On Annual Day for Poverty Eradication, Salesians Focus on Youth in Burundi, Tanzania

The students received training in “solar installation, operation and maintenance” at various Salesian institutions in the East African nation. 

The students were also empowered with skills in “solar technician courses along with soft skills training, field attachments, job search help and other career guidance,” Salesian Missions officials say in the October 17 report.

“These events presented trainees with the chance to see potential opportunities, acquire new insights and explore the different career pathways available,” SDB officials say about their initiatives in Tanzania. 

In Burundi, the Salesians are educating 165 students at the Lycée Don Bosco, Buterere.

To enable the students have a conducive learning environment, Salesian missions have provided the learning institution with funds for materials to build 100 desk benches and 600 books.

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“The desk benches were created in a workshop to help keep down the cost and also provide professional training to students — giving them hands — on experience and preparing them for the workforce,” SDB officials say.

In the October 17 report, the Director of Salesian Missions, Fr. Gus Baek, is quoted as saying, “Education is a primary pathway out of poverty, and we work to ensure that all children have access to a solid educational foundation.”

“Salesian educational programs provide youth the education and technical skills training they need to prepare for employment and have productive lives while becoming contributing adults in their communities,” Fr. Baek adds.

He notes that Salesian programs also go beyond “traditional education and help youth understand their relation to their community and the world around them.”

Held annually on 17 October since 1987, the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty honors victims of extreme poverty, violence and hunger around the globe.

This year, the event was marked under the theme, “Dignity for all in practice: The commitments we make together for social justice, peace, and the planet.”

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.