The Salesian project "A New Beginning" aims to help protect and promote the rights of children in conflict with the law in Angola. It is co-funded by the European Union and involves several organizations and institutions, both national and international.
Paulo Cayeye today is a young man who has become a reference point and the mirror in which many minors participating in the program look at themselves. "A New Beginning" currently works with 208 minors and, in a logic of accompaniment, with their families. Of these minors, 58 have been placed on probation, 83 on community service, 28 on social protection measures, and 39 are awaiting a court decision.
Among many activities, minors and their families participate in referral workshops, with protagonists telling personal stories of resilience and new beginnings, personal development, drawing, and parenting skills. The goals of the program are family reintegration and the start of a new life through the educational training and social skills offered.
One of the protagonists of the youth workshops is Paulo, who as early as 10 years old was already leaving home in the morning and returning at night without going to school and without listening to his mother's warnings, "Paulo, we love you so much, why do you want to lose yourself in this life of crime?" the woman told her, but Paulo saw no problem in what he was doing.
Today, however, he acknowledges, "I had a very turbulent and dangerous life because of what I was doing. We gave a lot of sadness and pain. We were five friends and no one could stop us. Once when I was in a rehab center one of my friends tried to rob a store and the security guard shot him. I spent almost two years in that center, and when I got out, I decided to change my life and listen to my parents," Paulo testifies today.
At the same time, Paulo also sends a message to the parents of difficult children, namely not to abandon them when they are in trouble and to believe in them to help them change their behavior. "I am an example of this change, thanks to the 'A New Beginning' project and the Salesians. I have gone back to school and am taking a technical course in mechanics, which is one of my dreams with which I hope to help my parents."
"The 'A New Beginning' project," Paulo concludes, "has provided me with medical and psychological care, as well as technical and practical courses, which have contributed greatly to my recovery with the full support of my family. Thanks to the Salesians, I am now a new person, ready to help other young people."
