There are dozens of stories like his. Patio formando para la vida (A playground preparing youngsters for life) is a proposal that comes from the heart of Don Bosco. But what exactly is it?
"El Patio" was the first Salesian school in the city of Medellin, where the Salesians settled in 1915. Located in the city centre, it was frequented by street children, shoe shine boys and newspaper sellers. The work went through several stages until the construction, in 1965, of Ciudad Don Bosco, but it always retained its option for young people at risk.
At present it accommodates 50 young people between the ages of 8 and 12 as boarders. They are young people who come from the streets, who have been abandoned or maltreated by their family, or who have escaped from armed groups. They come with no hygiene, no education and 10% of them have already started on drugs.
Operación Amistad (Operation Friendship) is a programme that encourages young people at risk to go to sleep at the Patio. It is a first step towards getting to know them. For many of them it means a first taste of Salesian education and the beginning of a new life.
Patio formando para la vida is a complete and integrated project that, through the cooperation of specialists (educators, psychologists, nutritionists, dentists, etc.), helps young people to rediscover their dignity and it also brings them closer to their families, while they acquire healthy habits and learn how to live together with others.
In a typically Salesian environment the young people appreciate the opportunity to progress in their studies. Many then choose to learn a trade at Ciudad Don Bosco and so continue their education with the Salesians in Medellin.
Source: Misiones Salesianas - Spain
