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INDIA: Families in need receive meals, access to education

Países
India
Fuentes
Salesians
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Don Bosco Animation and Research Kendra Center is holding rights education for those living in the slums

(MissionNewswire) The Don Bosco Animation and Research Kendra Center, located in New Delhi, India, is committed to supporting families living in the slums. Salesians have identified 100 families for its Holistic Education Learning Project (HELP). As part of the program, families come to the center to enjoy a meal and access education that helps to improve their lives. Many of these families are facing malnutrition, and offering a meal enables them to feed their families in a time of need.

The mothers of these families are mostly victims of child marriages. The Don Bosco Center is working to provide them greater awareness of their fundamental rights and stop child marriages, while working to address issues of illiteracy, unemployment and hunger.

"Education is always our primary focus, but we know families are dealing with much more than just needing access to education," said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. "Salesian missionaries provide rights education to women and vulnerable youth to empower them and help them have a sense of personal dignity and self-worth. At workshops in the community and in Salesian schools, youth and their families learn about their rights and freedoms while addressing other basic needs---all in a safe environment that encourages learning and growth."

Salesian programs across India are primarily focused on education. Salesian primary and secondary education helps youth prepare for later technical, vocational or university study. Other programs help to support poor youth and their families by meeting the basic needs of shelter, proper nutrition and medical care.

Access to professional training and workforce development services is highly valued by youth in India. The country, which is home to 1.34 billion people (18 percent of the world's population), will have overtaken China as the world's most populous country by 2024, according to the World Economic Forum. While India has the world's largest youth population, it has yet to capitalize on this, leaving some 30 percent of this population without employment, education or training.

India has the world's fourth-largest economy but more than 22 percent of the country lives in poverty. About 31 percent of the world's multidimensionally poor children live in India, according to a report by the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative. A multidimensionally poor child is one who lacks at least one-third of 10 indicators, grouped into three dimensions of poverty: health, education and standard of living.

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS -- India -- "DB ARK" helps one hundred families in the slums

Don Bosco Animation and Research Kendra

Salesian Missions -- India

World Bank -- India