The "Stop Trafficking" campaign, which "Don Bosco Missions" of Turin and the Salesian NGO "VIS - International Volunteer Service for Development" began together in 2016, is starting again with new impetus to continue to combat human trafficking through an extensive awareness and formation program in Sub-Saharan African countries. After developing several projects in Senegal, Ethiopia and Ghana (the 3 countries involved in the first phase), those in Mali, Nigeria and Liberia are now being developed.
Mali is among the world's 25 poorest countries and over a third of its population lives below the poverty line. It has a long history of migration and is an important transit point for migratory flows affecting West Africa.
In Bamako the Salesians run a Vocational Training Center which currently offers four courses that issue an official diploma as a skilled worker in metalworking, electricity / solar energy, automotive and agricultural mechanics and agricultural entrepreneurship, and two courses that award a secondary school diploma in automotive mechanics and metalworking.
The desire of the Salesians is to be able to welcome even more young at risk in its workshops: from 433 to 809 students in the 2020 school year, and also starting a system for better identification of vulnerable young people and better socio-professional integration.
Finally, the aim of this project is to launch an agricultural training activity in a dislocated rural center in Moribabougou, which will mainly involve women.
In this way the Salesians will be able to contribute to the reduction of irregular migration flows from Mali, supporting formation and social-labor integration paths that can create opportunities for local youth, and promote the social reintegration of returning migrants.
For more information, visit the website: www.missionidonbosco.org
