According to the UNESCO Statistical Institute, sub-Saharan Africa has the highest rates of exclusion from education. More than a fifth of children aged about 6-11 are out of school, a third of children aged about 12-14 and nearly 60% of young people aged about 15-17. The region faces a growing demand for education due to its steadily increasing school-age population. Girls face greater exclusion from school than boys of the same age.
Youth receiving the scholarships were aged 8-25, and they were either orphaned or from families that could not afford their schooling.
A Salesian explained, “We want to ensure that all youth have a chance to gain an education, particularly girls who face greater disadvantages in accessing education. Salesians provide education and social development programs to support poor youth and their families. It is our goal to connect all youth, despite their disadvantages, to education where they can gain skills for later employment and to succeed in life.”
Salesians also promoted the importance of literacy and education among students to encourage them to remain in school. In 14 training centers, four colleges, two primary schools and one nursery school in the Salesian province, Salesians held 15-minute dialogue sessions with the youth before class each day. They encouraged youth, especially those whose parents do not have many resources, to count on Salesian support and to excel in their studies.
One of the lessons learned from the project was identifying how much support was needed by the 209 scholarship recipients. The Salesian said, “We have taken an individual approach to follow up for each student. To do this, we have ensured that we maintain constant communication. Next year, we will also have group activities to engage them more.”
The Salesian added, “We intend to continue supporting these 209 students as well as adding new youth who will benefit from our support. We express our gratitude to the donors of Salesian Missions, who have made this project possible.”
