A few years ago the magazine of "Misiones Salesianas" in Madrid reported: "The population of Mali, after a year marked by violence, could neither sow nor harvest. Children will not see the colors of spring shine because their future is imperfect. Whether their future can be perfect depends on us. We take advantage of the joy of Easter to become a light that helps, after a year of darkness, to bring forth a new spring." Unfortunately it seems that this situation has not changed, and there have been more "deaths, massacres, kidnappings, attacks on churches and a Christian religious procession," the Spanish newspaper El País wrote in recent months.
But in May, the Spanish Salesian NGO "Solidaridad Don Bosco" began to develop a project to expand the Salesian educational center in Sikasso. The project, which relies on the support of the Spanish municipalities of Utrera and Pozoblanco, has a duration of 12 months, so it is expected to be completed in May 2020, and will benefit young people in situations of exclusion served by the center.
The center currently has a student body of 430 students and 11 classrooms, so the spaces are clearly insufficient with respect to the needs. In order to improve the service offered by the center and the quality of education, a building was built with 8 additional classrooms which, thanks to this project, will be fully equipped; the project also includes the recruitment of the necessary teachers.
The center offers vocational training in the Automotive, Electrical and Metal Construction sectors; however, with the new classrooms, it will also provide additional training during holiday periods, through recreational and leisure activities.
"Solidaridad Don Bosco" not only thanks its supporters, but also wants to continue to inform about the good done for young people and the new steps that are being taken in this project, which represents a small but significant step for children and young boys and girls of Mali to develop professionally and have opportunities for their future.
