INT’L DAY FOR STREET CHILDREN: Salesian Missions highlights programs that support and empower youth

Salesian programs help children live safely, provide basic needs.  

NEW ROCHELLE, NY (April 12, 2025) Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, joins humanitarian and international organizations around the globe in highlighting the plight of children and youth who are homeless on the International Day for Street Children. The day provides organizations and the millions of street children in countries worldwide with an opportunity to have their voices heard while ensuring that their rights are not ignored. 

Celebrated each year on April 12, the day was established by the United Nations to raise awareness of issues affecting youth forced to live on the streets. The Consortium for Street Children founded the International Day for Street Children in 2011 and is the leading international network dedicated to realizing the rights of street children worldwide. 

The theme for this year is “Participation” and highlights the value and importance of supporting children in participating in the decision-making about issues that affect them. 

“Salesians know that children living on the street need a stable environment before they can think about going to school,” said Father Michael Conway, director of Salesian Missions. “To address these needs, Salesian programs first aim to help children live safely, meeting their basic needs, while providing the emotional support and education that will help them live independently later in life.” 

In honor of the International Day for Street Children, Salesian Missions is proud to share Salesian programs around the globe that provide youth hope for a better life. 

DR CONGO 

Oeuvres Maman Marguerite, a network of Salesian centers located in Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo*, received a shipment of meals consisting of rice, soy, dehydrated vegetables and vitamins through a partnership between Salesian Missions and Rise Against Hunger, an international humanitarian organization growing a global movement to end hunger. The shipment provided meals for five Salesian centers, feeding 600 youth during the second half of 2023. 

Magone Girl’s House, which provides shelter for at-risk girls who are unable to be cared for by their parents, was one of the programs served. The network of three girls’ homes cares for young women and enables them to study in the city’s primary and secondary schools. 

The Magone Girl’s House faces serious financial issues. It struggles to ensure food security, sufficient health care or the cost of school fees. In addition, there is a lack of drinking water in the neighborhood so the goal is to drill a well in the future to obtain drinking water on-site. 

INDIA 

Salesian missionaries with Don Bosco Snehalaya in Assam, India, were able to fund the “Comprehensive Support for Poor and Needy Children in Assam” project thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions. The funding provided support for 142 young people in need of care and protection at five Salesian childcare institutions. 

Donor funding was used for food, education, clothing and counseling, as well as support for the staff to provide the services. The institutions that were supported were the Snehalaya Boys Home, which provides support for 29 boys ages 12-16; Auxilium Snehalaya, which supports 30 girls, ages 6-11; Ila Snehalaya, a home for 23 young boys, ages 6-11; Jyoti Snehalaya, a home for 33 girls, ages 12-18; and Snehalaya Center for Child Rights, a home for 25 boys, ages 15-18. 

Anjana Tanti, age 18, is one of the youth supported by this donation. She is living at Jyoti Snehalaya. She said, “I had a very bad childhood. My father died when I was 3 years old. My mother married another man. My stepfather used to beat me. I was the victim of child abuse. I was rescued by Childline, Dimapur and was referred to Auxilium Snehalaya at the age of 5.” 

KENYA 

Don Bosco Boys Town (Bosco Boys) in Nairobi, Kenya, provides a home, school, playground and church for youth, primarily boys, who have been rescued from the streets. Boys who complete their primary education are then assisted with secondary education or are advised to choose technical training in sister institutions. The secondary education is most often provided at Don Bosco Technical Secondary School in the town of Embu, northeast of Nairobi. 

The two-year technical training provides youth with a wide variety of skills to choose from, including tailoring, car engineering/mechanics, carpentry, electrical work, and welding, as well as secretarial skills and a full spectrum of computer-related job skills. After graduation, more than 80% of graduates are employed in their fields of study. Many students go on to attend university or establish their own businesses and become entrepreneurs in Nairobi. 

Salesians also provide financial support and have paid the school fees for 75 youth in secondary schools and 25 youth in university, colleges, and technical institutions. More than 5,000 children and youth have benefited from this program since it started. 

TANZANIA 

Don Bosco Kilimanjaro International Institute for Telecommunications, Electronics and Computers (Don Bosco KIITEC), located in Arusha, Tanzania, has a new hostel for 300 students thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions. The construction for the hostel had been started thanks to a local benefactor, and the donor funding from Salesian Missions was utilized to build the upper floors and finish the building, including plumbing, tiling, doors, electrical work, and painting. The building is currently being used for 150 students. 

Don Bosco KIITEC serves poor youth and young adults. The school sits on a 15-acre campus that offers the most advanced training technologies in the region. Courses include electrical engineering with industrial automation, renewable energy, and computer science, as well as electronics and telecommunications. 

One of the students, Herman Exaud John, has enjoyed his time at Don Bosco KIITEC. He said, “I am so proud of myself, and I feel I’m at the right place because until now I have learned a lot through different programs like the entrepreneurship training. It really helped me a lot since I got new skills to handle my life. I am staying in the hostel which is a place to live and learn. We have all the facilities there. I would really like to thank all who supported us.” 

*Any goods, services, or funds provided by Salesian Missions to programs located in this country were administered in compliance with applicable laws and regulations, including sanctions administered by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Asset Control. 

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About Salesian Missions 
Salesian Missions is headquartered in New Rochelle, NY, and is part of the Don Bosco Network—a worldwide federation of Salesian NGOs. The mission of the U.S.-based nonprofit Catholic organization is to raise funds for international programs that serve youth and families in poor communities around the globe. The Salesian missionaries are made up of priests, brothers and sisters, as well as laypeople—all dedicated to caring for poor children throughout the world in more than 130 countries and helping young people become self-sufficient by learning a trade that will help them gain employment. To date, more than 3 million youth have received services funded by Salesian Missions. These services and programs are provided to children regardless of race or religion. For more information, go to SalesianMissions.org.