Guayaquil, Ecuador – July 2025 - With joyful faces, sincere smiles, and hope in their hearts, the “Fundación Proyecto Salesiano Guayaquil” (FPSG) celebrated the opening of a new “Casa Pinardi Reference Center” in the underserved neighborhood of Bastión Popular Bloque 4, Guayaquil. The center was born from the desire to accompany and transform lives through education, emotional support, and community development. 

It will offer school reinforcement, group workshops, recreational activities, and psycho-educational support. The center was made possible thanks to the generosity of donors honoring the late Fr. Pierluigi Carletti, who passionately dedicated his life to serving the most vulnerable. Support also came from the Salesian Polytechnic University and funds raised during the 2024 Salesian Missionary Solidarity Campaign, a nationwide initiative.

The inauguration ceremony gathered community representatives, beneficiary families, volunteers, members of the parish "El Bastión de María" (including parish priest Fr. Joaquim Folqué, SDB), the Foundation’s technical team, and Fr. Mario Ramos, SDB, Director of the Salesian Project Foundation in Guayaquil. All agreed that Casa Pinardi represents a seed of hope planted in one of the city’s most fragile communities.