"I studied sewing for four years, I graduated and I managed to set up my own business in Porto Novo. And today I can support my family, "says Lookman Adjibola proudly. Lookman is of Nigerian origin and his life has not been easy. He never went to school and his father left him at the age of 10 with a tailor to learn the trade. But there he was mistreated and barely fed. That's why he ran away and went to Benin. There, at the "Foyer Don Bosco" Salesian work in Porto Novo, he met the Salesians, who offered him education, food and assistance – as also to hundreds of other minors like Lookman.
On the occasion of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, Misiones Salesianas intends to remind people that education is a fundamental tool in the fight against poverty. At the current rate of development, it is very likely that the international goal of eliminating extreme poverty by 2030 will not be achieved.
Today, around the world, there are more than 700 million people who survive on less than two dollars a day, and another 1.3 billion people can get just a few cents more, reaching two dollars a day with which to feed themselves and provide for all their needs. It is estimated that in 2030 there will still be almost 600 million individuals living in conditions of extreme poverty.
“But poverty is not a permanent state. It is true that there are children who live and die in poverty... but a way out is possible" says Fr Luis Manuel Moral, Head of Misiones Salesianas. "And at the Madrid Mission Office we have thousands of examples: with education, children and young people can change their lives."
When a boy or a girl who can go to school it changes their future. In addition to acquiring knowledge and training that will allow them to have a better job, they will improve their hygiene and eating habits. They will have the opportunity to marry at an age of greater maturity, and will easily engage in more responsible parenting and their own children will go to school. Such children will know their rights, will not let them be violated and will want to participate in the decision-making processes of their community. This is how education manages to break the cycle of poverty.
The challenges in the fight against poverty are increasing every day: famines, climate crises, violence, wars... Misiones Salesianas has always played its part: in 2023 alone it invested more than 3.5 million euros in projects in which it is committed to offering quality education and formation for children and young people around the world; and, certainly, with the support of many people, Misiones Salesianas will continue to do so.
For more information, visit: www.missionidonbosco.org
