Trieste, Italy - July 2024 - The 50th edition of the Social Weeks of Catholics in Italy is underway in Trieste. "Salesiani per il sociale APS" is among the official exhibitors of the national event and until Sunday 7 July is present at the event with a pavilion set up in the central Piazza Sant'Antonio, inside the "Village of good practices". The aim is to let visitors discover the projects and activities that ‘Salesiani per il Sociale APS’ carries out in Italy to protect the minors most at risk of marginalization. The Social Week is a periodic appointment, where Catholics active in Italy in all spheres of society meet to compare their experiences, share their perspectives and coordinate their activities, launching common actions and proposals for change for the future of the country.

Yapacaní, Bolivia - July 2024 - During the first week of July, in the middle of winter, more than 50 young people from La Paz, Cochabamba and Santa Cruz meet to give life to missionary volunteer work. In this free, supportive and unpaid mission, they joined forces to clean and renovate the chapel in Santa Veracruz. Furthermore, in the afternoon, the young people of the Salesian Youth Movement (SYM), in the style of Don Bosco, dedicated their time to bringing the proclamation of Christ Jesus in the oratory and catechism with the children and young people of Yapacaní. And at the end of the day, with the intention of learning and getting to know the Salesian spirit better, through a formative process, the volunteers were trained on the themes of leadership, evangelisation and salesianity. This process was coordinated by the Provincial Delegate for Youth Ministry, Fr Henry Córdova, SDB, together with the team of Delegates for the Salesian Youth Movement.

Eeklo, Belgium - July 2024 - Towards the end of June, during its General Assembly, the Salesian youth association "Youth Aid Don Bosco Flanders" of the North Belgium and Holland Province (BEN) presented a new environment in which the Salesian reception, orientation and observation centres "OBC De Waai" and "OOOC De Bries - Jeugdhulp Don Bosco" can carry out therapeutic work with animals. Some of the stables have been completely renovated, an experience trail called "Paddock Paradise" has been opened and the gardens have been arranged so that the young people can carry out outdoor activities in close contact with nature. Thanks to this new project, it will be possible to work together with animals, a type of activity that is particularly useful for vulnerable young people and their families. Young people learn to interact with different species, learning that each one has different needs, inclinations, characteristics and properties. Contact with animals, especially horses and donkeys, promotes not only physical well-being, but also has significant positive effects on the mental and emotional well-being of young people.