In many Italian cities and towns, there are no educational opportunities, spaces to perform artistic and cultural activities or even to share moments to involve the family. For this reason, the Salesian initiative aims not only at guaranteeing scholastic support to young people, but also in involving them in non-school extra-curricular activities: art workshops, music courses, sports activities, etc.
The "Homes of Don Bosco" are present in some of the most at-risk neighborhoods of Italian cities: the "Candelaro" district of Foggia, the "Sant'Agabio" of Novara, or the oratories of Locri and Modica. They are often popular or working class areas where the school dropout rate is very high.
The educators and volunteers of the "Cassiopeia" association have been working for years in one of the most populated areas of Novara, near the parish of Sant'Agabio. Last year, thanks to the "Case di Don Bosco" project, the association guaranteed a number of secondary school students with school support, after-school activities, artistic-musical workshops and literacy courses for foreign minors.
"We closed last year with good news," says Attilio Sartirani, President of the association. "Almost all the students we followed during the year were promoted."
Thanks to the contribution of many benefactors, the "Case di Don Bosco" project will also take place at the Salesian oratory in Modica this year. "We hope this journey is made of joy and lots of smiles," says Daniele, responsible for the oratory. "We will provide our children with our passion and all our environments, but above all the special formula that characterizes our home: joy, goodness and no space for malice."
For the Salesians per il Sociale these stories represent small educational challenges that are won, which spur to work even more in favor of the children overwhelmed by educational poverty.
Further information is available on the Salesiani per il Sociale website.
