The Salesian centre is located in a community that continues to expand on the slopes of the mountains, made up principally of thousands of young people and mothers with limited resources and, lately, also of thousands of other migrants arriving from Venezuela in search of opportunities for a better life. To all of them, the Salesian centre offers a way to escape poverty through education and formation, and to escape violence through specific courses in values and material aid.
In 1994, when the foundation stone was laid, Ciudad Bolívar was already one of the most disadvantaged areas south of Bogotá. The informal settlements were extensive and housed thousands of people trying to survive internal violence. And things have not changed so much, since new migrant settlements are still overlapping on higher ground, in the so-called "invasions".
The homes of these people, built by the residents themselves, are precarious and made of plastic, boards, very little metal and recycled materials. In many cases the people who live there suffer violence and abuse, having to pay for land that does not even belong to the person who rents it.
In this situation where a statue of Mary Help of Christians seems to observe the homes that cover the hills of Ciudad Bolívar with compassion, almost 900,000 people live, and 18% of families do not meet the primary needs of food, services, housing and education. Ciudad Bolívar remains one of the most dangerous areas of Bogotá, with high Venezuelan immigration and serious problems such as social conflicts and armed gangs, some led by geenagers fighting for control of the territory.
However, the acquisition, at the beginning of the 1990s, of 47,000 square metres meant an important wager for the Salesians, and the beginning of something that led to offering educational, social and popular promotion programs to young people and adults at high social risk. The goal, from the beginning, was to lead them worthily to the world of work and to involve them in the transformation of their environment as "good Christians and upright citizens", just as Don Bosco wanted.
Given that in many cases, due to insecurity and distance, the youngsters and young adults in Cuidad Bolívar encounter various difficulties in going to the Salesian centre, often responsible for their free time are the social workers who go to the different areas to carry out social and recreational activities with young people.
Moreover the centre is still a key point of support and educational and pedagogical alternatives for young people: it has 13 technical training programs, including automotive and industrial mechanics, cooking classes, sports and artistic activities; it also welcomes young migrants through the Reception House for Venezuelan Youth (CAJOV), and at the same time also supports their families.
Still, the centre offers assistance to 120 adults and 40 unwed underage mothers come through a personalised guide, while on Saturdays recreational activities are organised in the streets to train children in the civil and Christian values that are so necessary in their situation.
Finally, the social and pastoral work of the Juan Bosco Obrero Centre is completed by the sanctuary of the Divine Child, where, in addition to receiving daily pilgrimages from all the countries of South America and offering spiritual opportunities to all the faithful, opportunities for assistance and training in entrepreneurship for single mothers with few resources are also provided.
Source: Misiones Salesianas
