Rise Against Hunger shipment helps Salesians support students, community members.

NEW ROCHELLE, NY (March 20, 2023) Students at Don Bosco Lakay/Lakou in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, had better nutrition thanks to a partnership between Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, and Rise Against Hunger, an international humanitarian organization growing a global movement to end hunger.

In the second half of 2022, Rise Against Hunger rice-meals helped Salesians support the students as well as some community members. The beneficiaries were able to receive food and continue learning and teaching without disturbance. Youth were also able to stay in the program and learn a trade.

Don Bosco Lakay/Lakou is located in La Saline surrounded by the armed groups that have taken over. People living in this community often have little hope for the future because of their daily struggles to buy food and find work.

Lazarre Jean Daniel, age 17, was one of the recipients of the rice-meals. Daniel lives in Martissant, where gangs have completely taken over because the area is a popular transportation route in and out of the capital. Due to the violence and insecurity, Daniel’s mother placed him in a state-run home. However, he saw some boys left the home to live on the streets. It was after that he came to Don Bosco Lakay/Lakou.

Daniel said, “In the state-run home, we only ate twice a day, rice, corn, and cornflakes with milk. In my mother’s house, I had coffee with bread in the morning, and our second meal was either late afternoon or at night and there was not always enough to go around. Here at Don Bosco Lakay/Lakou, we eat three meals a day. We have the Rise Against Hunger rice, which is very tasty. I feel much stronger after eating the meals. The food is very important as it helps me to grow stronger.”

Daniel added, “After breakfast, I go to the welding workshop at Lakay. I like to learn, especially with my friends. We can laugh and tease each other while we are working on our projects. It is a good atmosphere and very encouraging. I want to learn my trade well and to get a good job once I finish my education.”

Salesian missionaries began working in Haiti in 1935 in response to the Haitian government’s request for a professional school. Since then, Salesian missionaries have expanded their work to include 11 main educational centers and more than 200 schools across the country.

Each of the main centers includes a number of primary and secondary schools, vocational training centers, and other programs for street children and youth in need. Salesian programs are located throughout Haiti, including in the cities of Port-au-Prince, Fort-Liberté, Cap-Haïtien, Les

Cayes and Gressier. Today, Salesian missionaries in Haiti provide the largest source of education outside of the Haitian government with schools providing education to 25,500 primary and secondary school students.

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