The meeting started with a video showing the work done by the leaders who volunteer in the Youth Centre. Unable to be present for the meeting, two of the girls each sent a short video clip to convey their greetings to Fr Ivo, who was delighted to engage in conversation with the young people. In turn they introduced themselves, explained why some of them come from quite far away to join the Youth Centre and what they like about the Senglea Oratory. The Salesians only arrived in Senglea thirteen years ago but the Oratory, they said, complements the formation they received through formal education channels and offered them sought-after opportunities for healthy socialisation.
It also enables them to go further and engage in advocacy on topics as diverse as environmental activism and children’s rights. The Oratory has also supported some of the young people to be active at local, national as well as EU-level events, representing Maltese youth and Salesians, including being chosen to form part of the Archbishop’s sounding board for youth issues. Others claimed to have been supported to discern and develop their choices in terms of careers, sports and education options.
The Oratory had also engaged several of them in student placements and employment programmes and some described initiatives they were involved in, through which the Oratory reaches out to poorer children and youth, teachingthem coding, and allowing them to find a voice, speaking out on discrimination against women and members of the LGBTQ+ community.
They appreciated that the Oratory could be a place where all young people regardless their backgroundcan feel at home, make friends and be accompanied in life, and for this they are grateful to Don Bosco. In the end they presented Fr Ivo with a token of appreciation and took a group photo to remember the occasion.
Fr Antoine Farrugia, SDB,Director of the Oratory
