Donor funding supports 62 youth from families in need.

NEW ROCHELLE, NY (Feb. 19, 2024) Students attending Saint John Bosco Salesian School in Granada, Nicaragua, received scholarships thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. In 2023, 62 primary and secondary students benefited from this scholarship funding.

The students come from poor families who do not earn a substantial wage or who are led by single mothers. The families have serious financial difficulties and struggle to pay tuition on their own. The scholarship funding ensures youth from these families have access to high-quality education.

A Salesian noted, “Salesian education responds to today’s challenges and seeks to educate and empower youth to develop a sense of responsibility for one’s own life, overcoming obstacles with courage and perseverance.”

The school was founded in May 1912, the year in which the first Salesians arrived in the city. Education is offered for preschool, primary and secondary school.

Nicaragua, the poorest country in Central America and the second poorest in the Western Hemisphere, has widespread underemployment and poverty with a quarter of its population living below the poverty line, according to the World Bank. More than 80% of Nicaragua’s poor live in remote rural communities where access to basic services is a daily challenge.

Years of widespread poverty have taken their toll. In addition, crime, violence against women, gang violence and high unemployment result in challenging economic and social conditions, particularly for young people and women.

More than 70% of the population is under 30 years old, which is youth play such central role in the development of the country. However, Salesians report that youth have few prospects because of poverty. Salesians are working to provide education and social development programs to help youth have stability so they can gain an education and become self-reliant.

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