It recently celebrated the 20 years of activity in favor of the Salvadoran youth. FUSALMO was born twenty years ago, thanks to the efforts of the Salesians of El Salvador, the Association of Salesian Cooperators, and the Foundation for Integral Education of El Salvador (FEDISAL). It has always focused on quality complementary education, where the beneficiaries strengthen their knowledge. During all these years, FUSALMO has accumulated solid experience, managing to serve more than 432,166 children and young people in its different programs in its facilities, extending this work to 14 departments, in more than 100 municipalities and in 1,367 public schools nationwide.
Since 2004, the main institutional programs have been implemented, the flagship of which is the "Don Bosco Integral Youth Program", aimed at students from the 2nd cycle to the high school diploma of public schools in the areas surrounding the Salesian Youth Centers. This program has grown stronger over time thanks to the support of national and international organizations. Furthermore, two years ago a process of renewal of the educational cycle began, to guarantee children, the acquisition of new skills for the 21st century.
“The pandemic afflicting our world seemed to condemn us to abandon our dreams of work and to distance ourselves from young people,” explained Fr Pierre M. Vitelli, SDB, President of FUSALMO. “However, our vocation is stronger and has motivated us to accelerate the process of creating VIRTUAL FUSALMO. Through a platform called TRANSFORMA, we are committed to accompanying young people everywhere, offering them the experience of a face-to-face interaction. We have created a virtual space, where however children can find and have fun with friends.”
TRANSFORMA is a platform adapted to mobile devices. The access to courses is completely free and is available to all users who wish to register, regardless of the study center, be it a public or private institution. Around 3,000 children, adolescents and young people are expected to benefit in their educational development.
FUSALMO has also been recognized internationally and nationally. In 2019 the Salvadoran Foundation for Economic and Social Development (FUSADES) awarded the AD VITAM prize to the founder of the work, Fr Alfonso Evertsz, SDB, who with more than 50 years of priesthood gave his life to the children and young people of El Salvador. In 2018, through the Ministry of Education of El Salvador, FUSALMO received a special mention from the President of the Republic. Over the years, it has received awards and mentions from organizations such as the IDB, UNESCO, UNICEF, the WORLD BANK and ECLAC, which have awarded the Don Bosco Integral Youth Program of FUSALMO as proposing the best practices in youth care in Latin America and the Caribbean.
FUSALMO wants to continue to benefit children and young people with its institutional programs: a task that would not be possible without the support of the institutions, private companies, friends of the Foundation, national and international cooperation and all those who have facilitated for these 20 years to share, dream and transform the life of every person who approaches these programs.
https://www.infoans.org/en/component/k2/item/13496#sigProId99df4b50cb
