SIERRA LEONE: At-risk youth participate in safe, healthy activities
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MissionNewswire) Don Bosco Youth Center, part of the Dwarzak Parish in Freetown, Sierra Leone, offers youth a space to enjoy leisure and sports, get help with schoolwork, have a nutritious meal, and find personal and spiritual support in a safe and healthy environment. Salesian missionaries also promote an attitude of service and teach children and older youth the importance of giving back to their families and community.
Thousands of minors roam the streets of Freetown every day. They don t go to school because they are orphans or have been kicked out or ran away from home and survive by grouping into gangs. In many cases, they come from large families where there was not enough food or space for everyone. Girls and young women are particularly vulnerable on the streets.
SIERRA LEONE
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MissionNewswire) Don Bosco Youth Center, part of the Dwarzak Parish in Freetown, Sierra Leone, offers youth a space to enjoy leisure and sports, get help with schoolwork, have a nutritious meal, and find personal and spiritual support in a safe and healthy environment. Salesian missionaries also promote an attitude of service and teach children and older youth the importance of giving back to their families and community. They are being prepared to be good, honest citizens.
Youth in Sierra Leone face significant challenges in accessing education. With too few teachers and many school buildings destroyed in the war, resources are thin. Persistently high illiteracy rates mean that an estimated 70 percent of Sierra Leone’s youth are unemployed or underemployed. Programs facilitated by Don Bosco Youth Center help to ensure youth have access to the services they need to gain an education and to be able to connect with their peers.