Bolivia.

Our mission provides access to new technologies that will help train impoverished youth for in-demand jobs and sustainable futures. What’s your mission?