Haiti - Better nutrition for 900 young people of "Lakay Don Bosco" program

26 April 2019

(ANS - Port-au-Prince) - More than 900 children and young people who are part of the "Lakay Don Bosco" program in Haiti have access to better nutrition thanks to the rice donations of "Rise Against Hunger", an NGO that provides food and aid to the most vulnerable people around the world. These donations are made possible by the collaboration between "Salesian Missions", the Salesian Mission Office in New Rochelle, USA, and "Rise Against Hunger".

Rice donations are distributed in the 5 structures of the Lakay project in Port-au-Prince and in that of Cap-Haïtien, which in turn is divided into two sectors. Each of these structures was created to meet the needs of the children and teenagers of the two cities, who live in situations of risk; in total, thanks to the 57 staff members, around 5700 minors benefit from this service.

René Wantoosly, 17, is one of the beneficiaries of the donations, for which he said he was very happy. René lives with his mother, who has mobility problems following a stroke, and with the two sisters, one of whom is a single mother and the other is expecting a baby. His father is dead.

"When my father died," René said, "life seemed impossible. I ended up in the streets and had to look for a way to take care of my mother and sisters. All I could do was beg, clean cars, load trucks ... All this just to survive. Then I managed to enter the 'Lakay Don Bosco' program. Here I can learn a trade and get three meals a day. Meals not only fill me up, but they give me energy and strength to study and play with my friends."


René wants to be a carpenter and make furniture. "Certainly, at the end of my training in Lakay," he added, "I will have the opportunity to work and provide for myself and my family."

"Despite the critical situation in which children live before they come to us and the social and economic challenges that Haiti has to face in general, we know that a plate of food fills the stomach, stimulates the body and opens hearts," explains Fr Joseph Roliné, Director of "Lakay Don Bosco".

"René is a model student and now, thanks to the donations of ‘Rise Against Hunger’, his health has improved and he can be more concentrated in the classroom," added Fr Roliné.

InfoANS

ANS - “Agenzia iNfo Salesiana” is a on-line almost daily publication, the communication agency of the Salesian Congregation enrolled in the Press Register of the Tibunal of Rome as n 153/2007.

This site also uses third-party cookies to improve user experience and for statistical purposes. By scrolling through this page or by clicking on any of its elements, you consent to the use of cookies. To learn more or to opt out, click "Further Information".