Reliable transportation needed to access 10 outstations.

NEW ROCHELLE, NY (Dec. 30, 2024) Salesian missionaries in Cinkassé, Togo, have a new vehicle to help them provide more outreach services to youth thanks to Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. Salesians have 10 outstations that they need to travel to beyond the main parish, which requires reliable transportation. Prior to the donation, the Salesians had one old car that broke often. Most of the time, Salesians had to use a motorbike or public transport, which limited what they could provide.

A Salesian noted, “Through well-defined outreach programs for youth, especially the poorest among them, we provide education and support to help them acquire the life skills necessary for holistic development to become better people, good Christians and honest citizens. We appreciate the donors who have made travel to the outstations possible, so we can reach even more youth.”

The Salesian community in Cinkassé was established in 1991. It is located on the border with Burkina Faso. The conflict in Burkina Faso has brought a wave of migration of people to Cinkassé.

Salesians operate a junior school with 411 students, secondary school with the hostel for 235 students, agricultural training, a small health center, youth education programs and the Catholic parish. They also provide pastoral care for those displaced.

More than 80% of Togo’s rural population lives in conditions of poverty making the country one of the world’s poorest, according to the World Bank. Children in the country suffer the most, with close to 50% of those living in poverty under the age of 18. One in eight children will not reach their fifth birthday and the number of children who drop out of school because their parents cannot afford to educate them is high. Children are also often forced to work in exploitative and dangerous conditions to help support their families.

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