Salesian programs rescue children from labor, ensure they have their needs met.

NEW ROCHELLE, NY (June 12, 2025) Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, joins humanitarian organizations and the international community in honoring World Day Against Child Labor. The day has been celebrated on June 12 since 2002, and it brings attention to the global extent of child labor and the action and efforts needed to eliminate it.

Child labor is associated with lower educational attainment and later with jobs that fail to meet basic decent work criteria. Those who leave school early are less likely to secure stable jobs and are at greater risk of chronic unemployment and poverty. Many of those who leave school early, particularly between the ages of 15-17, are engaged in work that is hazardous and classified as the worst forms of child labor.

Father Michael Conway, director of Salesian Missions, said, “Children need to be able to be in school gaining an education rather than working. Salesian programs rescue children from labor and ensure they have their basic needs met and are enrolled in school. We support those efforts by providing scholarship funding and ensuring Salesian schools have what they need to provide high-quality education for youth.”

In honor of World Day Against Child Labor 2025, Salesian Missions is proud to highlight educational investments that help youth remain in school instead of being forced into child labor.

GHANA

Don Bosco Technical Institute, located in Ashaiman, Ghana, has new computers to aid the education and career development of students thanks to funding from Salesian Missions. With the funding, the institute was able to purchase new laptops with software that are housed in the computer laboratory. Students at the institute are between the ages of 17-25 and are studying to gain skills for later employment or higher education.

One of the students who benefited is Noah Ahiabu, who struggled with completing assignments before the new computers. He says that in the span of just a few weeks, the students were working with the computers, which offered faster internet speeds, up-to-date software and the necessary tools to bring learning to life.

He noted, “I remember using computers that took forever to load. Sometimes, I couldn’t even access the websites or tools needed for my assignments. Everything changed when we received funding from Salesian Missions for the new computers. This was a game-changer for me personally and the institute at large.”

TANZANIA

Don Bosco Kilimanjaro International Institute for Telecommunications, Electronics and Computers (Don Bosco KIITEC), located in Arusha, Tanzania, has a new hostel for 300 students thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions. The construction for the hostel had been started thanks to a local benefactor, and the donor funding from Salesian Missions was utilized to build the upper floors and finish the building, including plumbing, tiling, doors, electrical work, and painting. The building is currently being used for 150 students.

Don Bosco KIITEC serves youth and young adults who are poor. The school sits on a 15-acre campus that offers the most advanced training technologies in the region. Courses include electrical engineering with industrial automation, renewable energy, and computer science, as well as electronics and telecommunications.

One of the students, Herman Exaud John, has enjoyed his time at Don Bosco KIITEC. He said, “I am so proud of myself, and I feel I’m at the right place because until now I have learned a lot through different programs like the entrepreneurship training. It really helped me a lot since I got new skills to handle my life. I am staying in the hostel which is a place to live and learn. We have all the facilities there. I would really like to thank all who supported us.”

VENEZUELA

The Maria Auxiliadora Popular Technical School, located in Altamira in the Chacao municipality of Caracas, Venezuela*, has improved the learning environment for students thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions. Funds were used for similar initiatives at the Madre Mazzarello School, located in the state of Amazonas, to strengthen the students’ development of practical skills and competencies necessary for the workforce.

At the Maria Auxiliadora Popular Technical School, upgrades included the purchase of equipment for specific tools for nursing, including anatomical models. Funding also supported technology equipment for classes in accounting and administration. These acquisitions have had a positive impact on 355 students, expanding their technical and digital skills. Additional funding was allocated for the adaptation of spaces for students to connect with the labor force under the supervision of specialist teachers.

These investments made it possible to implement internship hours in a new curricula, which significantly expanded professional training for youth. Previously, internships began in the 4th year through shadowing activities in companies in the community. With the new approach, training begins from the age of 11, adapting to the maturity of the students and respecting the legal frameworks that regulate their early incorporation into the workplace.

WEST AFRICA

Salesian missionaries in the Our Lady of Peace provincial community were able to provide 209 scholarships to youth who are disadvantaged thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions. The Antonio César scholarship program took place in Benin, Burkina Faso, Gambia, Guinea, Mali* and Senegal. According to the UNESCO Statistical Institute, sub-Saharan Africa has the highest rates of exclusion from education. More than a fifth of children aged about 6-11 are out of school, a third of children aged about 12-14 and nearly 60% of young people aged about 15-17. The region faces a growing demand for education due to its steadily increasing school-age population. Girls face greater exclusion from school than boys of the same age.

Youth receiving the scholarships were aged 8-25, and they were either orphaned or from families that could not afford their schooling.

A Salesian explained, “We want to ensure that all youth have a chance to gain an education, particularly girls who face greater disadvantages in accessing education. Salesians provide education and social development programs to support poor youth and their families. It is our goal to connect all youth, despite their disadvantages, to education where they can gain skills for later employment and to succeed in life.”

*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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