Anagdikadavu, India – February 2024 – The semester course organised by the Don Bosco College Anagdikadavu, Department of Psychology, in Psychological Counselling has come to an end. It was a very successful course attended by 35 participants from different backgrounds. On 13 February, as part of a ceremony held in the don Bosco College auditorium, Fr Jose Thomas Koyickal, Superior of the Province of Bangalore, delivered the certificates of participation to the students and recalled the importance of mental health, highlighting the role that professionals have in providing help and support to those in need. During the course, Fr Kuriakose Pallikunnel SDB, with his team from the Department of Psychology, provided valuable insights on various aspects, including basic and advanced skills in counselling, conflict resolution, peaceful communication, and psychological first aid. The program also included supervised tutorials and written assignments, thus ensuring a holistic learning experience for all participants.

Copacabana, Colombia - February 2024 - The radio station "Rinaldi Estéreo" of the Salesian Postnovitiate formation house "Blessed Philip Rinaldi", located in Copacabana, in the Colombian state of Antioquia and belonging to the Salesian Province of Colombia-Medellín (COM), has begun its broadcasts for the year 2024, under the coordination of the Salesian Postnovitiate, Félix Omar Báez Sierra. All the Salesians of the Post-novitiate will contribute to ensure evangelization through this digital space. This year, the objective of the radio station is to involve more young people in the context of the formation house and the apostolic activities that the Salesians accompany, in order to make themselves better known at the Provincial level and beyond.

Hatyai, Thailand, February 2024 – 53 students from the Don Bosco Saengthong Vitthaya SDb school, and the FMA Thidanukroh school in Songkhla province, together with teachers and parents' representatives, volunteered for the Nature Conservation of the Ton Nga Chang Wildlife Sanctuary National Park. The area that covers the provinces of Songkhla and Satun in southern Thailand is a large forest on the border with Malaysia. It is a forest with abundant wildlife, which serves as a watershed for many streams that flow into the basin of Lake Songkhla, an important source of water for the entire surrounding environment. On 2 February  the activities began with listening to a conference on the conservation of natural resources and the role of national park officials, by its Director, Mr. Panapon Chiva Sereechon. Subsequently, students volunteered to help collect garbage and clean up the area around the park, and built a weir to slow down the water at Ton Nga Chang waterfall. These activities have helped students understand the benefits of building dams, which retain water and reduce soil erosion, as well as helping to retain sediments and miscellaneous materials that come down with the water in the stream. This helps increase biological diversity and becomes a habitat for aquatic animals.

Catania, Italy – February 2024 - The "DB Sons", a musical group of the Salesian Youth Movement (SYM) in Sicily, the result of the initiative of two young Salesians, Fr Emanuele Geraci and Fr Giuseppe Priolo, strike again, following the pattern of Don Bosco's dreams: "In the shape of your dream" is the title of the most recent product of the artistic collaboration between Salesians and young people belonging to the Salesian oratories, once again gathered to value music as a privileged environment for the close and creative encounter between God and human beings. The ambition of the group, this time, is to evoke the actual and practical power of Don Bosco's 'Dream at Nine Years of Age'. And with this song the "DB Sons" also participate in an international competition aimed at selecting the official hymn for the Salesian Synod of Young People, which will be held at Colle Don Bosco from 11 to 16 August 2024. Thanks, for this new work, goes first of all to Fr Gildasio Mendes, General Councillor for Social Communication, who wanted to involve Sicily, valuing its talents, and to the Salesian Province of Sicily (ISI) which has promoted its realisation. Fr Emanuele Geraci also designed the musical composition, with the collaboration of Fr Giuseppe Priolo (both also sing), and Angelo Di Chiara wrote the text, as well as arranging music for the piano in the song. The ISI Provincial Social Communication Team collaborated on the graphics of the cover, the dissemination of the song on social networks and a video clip that will be released soon.

Here are the links to listen to the new anthem
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVdFRqo_2Ms

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/1TdYUPl0U3jnpdSaCbGV9w

Apple Music: https://geo.music.apple.com/album/in-the-shape-of-your-dream-feat-chiara-raneri-agnese/1728904600

Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.it/albums/B0CTTXDNY7

Deezer: https://www.deezer.com/album/543020292

Los Angeles, United States – February 2024 – St. Bridget Chinese Catholic Church in Chinatown, Los Angeles, celebrated the grand opening of the Mary Help of Christians Center on 11 February. Bishop Matthew Gregory Elshoff, Auxiliary Bishop of Los Angeles, and the parish priest of St Bridget's, Fr Peter Pong, presided over the cutting of the ribbon, with which the Center was officially opened. The latter will be dedicated to supporting the teachings of St John Bosco and will help the young people of Los Angeles become good Christians and upright citizens. Two other events were also celebrated during the opening ceremony, namely the wedding anniversary of the oldest couple in the parish, spouses Tom and Lily Lowe, who have been married for 75 years, and the Lunar New Year celebrations, with the Chinese community welcoming the Year of the Dragon. 

Madrid, Spain - February 2024 - Queen Letizia of Spain presided over an event, on the occasion of World Safer Internet Day, during which some students from the Salesian Our Lady of the Rosary school in Rota received an award from the Spanish National Institute of Cybersecurity (INCIBE) for their project. The students made a short film entitled "Ask for help, you can change the ending", in which they denounce the risks of harassment on social networks and highlight how harassment can even lead to suicidal thoughts, but that there are ways out and alternatives to help. Students Mari Félix Sánchez and Agustín Ramos, representing the entire working group, together with their teacher Emilio Ruiz, who guided them through the process, went to the NH Collection Real Casino in Madrid, where the event chaired by Queen Letizia was held. The Salesian students had a unique experience, not only because they were among the winners, but also because they were able to collect their prize from the hands of Queen Letizia and share a chat with her, explaining their project.