The "Notre Dame de Clairvaux" center, located near the international airport of Madagascar's capital Antananarivo, is a work directed by the Sons of Don Bosco that houses more than 100 adolescents and young people between the ages of 12 and 22. The Salesian facility is a home for orphaned, at-risk or street children, who are offered comprehensive support: medical care, food, clothing, shelter, and education.
The Salesians' main goal is to offer a chance for a future to each of these minors and young people. To this end, they have a structured and robust schedule of activities and programs for technical and vocational training (automotive mechanics, welding, agriculture, animal husbandry, carpentry, and masonry) that respond to the skills of the youth and the needs of Malagasy society.
Among the many young people who have grown up and passed through the Salesian center "Notre Dame de Clairvaux" in Ivato is Carlos: born into a very poor family, the second of four children, he finished his apprenticeship as a welding mechanic last July. He is a very intelligent young man and a great dancer, kind, always in a good mood, selfless, and a reference point for many Clairvaux boys.
However, behind his infectious smile lies an extremely traumatic past. He seems to have partially overcome it, but he still bears the scars, physical and psychological... It all started in his small village in the southwest of the island, while cooking rice for the family. In a moment of distraction, Carlos ruined the food.
Yet, what seems like a seemingly insignificant episode gave rise to a terrible chain of events. His father, in fact, tied him up and began torturing him to death, beginning by cutting his scalp with a knife. Providentially, Carlos managed to escape and, after asking a local priest for help, was taken to the Salesian center in Clairvaux.
His father is now in prison after being accused by his wife, but his relatives still vow to take revenge and kill the young man to erase the disgrace. For Carlos, returning to his village is now impossible: he sees his mother and three siblings only once a year because the trip is difficult and extremely expensive, and with the head of the family in prison, his mother struggles to make ends meet.
Now, without the rest of his family and far from where he was born, Carlos works in a machine shop, waiting for the situation to work itself out. Prayer and faith help keep him calm and on the job. He also has an understanding boss, who cares for and protects him, as well as the Sons of Don Bosco, who continue to accompany him and be attentive to him - as they are with all those boys who at the Ivato center have found hope for a better future, and one that is yet to be written.
