"This anniversary," explains the director, Ignacio Vázquez, "is lived as an opportunity for updating and innovation. At the same time, we want to stimulate the attention of society and administrations to those young people who are not part of the educational system, but that certainly deserve an opportunity." Proof of this are the "Second Chance Schools", which are currently certified in all the territories in which the foundation operates.
"Fundación Don Bosco" operates so that no young people at risk of social exclusion are abandoned. It can count on a team of over 400 people, who annually help about 20,000 young people. It manages houses for minors, apartments for young refugees, programs for socio-employment integration, multiple socio-educational resources, common family kitchens ... A complete response to multiple needs.
Formation and support towards insertion into the world of work are two answers this Salesian organization gives to the problems of youth and, in general, of the most vulnerable.
Ignacio Vázquez explains: "Although the working situation is improving, the foundation gives an opportunity to all those people, without similar entities, who otherwise would not be able to have them." In fact, in 2017, "Fundación Don Bosco" had 3,300 people enter the labour market.
The organization also deals with the protection of minors living in refugee homes. "We make sure that they have a life as normal as possible and that this phase they live is similar to that of any child of their age," explains Ignacio Vázquez. When foreign minors reach the age of majority, they are often forced into the streets because they do not have support networks. This is why the foundation offers them an apartment and personalized support actions, tailored to each case.
Twenty years after its foundation, there is still enthusiasm and desire to continue improving the situation of all the people knocking at their door. "We hope, however, that the day will come when we will celebrate that our foundation has achieved its objectives and that therefore it is no longer necessary," concludes the director.
