(ANS - San Salvador)- The Don Bosco Integrated Education Youth Programme (PIJDB) run by FUSALMO (Fundación Salvador del Mundo) is celebrating 10 years of service and commitment. It has given holistic education to more than 55,000 children, adolescents and young people at risk.

According to the leaders of the Foundation, "To understand the PIJDB it is necessary to know the origin of FUSALMO. The government of El Salvador, through the Ministry of Education, and financially supported by the Spanish Government, had the idea of building spaces for an educational programme  for young people at risk of social and economic difficulties. They felt that the best option was to entrust their initiative to the Salesian Congregation, given its experience in the field of youth. This led to the founding of FUSALMO, in 2001, PIJDB started in 2004, and is at the centre of FUSALMO and its operation. It is an educational programme that complements the formal education system in El Salvador. From the outset it was geared to students in state agencies who live near FUSALMO.  They are selected by the Minister.”

In particular, PIJDB caters for children at risk in neighbourhoods of San Miguel, Santa Ana and Soyapango. Until now it has taken care of 55,743 children and young people, from 120 school centres.

Over the years we have created and established new educational areas for the care of children. We had to set up specific units within the institution. Today these include: the Centre for Integrated Attention for the Family (CAIF) - for children with special problems; the School of Arts; the music club and chamber orchestra; the school of ​​theatre and painting; and sports centres.

Another area of ​​work is management training and mediation which helps young people to find a job or to start a business venture.

According to those responible: "PIJDB is an educational programme that offers children and youth at risk the opportunity to learn and grow in a Salesian environment. It is an alternative that allows young people to put into practice what they learn in their homes, in school and in the community.  They become protagonists in their environment, where they they can grow and prevent violence."

Published 06/10/2014