Pope Francis' Encyclical Laudato Sì, on the "Common Home" recalls that the Earth is "like a sister with whom we share our life and a beautiful mother who opens her arms to embrace us"; but also underlines the importance of education and training capable of shaping a lifestyle and fostering environmental responsibility, says the Pope (LS 1 and 211).
To truly make the Earth a common home, it is necessary to lay the foundations for the education of future generations.
Encouraging the environmental commitment of young people was the first objective set to start this proposal for an integral, comprehensive impact. Thus, thanks to the contribution of the “JuWe Vereinigung Don Bosco Werk” (Switzerland), multiple initiatives have been developed over the course of almost two years to help achieve the set objectives.
Among the actions actually carried out - in addition to those currently suspended due to the current health crisis - training workshops on environmental issues have been developed within the "Pro-huerta" program: autochthonous forest and forest nursery, management of native forests and forests, agro-ecological gardens, education and environmental management.
Other concrete actions were the installation of the agro-ecological vegetable garden in the Don Bosco oratory in operation since 2019, the installation of a separate collection and recycling system for waste in the Salesian house itself, and the generation of institutional bonds promoted by the young people themselves with other realities to achieve a real impact on society.
Furthermore, today, in light of the growing sensitivity towards the environment, the community of the oratory begins to rethink this project to extend it to all families.
At the Salesian Oratory Bárbara Villalba and Nancy Campos, environmental assistants are working on the maintenance of the garden and the differentiated collection of solid waste.
The new proposal is to bring families a "virtual environmental program" with the aim that children can create their own gardens at home. This proposal will have a positive impact from the point of view of food assistance, responsible and healthy consumption of the family group.
Bárbara and Nancy are working on the seeds and collecting the permits necessary to bring or send them, according to the official regulation and the local climatic conditions of the places where each young person lives, so that their horticultural activity can be carried out with success.
