Donations of musical instruments, laptops and tools help ensure that youth have what they need for a proper learning environment.

NEW ROCHELLE, NY (March 31, 2020) The Salesian Technical Institute Ricaldone in San Salvador, El Salvador, has received donations to help support educational programming thanks to Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. The donations included musical instruments, 30 laptops, tools and digital music mixing equipment.

The first donation, received in September 2018, was musical instruments including violins, a clarinet, a sax, an electric guitar and keyboard pianos donated by the Salesian High School in New Rochelle, New York. The donation was distributed among the Pedro Ricaldone Catholic Early Childhood Education School, Ricaldone Orchestra, the Musical School of Piano and Violin, and Salesian summer adventure free time program.

This shipment also included 30 laptops obtained through USAID’s LEEP (Limited Excess Property Program). These laptops were provided for youth to use at the Technology Laboratory Multicenter for students who are involved in educational programs.

A second shipment, which arrived in November 2019 included tools from ASAP – Tools for Empowerment. The tools were provided to students who are attending general mechanics workshops, automotive maintenance workshops, and carpentry workshops that provide maintenance education and support to the Salesian programs. This shipment also included digital music mixing equipment.

“The partnership with ASAP and Salesian Missions helps ensure that youth have the tools they need for a proper learning environment,” says Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions. “Many Salesian students do not have the financial resources to purchase the tools of their trade and this donation will ensure students have the classroom resources they need to prepare for the next step in life and make them more employable.”

El Salvador is one of the most violent countries in Central America, along with Honduras and Guatemala. The murder rate in El Salvador rose more than 44 percent in the beginning months of 2014 when compared to the same time period the year before. In 2016, San Salvador was named the murder capital of the world, seeing more murders and violent crime than any other city. Gang violence is a leading cause of violence in the country, and it’s estimated that some 60,000 young people have gang affiliation. Gang involvement often offers a sense of belonging and family that counters the lack of education and employment opportunities offered in the country.

Crime is often associated with poverty and close to 35 percent of El Salvador’s population lives in poverty, according to the World Bank. Youth in El Salvador are confronted not only with poverty but with instability, high levels of violence and inadequate access to educational opportunities. Despite ranking high for economic indicators, the need for practical education in El Salvador is more important than ever with 12 percent of youth ages 15 to 24 unemployed and 41 percent underemployed.

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