The Salesians, however, have not remained lingered in the past and look forward.
Haiti had not yet recovered from the 2010 earthquake causing over 200,000 casualties, a consequent cholera epidemic and a massive humanitarian crisis, when on October 4, 2016, Hurricane Matthew came to sow more desolation in much of that small and impoverished Caribbean country.
Why the Rinaldi Foundation, managed by the Salesians, and thanks to the collaboration of various organizations - including the Salesian Missionary Procuratorate of Madrid and the Spanish NGO "Jóvenes y Desarrollo" - launched a training program in Les Cayes for 200 young people. It takes place at the Diocesan Center for Arts and Crafts in one of the areas devastated by last year's hurricane.
The training program, part of the Salesians' commitment to the revival of areas struck by Hurricane Matthew, lasts for six months and includes five disciplines: metallurgy, carpentry, construction, hairdressing, and hotel management courses.
The Haitian Salesian Provincial, Fr Jean Paul Mésidor, during the inauguration of the courses, said: "the courses do not just want to be technical, but they also envisage a series of socio-cultural support activities so participants can grow and flourish in a context of human development."
Hurricane Matthew caused massive damage to the country's southern provinces, devastating homes, land, schools, and nearly 900 deaths in the poorest country in the Americas.
The Salesian technical-professional training program does not solely aim to prepare professionals to find work through the skills learned, but to promote local entrepreneurship, helping young people to create their own small businesses.
