When Wasium arrived 15 years ago at the Don Bosco Youth Center in Mekanissa, Ethiopia, he was a child. A child extremely in need of care, food, and protection who, accompanied by his young mother, worried and desperate because she had no means to raise and even feed her son and younger siblings, could only hope to find acceptance at the Salesian mission. And so, they did. Perhaps for the first time, Wasium realized that there was a place for him indeed, a home in which to grow up with so many of his peers, all from poor families and backgrounds of profound misery and degradation, was there.
And in this home, there was also a big family for him, many religious people who like loving fathers were there for his good. A good made up of care, food, psychological and human support and, above all, education. That education that Wasium could never have received without the help of those who support the work of the Salesians in Mekanissa and, through it, give so many vulnerable children the certainty that they can be saved, that they can be reborn and rebuild their future.
And Wasium began to rebuild his future from the very beginning, attending elementary school, then middle school, and high school, always with excellent grades. All the way to attending university in the faculty of Economics and Business. He also worked, small jobs that, during his studies, allowed him to be of help to his family as well. After finishing university, he first found a job as a substitute teacher in a private school and then, deservedly, got a job at a banking institution in the capital, Addis Ababa.
Today Wasium is no longer a child, but a new person, serene, satisfied, and grateful for all the help he received. Help that has changed his life!
When Peter was only 9 months old, his mother placed him in the care of his maternal grandmother and then disappeared from his life. At the age of six, Peter lost his father. None of his family members could send him to school, and Peter spent his first seven years on the streets.
But thanks to the intervention of an aunt, Peter was sent to the Salesian orphanage "Children And Life Mission" (CALM) and, from day one, he was able to count on all the help of the Salesians and the very important solidarity of those who support Don Bosco's work in Uganda every day. As soon as he arrived, he received the care he needed and was enrolled in the school. A school where he rediscovered the desire to study, obtained very good scores, and always stood out for his commitment and results. Today, Peter happily attends secondary school and gives everyone his smile, his cheerfulness, and his gratitude for this journey to a tomorrow of serenity and joy that he is making.
Wasium and Peter's stories are children of the ongoing support program "You are daily bread", a project created to accompany the poorest and loneliest children along the most important years of their lives, carried out by the Turin Salesian Mission Office "Missioni Don Bosco."
For more information, visit: www.missionidonbosco.org
