Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Addis Ababa (Fides Service) - The African Union has promoted in the month of June, the Day of the African Child. The Salesian missionaries, have been present in the continent for over 100 years, have developed many projects for the young children and population in need, as the agency Ans informs. They have been present in Ethiopia since 1975 and since then have always worked with and for children and vulnerable young people by providing mostly primary and secondary education, as well as initiatives for the development, through support in the areas of food security, access to water , disease prevention, emergency assistance and agriculture.
Since 1998, Addis Ababa, the project of "Donato’s Beggar Children " has been promoted, supported by the Salesian Mission Attorney in New Rochelle and by U.S. humanitarian agency USAID (United States Agency for International Development) through the program " CARING Orphans and Vulnerable Children". Unique in its kind, the project is an example of recovery actions in children living in conditions of danger on the streets of the capital of the country, primarily those who, despite having parents spend their days begging. These children often live in extremely precarious conditions and their parents or guardians simply cannot afford to send them to school and provide them with regular meals. Social workers of the program personally go to the city to look for the parents or people responsible for child beggars to convince them to send their children to "Don Bosco" Youth Center in Makanissa, Addis Ababa.
Once the children take part in the project they have a full meal and two snacks a day and the opportunity to receive education and take advantage of other support services to training. Currently 513 children are enrolled in the program, who are also followed and accompanied by auxiliary courses, to enable their subsequent entry into the formal education classes. The project also provides adequate opportunities for older students: young people above 15 are given professional qualities in the field of trade, so that they can become self-employed and earn an honest living. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 15/06/2011)
