On World Humanitarian Day, Salesians Review Their Interventions in Burundi, Malawi

Looking back at their humanitarian interventions in the East African nation of Burundi, officials of Salesian Missions recall the hand-washing initiative with thousands of beneficiaries at a parish under the leadership of SDB members.

“The Salesian Parish in Rukago, Burundi, has access to hand-washing stations thanks to funding from Salesian Missions. This project, which benefited 65,000 people in the parish and local community, provided hand-washing stations in eight churches, 15 schools and the Don Bosco Oratory,” the leadership of Salesian Missions says in the August 18 report. 

In the report, Salesian Fr. Raphaël Katanga is quoted as saying, “Installing hand-washing stations in front of churches, offices, schools and playgrounds is an effective means of fighting the coronavirus pandemic while giving the local population the hope of living.” 

The Salesians in Burundi have also been able to support vulnerable families who were at risk of facing food shortage due to the limited circulation of goods and people, Fr. Raphaël says.

They have also inaugurated a two-story building for the Maison Cana Orphanage managed by the Daughters of Mary – Our Lady of Cana. 

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In Malawi, Salesian Missions has facilitated the procurement of maize to feed needy families.

“Salesian Missions prompt response helped us to mobilize and assist the people that needed help most,” the Parish Priest of St. Don Bosco Parish in the Archdiocese of Lilongwe, Fr. Mulenga Oswald says in the August 18 report.

Fr. Mulenga adds, “In total, 382 families received the maize. At the Don Bosco Church, 280 families from 28 small Christian communities benefited along with families connected to Salesian centers in Mbunu, Kundi, Kangonoma, Chipeni and more.” 

The members of SDB at the Don Bosco Youth Center in Malawi’s capital, Lilongwe, also offer counselling workshops, seminars and educational literature, addressing the multiple challenges that young people face in the area. 

Young people are also equipped with life skills training. They are also oriented in strategies to avoid high-risk behaviour such as substance abuse and gang participation, officials of Salesian Missions say in the August 18 report. 

Established by the UN in 2009 to coincide with 2003 bomb attack on the Canal Hotel in Baghdad, Iraq that killed at least 22 people, including the chief humanitarian in the country, World Humanitarian Day recognizes humanitarian workers killed and injured in the course of their work.

Magdalene Kahiu is a Kenyan journalist with passion in Church communication. She holds a Degree in Social Communications from the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA). Currently, she works as a journalist for ACI Africa.