The first Salesian missionaries arrived in the country for the first time in 1927. Then, forced by the political situation, they left the island and then returned with a second expedition in 1946. Taking into account the time spent and the activities carried out for many years in the field of education and social works, people consider Salesian missions as places that contribute to development and well-being on a religious, intellectual, and human level.
The works of some missionary historians, such as the Portuguese Fr João de Deus and Fr Jose Coreia, Spaniard Fr Afonço Maria Nacher and Italian Fr Eligio Locatelli, are still remembered today. And thanks to them and to many other more or less well-known Sons of Don Bosco, Don Bosco's charism is now more alive than ever in the country.
"In Time Leste we have 11 Salesian communities and we are about 200 confreres, although most of them are still in formation studying Philosophy or Theology", the Timorese Salesian Fr Gui da Silva, told Missioni Don Bosco in Turin.
The Salesian center cover many activities. "We have different schools, an orphanage, a reception centre, an agricultural school, and two Technical Schools and two Vocational Training Centres which are very important for us for the reconstruction of the country," added the Salesian.
The reconstruction process mentioned by Fr da Silva concerns numerous project activities carried out in recent years by the Salesians. The turbulent past of the occupation has torn apart the Timorese society and left serious damage by way of trauma, as well as in public infrastructure: buildings, power grids, irrigation systems, drinking water and schools were deliberately destroyed. And the education sector suffered crippling damage, with 80% of schools completely destroyed.
This is why commitment to education is now fundamental. In addition to carrying out the already active works, the Salesians are planning to give a new life to an old school built in 1994 and which is in a disastrous condition in Cailoibere, in an isolated area. It would allow 70 children aged 6 to 9 to attend primary school, then continue their studies in the largest centre in the area, Darlata, and become agents of change in their small community in the near future.
This is now the goal of Fr da Silva and the Salesians in Timor Leste, to make another small but significant contribution to the country's development work.
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