Around 750,000 children and young people work, sleep and live on the streets of Zambia’s major cities. This also applies to the Makululu slum in the city of Kabwe. This is where young people flee from violence and poverty and look for some work. They do not attend school and hence, have little chance of improving their lives. The project partners of the Bonn-based association, the Salesians of Don Bosco, operate a children’s village in Zambia’s largest slum. A school, a youth center and two residential houses are the new home for the 90 orphan children. Now another residential house is to be built here as the first reception center for ten former street children. Here they will receive the therapeutic care and a secure ambiance they need to find their way back into life. Financing the construction of this house is the goal that Don Bosco Mondo has set itself as part of its anniversary campaign.
“This house in this place is a symbol of what we do: to give children on the periphery of society, a home and thus a future. We are grateful and proud that for 41 years now we have been able to build on a stable network of committed people - partners, donors, institutions and good spirits,” says Silvia Cromm, the Managing Director of Programs & Projects, outlining the core of the anniversary campaign. Around the motto “Make! Future. Together.”, starting on September 4, various people, stories and achievements will be honored on the association’s website and in social media.
September 4, 1980 is the founding date of the association. The real celebration of the birthday has been moved to 2021 due to the Corona pandemic and its devastating impact in the recepient project countries.
In the “40 Years - 40 Voices” campaign, long-time companions, employees and project partners give their answers, representing the wide range of personal commitment and convictions that have made it possible to support the more than 2,900 projects over the past 40 years.
Among the movers and shakers and outstanding personalities are Jürgen von Danwitz and Manfred Peter. They were awarded honorary membership of the association for their many years of multifaceted commitment. Von Danwitz promoted the construction of the St. Winfried parish in Bonn’s government district in the 1970s. In 1980, he co-founded the “Jugend Dritte Welt - Verein der Freunde und Förderer der Missionsprokur der Salesianer Don Boscos in Bonn - Verein der Freunde St. Winfrieds,” which has been operating under the name Don Bosco Mondo e.V. since 2012. To this day, he is an active assessor on the board, which he chaired for many years. Manfred Peter has accompanied the association since 2003 as a board member and treasurer.
Since 1980, the Bonn-based association has been working together with its project partners, the Salesians of Don Bosco and the Salesian Sisters, in order to benefit street children, former child soldiers, orphans and child laborers. Numerous cooperation partners and committed people in Germany support the association and thus create the financial resources to realize the work of the project partners on site. These include private donors, institutional sponsors, government donors, associations, foundations, chambers and companies. To date, 2,900 projects have been realized in 113 countries with more than 13 million children and young people who have been given opportunities for a new, self-determined life as a result.
Katharina Schründer
