However, only during the 21st General Chapter (1977-78), did the Salesians decide to begin large-scale missions in the African continent, through what was termed as ‘Project Africa’. As part of this initiative the Salesians arrived in Kenya on 10th January 1980, in the person of Fr Dario Superina from Italy, who took over the mission in Siakago.
A few months later, on 6th October 1980, three Salesians from India started the mission in Korr, in the present Marsabit county in Kenya. Meanwhile, 15 Salesians reached Tanzania on 13th October 1980 to start three communities: in Mafinga, Iringa, and Dodoma. These communities would only get formally established in the subsequent years. And in January 1981, three other Salesians also from India, started a mission in Maridi, the then Sudan; within a year the Salesians had to withdraw from this mission.
In the following years, other works started in Kenya: Don Bosco Upperhill, Nairobi (October 1981), Embu (March 1983), Don Bosco Boys Town, Nairobi (1984), Don Bosco Utume, Nairobi (August 1987), Makuyu (January 1989), Nzaikoni (1991), Bosco Boys (1995), and Kakuma (1992/1998), DBYES, Karen (2000), Kitale (2023), and Meru (2024).
In the Sudan and the later in South Sudan, the Salesian works have been marked by a varying tide of challenges and opportunities. After the exit from Maridi, works started in Juba and Tonj in 1983; however, these two presences had to be closed in 1986 due to the civil war. With this, attention shifted to Khartoum, also to cater to the people who had moved from the south. By 1989, we had two communities in Khartoum – St Joseph Tech and the Kalakala parish. The works in Wau were formally started in 1987; it is the only community that has existed consistently until now. Later, a work was started in El Obeid (January 2002), now in the Republic of Sudan. In South Sudan, following the peace agreement, four communities were (re)opened, besides Wau that had now become part of South Sudan: Tonj (2000), Juba (2006), Maridi (2010), Kuajok (2019).
Juridically, initially the communities under the care of the Salesians from India were part of the Salesian province of Bombay, even if the Salesians had come from various provinces; and from those from Italy belonged to the Italian Central Province (ICP). In 1982, the Delegation of Eastern Africa was created subject to the Province of Bombay, with Fr. Tony D’Souza as the Delegate. Eventually, in 1994, Eastern Africa was established as a province comprising of all communities in Kenya (including the communities run by the Italian Salesians), the Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda (where the Salesians from Poland had started the mission). By 2006, Uganda was joined with Rwanda and Burundi to form another circumscription (AGL – Great Lakes Province). Meanwhile, the South Sudan had become a sovereign state. Eventually, in 2023, Tanzania became a province of its own. Currently (2024), the Salesian province of Eastern Africa (AFE) consists of the communities and Salesians ministering in Kenya, and the Delegation of South Sudan and the Sudan.
Currently, there are over 150 Salesians ministering in the province. The three countries of AFE present a great variety of socio-cultural-economic landscape generating a myriad of educative-pastoral needs. While Kenya is generally a peaceful and a fast-developing country, the Sudan is currently marred by a civil war since April 2023, and hence the three communities in the Sudan have been suspended. South Sudan, the newest country in Africa, has not settled down as a sovereign state with proper political and legal processes, while the Salesians are able to be present and run the five institutions amidst an uncertain calm.
Across the three countries, the Salesian works provide a variety of services: street boys projects in Nairobi and Kuajok, very elaborate work for the refugees and the host community in Kakuma with two parishes and eight TVET centres, the work for the Internally Displaced People (IDP) in Juba, a media centre in Nairobi and a radio in Tonj, 11 parishes in Kenya and South Sudan, 7 technical training units, and other academic schools – primary and secondary; in Nairobi we also have the Institute of Youth Studies at the tertiary level.
A short video presenting the Salesian reality of AFE is available on ANSChannel.
https://www.infoans.org/en/sections/news/item/23766-rmg-sdb-provinces-the-saint-john-bosco-province-of-east-africa-afe#sigProId938baeb7f2
