Salesian missionaries establish primary, secondary and vocational schools in poor, remote places.

NEW ROCHELLE, NY (March 28, 2025) Top of Form Salesian missionaries are working to fill the gaps in education for youth living in conditions of poverty in some of the most remote communities around the globe. The United Nations Education, Science and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) noted in 2023 that more than 250 million youth worldwide are missing out on critical education. They either don’t have access to school or through a number of factors are not able to access education.

“Education is in a state of emergency,” said UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay in 2023, after the release of UNESCO figures on the state of U.N. Sustainable Development Goal 4, which sets the goal of quality education for all by 2030. “While considerable efforts were made over the past decades to ensure quality education for all, UNESCO data demonstrates that the number of children out of school is now rising.”

Salesian missionaries have established vital primary, secondary and vocational schools in some of the most impoverished and remote places on earth. The Salesians of Don Bosco are also considered the largest private provider of vocational and technical training in the world. Around the globe, there are nearly 1,000 Salesian vocational, technical, professional and agricultural schools — giving youth the skills for stable employment.

“Education remains one of the most effective ways to lift people out of poverty,” said Father Michael Conway, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Equipped with knowledge and job-related skills, youth can pursue stable employment, become self-sufficient and become a productive member of society.”

Salesian Missions is proud to highlight educational programs for youth around the globe. There is still critical work left to be done to empower and educate youth through education. To help Salesian Missions in providing access, go to https://salesianmissions.org/lp/content-hope/.

GUINEA

Salesian missionaries have improved the socio-economic living conditions of youth and young adults through job market training in Kankan and Siguiri, Guinea. The funding for the project came from Salesian Missions.

Donor funds were used to purchase training equipment for the St. John Bosco Centers in the two communities. The donation impacted 880 youth including 130 young women, ages 16-25, from the Kankan and Nzérékoré regions. The students come from families with low levels of education who earn their living mainly through the subsistence economy.

A Salesian explained, “Thanks to the additional training equipment available, the St. John Bosco Centers have been able to increase the number of classrooms where young people can receive training. This has made it possible to offer training to even more youth. In Siguiri, we have gone from 61 students in 2022-2023 to 100 students in 2023-2024. Similarly in Kankan, we have gone from 165 pupils in 2022-2023 to 181 pupils in 2023-2024. This project has been a great success.”

One of the students impacted was Emmanuel, who is attending vocational training at the center in Siguiri. He said, “The reason I came to the center was because I failed secondary school. I tried several times without success to take the baccalaureate exam, even though I had difficulty reaching the final year of secondary school. My classmates and parents advised me to do vocational training. I decided to train in building electricity and I’m in my second year.”

GHANA

Don Bosco Technical Institute, located in Ashaiman, Ghana, has new computers to aid the education and career development of students thanks to funding from Salesian Missions. With the funding, the institute was able to purchase new laptops with software that are housed in the computer laboratory. Students at the institute are between the ages of 17-25 and are studying to gain skills for later employment or higher education.

One of the students who benefited is Noah Ahiabu, who struggled with completing assignments before the new computers. He says that in the span of just a few weeks, the students were working with the new computers, offering faster internet speeds, up-to-date software, and the necessary tools to bring learning to life.

He noted, “I remember using computers that took forever to load. Sometimes, I couldn’t even access the websites or tools needed for my assignments. Everything changed when we received funding from Salesian Missions for the new computers. This was a game-changer for me personally and the institute at large.”

TANZANIA

Don Bosco Kilimanjaro International Institute for Telecommunications, Electronics and Computers (Don Bosco KIITEC), located in Arusha, Tanzania, has a new hostel for 300 students thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions. The construction for the hostel had been started thanks to a local benefactor, and the donor funding from Salesian Missions was utilized to build the upper floors and finish the building, including plumbing, tiling, doors, electrical work, and painting. The building is currently being used for 150 students.

Don Bosco KIITEC serves youth and young adults who are poor. The school sits on a 15-acre campus that offers the most advanced training technologies in the region. Courses include electrical engineering with industrial automation, renewable energy, and computer science, as well as electronics and telecommunications.

One of the students, Herman Exaud John, has enjoyed his time at Don Bosco KIITEC. He said, “I am so proud of myself, and I feel I’m at the right place because until now I have learned a lot through different programs like the entrepreneurship training. It really helped me a lot since I got new skills to handle my life. I am staying in the hostel which is a place to live and learn. We have all the facilities there. I would really like to thank all who supported us.”

VENEZUELA

The Maria Auxiliadora Popular Technical School, located in Altamira in the Chacao municipality of Caracas, Venezuela*, has improved the learning environment for students thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions. Funds were used for similar initiatives at the Madre Mazzarello School, located in the state of Amazonas, to strengthen the students’ development of practical skills and competencies necessary for the workforce.

At the Maria Auxiliadora Popular Technical School, upgrades included the purchase of equipment for specific tools for nursing, including anatomical models. Funding also supported technology equipment for classes in accounting and administration, such as administrative accounting programs. These acquisitions have had a positive impact on 355 students, expanding their technical and digital skills. Additional funding was allocated for the adaptation of spaces for students to connect with the labor force under the supervision of specialist teachers.

These investments made it possible to implement internship hours in a new curricula, which significantly expanded professional training for youth. Previously, internships began in the 4th year through shadowing activities in companies in the community. With the new approach, training begins from the age of 11, adapting to the maturity of the students and respecting the legal frameworks that regulate their early incorporation into the workplace.

*Any goods, services or funds provided by Salesian Missions to programs located in this country were administered in compliance with applicable laws and regulations, including sanctions administered by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Asset Control.

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Contact: media@salesianmissions.org