Salesian work benefits parish and 52 outstations.

NEW ROCHELLE, NY (July 23, 2024) Top of Form Salesians in Ghana had the support they need to facilitate pastoral work and social programs thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. The St. Joseph Province in Ashaiman received funding to purchase a car so that Salesians could travel among the Salesian centers in Ghana, Togo, Liberia, Sierra Leone and the Ivory Coast. This enables Salesians to meet the needs of the various communities efficiently.

Additional donor funding was used to help support the activities at the Saint Dominic Savio Community in Tatale. Funding was utilized to provide basic needs for pastoral works of the parish and its 52 outstations. This included the provision of food items, electricity, medical treatment and fuel for transportation.

A Salesian said, “This funding goes a long way in ensuring that Salesians are able to meet the needs of those in their community and the surrounding outstations that they serve. Salesians must travel long distances for pastoral visits and to celebrate Catholic Mass. The travel is costly as is the upkeep of cars and motorbikes. Having reliable transportation is critical. The funding further supported meeting the basic needs of Salesians and routine maintenance of the facilities. We are grateful to the donors for their support of our work.”

While Ghana’s economy continues to improve, nearly 45% of the population lives on less than $1 a day, according to UNICEF. Rural poverty remains widespread in the dry savannah region that covers roughly two thirds of Ghana’s northern territory. Small-scale farms suffer from a lack of infrastructure and equipment, both of which are needed to shift from subsistence farming to more modern commercial farming which would yield greater incomes and a chance to escape poverty.

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