Who are we?
Who are the salesians?
The Salesians of Don Bosco are a religious order of Catholic Priests and Brothers who dedicate their lives to serving vulnerable and at-risk children and youth. St. John “Don” Bosco established the Society of St. Francis of Sales in 1859, which is what we now know today as ‘the Salesians’ and today we are in more than 130 countries and impact the lives of millions of children and youth. In Southern Africa we have been empowering and uplifting youth through a variety of programmes including: creches, schools, vocational training centres, youth oratories, HIV/AIDS intervention programs and other empowerment programs since 1896. We believe that if children are loved, supported and given the right opportunities, they will be able to change and improve their own lives.
“Without confidence and love, there can be no true education. If you want to be loved…you must love yourselves, and make your children feel that you love them.”
St John Bosco
We have learned that by providing educational opportunities for vulnerable children and youth, we can give them the hope, self-belief, skills and determination they need to be the agents of change in their own lives. Our work is not about giving hand-outs and creating a culture of dependence, but rather to get alongside children and their families – empowered and encouraged families uplift entire communities. This is why we live and work in the areas where the need is the greatest, so that the communities know that we are a part of them, and that only through working together can we make a difference.
Our Mission is to enable youth development projects to be dynamic and sustainable in their aim and efforts to empower disadvantaged youth. We do this through research, fundraising and capacity building of projects, remaining true to the Salesian ethos. We strive to be transparent to all our stakeholders.
our history in southern africa
Today, the Salesians in Southern Africa are serving the local communities in more than ten key areas across Southern Africa. We always work closely with the local community, the Salesian Sisters, the Missionary Sisters of Mary Help of Christians, lay people known as ‘Collaborators’, volunteers and other lay missionary partners.
why do we focus on children and youth?
“In every young person a point of goodness is accessible. It is the primary duty of the educator to discover that sensitive chord of the heart so as to draw out the best in the young person”
Don Bosco
We work with young people to try and retain that ‘point of goodness’ and to grow and develop it, instead of allowing it to be trampled by the harsh realities of life. Most young people grow up with dreams, passions and a vision of a better future for themselves and their families and too often their dreams are crushed by a lack of access to education or opportunities.
The three countries that we work in have very young populations which is unfortunately mostly caused by a high mortality rate, with an average age of only 27 years old. Most children that we work with grow up in extreme poverty, and many have lost one of both parents to illnesses such as AIDS. Other children’s parents have moved away to try and find work, leaving their children in the care of grandparents, other relatives or neighbours. As such, childhood does not exist for most of the children we work with, for many education is only a dream and a basic meal of bread and tea once or twice a day is not guaranteed. Our aim is to try and help these children recapture their lost childhood. We want them to laugh and play and give them a sense of their own self-worth and dignity. We want them to have access to a good education and to break the cycle of poverty. We want to equip children and youth with the education, self-belief and faith to become independent and capable citizens who will rise out of poverty.
why do we focus on education?
“The school was not the end; it was rather the instrumental means for improving the way of life.”
Don Bosco
In Southern Africa, conservative estimates put the unemployment rate of young people aged between 15-34 years at 43%. Research shows the that the longer a person is unemployed, the less likely they are to be able to gain employment. The economy demands skilled and experienced work-seekers, meaning that the most vulnerable people on the labour market are those with the least education, training or experience.
This makes it difficult and decreases the chances for young unskilled people to find employment, which ultimately results in many losing hope of ever finding a job. This can easily lead to a life of hopelessness, begging, substance abuse, crime or prostitution. Don Bosco recognised how incredibly vulnerable and desperate underprivileged youth are and in following his leadership our focus is to educate and empower the vulnerable youth in our communities. By focusing on education we aim to equip and empower vulnerable young people to become agents of change in their own lives.
Join us. Make a difference
