Access to soap for cleaning and proper hygiene is important now more than ever.

NEW ROCHELLE, NY (Aug. 1, 2022) Women and children in Salesian communities in Haiti have access to better hygiene thanks to a soap donation secured by Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. The shipment of soap was from Eco-Soap Bank, a humanitarian nonprofit organization working to save, sanitize and supply recycled soap with hygiene education for the developing world.

The Rinaldi Foundation, the Salesian Planning and Development Office in Haiti, received the soap and distributed it. The first distribution was held on Mother’s Day to honor the mothers in the community. Salesians chose to prioritize mothers for the first distribution and included soap in the bags that were given out at church. The soap will be utilized for hand-washing, bathing, washing clothes and dishes, and other uses.

After the initial donation, soap was provided to children and older youth who are attending Salesian programs and schools including Fondation Vincent, Don Bosco Lakay OPEPB (the Little Schools of Fr. Bohnen), and the Salesian Diocesan Center of Arts and Trades (CDAM).

“Access to soap for cleaning and proper hygiene is important now more than ever,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions. “We appreciate the soap donation from Eco-Soap Bank that we have been able to provide to Salesian communities and centers. This donation helps to provide a sense of dignity to those we serve and cut down on illness.”

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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