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(ANS – Rome) - In the month of June the African Union promoted African Children’s Day with the aim of sensitising public opinion regarding the rights of the smallest ones. Often it is the young who are afflicted by malnutrition, AIDS and numerous epidemics; while poverty makes them the objects of abuse and ill-treatment, and victims of civil wars. The “Missioni Don Bosco” Mission Office in Turin has been promoting various projects and  programmes offering many children and youngsters the possibility of development and hope.

The “Missioni Don Bosco” long-distance adoption programme is for children and teenagers between 6 and 14, who are given financial assistance for at least three years. Their own families, often very poor, do not have the possibility of supporting and even less educating them.

On this account the Salesians of Don Bosco and the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians try to intervene while respecting the local culture, encouraging the parents to allow their children to go to school where they attend lessons, are fed and given medical care and clothing.

The missions involved in this programme are: Makuyu (Kenya), Luanda and Luena (Angola), Moatize, Chiure and Namaacha (Mozambique, Yaoundé (Cameroun), Mbujimayi and Kipushia (Democratic Republic of the Congo), Cotonou (Benin).

Also included in this programme are youngsters over 15 years of age who, in the past, not having had the opportunity to study, are now able to follow courses of literacy and vocational training to prepare them for employment and therefore independence in the own country.

The Salesian missions currently involved in this are: Embu (Kenya), Khartoum (Sudan), Parakou (Benin), Lomé (Togo), Ondo and Akure (Nigeria) Porto Novo (Benin).

There are about 750 children and youngsters benefiting from this financial support, but new requests are coming in from a dozen separate missions located in Tanzania, in Sudan e in New Guinea.

Published 01/07/2011