Salesians in more than 130 countries work to ensure youth are safe, have basic needs met.

NEW ROCHELLE, NY (June 4, 2024) Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, joins humanitarian organizations and the international community in honoring International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression. Recognized on June 4 each year since its United Nations designation in 1982, the day acknowledges the pain suffered by children throughout the world who are the victims of physical, mental and emotional abuse.

The day also affirms the commitment by the U.N. and the international community to protect the rights of children. This work is guided by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the most rapidly and widely ratified international human rights treaty in history.

International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression honors the millions of individuals and organizations working to protect and preserve the rights of children. The United Nations has noted, “Every day, children living in wars across the globe are facing unspeakable horrors. They are not safe sleeping in their homes or playing outside, learning in school or seeking medical care at hospitals. From killing and maiming, abduction and sexual violence, to attacks on education and health facilities, and the denial of the humanitarian assistance that they desperately need, children are being caught in the crosshairs of warring parties at a staggering scale.”

Salesian missionaries in more than 130 countries around the globe are working to ensure youth are safe, have their basic needs met and can access the education they need to succeed. Whether it’s providing social support, combating child labor or assisting the homeless, Salesian missionaries are on the front lines ensuring access to programs and services.

“Salesian missionaries offer support to children who are facing armed conflict in Ukraine*, Sudan* and other places around the globe,” said Father Michael Conway, director of Salesian Missions. “The support of Salesians goes beyond education. They help support child abuse victims, help rehabilitate child soldiers and street children, and provide education on child rights to ensure that youth have a sense of self-worth and hope for a better future.”

In honor of International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression, Salesian Missions highlights programs helping children who are facing trauma.

DR CONGO

Salesian missionaries have been providing support for people displaced by the fighting in the Democratic Republic of the Congo*. Since Feb. 10, 2023, Don Bosco Shasha has been sheltering people who fled to safety in the field of the primary school. Currently, displaced families are using the classrooms for shelter.

While Salesians are providing what they can, it has become increasingly difficult for the people living in the camp. Father Kizito Tembo, a Salesian priest at Don Bosco Shasha, explained, “In the camp, life seems to have stopped. They wake up in the morning not knowing what they are going to eat or how the day will end. Worse still is when it was raining. Families huddle around the fire to keep warm. The most vulnerable are pregnant women, the elderly, the sick and children.”

People are also getting sick on their long journey from their villages to Don Bosco Shasha and while in the camp. Fr. Tembo said, “After a long road of exile, those who had caught diseases along the way began to succumb. Children have become victims of cholera, measles and malnourishment. Pregnant women have miscarriages and others have stillbirths. Misery upon misery. Breastfeeding women do not have enough breast milk, which is a disaster for babies.”

Salesians are providing porridge for the children who are facing malnutrition and for the sick in the hopes that food will make them strong enough to fight their illness. Salesians are also trying to get youth back into school.

INDIA

Salesian missionaries with Bosco Vikas Gramin Kendra were able to support children in migrant communities in the Central Maharashtra region of India thanks to funding from Salesian Missions.

Salesians note that internal migration in India to the Maharashtra region is high. The needs of children are often overlooked as parents come to the major cities in search of work and a better life. Migrants make up several working sectors including construction, hospitality, manufacturing, transportation and services. They occupy roles ranging from laborers to domestic workers, drivers, and security guards.

Education, health care and social integration become obstacles for migrant youth. The transient nature of migrant life erects barriers to education, compelling youth to navigate a maze of school enrollments amid frequent relocations, often destabilizing their educational journey.

SYRIA

Salesian missionaries in Aleppo, Syria,* continue to support local youth after the country’s 12 years of civil war and in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake that struck southern Turkey and northern Syria in February 2023.

In the immediate aftermath, Salesians opened the doors to Don Bosco House, and hundreds of people found security, companionship and relief. Five months after the earthquake, Father Alejandro León, superior of the Salesian Adolescent Jesus Province of the Middle East, reflected on what he experienced and what the country continues to need, as well as extended his gratitude for all those who have provided support.

Fr. León said, “One sentence I heard made me think. I entered a formation meeting with a group of teenagers aged 15-16. I don’t know what topic they were discussing, but one girl said, ‘Here we were taught to see the glass half full, rather than half empty, but the problem is that our glass is not only empty, it’s really broken.’ The sentence may seem to be exaggerated, or an outburst after the experience of the earthquake. However, I  do not share this, but there is something in it that makes me reflect and empathize with the existential situation of these young people.”

UKRAINE

Salesian missionaries in Ukraine* are still working to support those who have fled for safety two years after Russia invaded the country. The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), has reported that more than 6.5 million people have fled since the start of the war and there were 3.7 million people displaced within the country. It is estimated that some 14.6 million people need humanitarian assistance in order to survive.

Further, according to the United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, there have been more than 10,500 civilian deaths, including nearly 600 children, and approximately 20,000 people injured. These figures do not include the soldiers killed and injured on both sides.

One of the people who sought help from the Salesians is Alina, who fled with her three children in the early hours of Feb. 24, 2022 from Zuivka, in eastern Ukraine. “It took us a day and a half to get to Kyiv and for months we lived with some relatives,” recalled Alina.

Nine months ago they moved and settled in Mariapolis, the Salesian city of prefabricated modules built in Lviv. The city hosts almost a 1,000 people in small homes. The war is also felt in this part of western Ukraine. Alina said, “There are frequent power blackouts to save electricity or due to anti-missile alarms.”

For those living at Mariapolis, Salesians work to instill hope and provide food, fuel for kitchens, appliances, and logistical support. Another project ensures that people are prepared for the cold winter months and that children can still access their education. Salesians have also constructed safe shelters and educational centers.

*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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