“Learn to Live School of Skills” – Support for the Salesians of Don Bosco Vocational School in Cape Town, South Africa
This vocational school project directly concerns the 220 young people, boys and girls. These young people, aged 14 to 18, are particularly vulnerable. They find a safe environment within the Salesian Institute Youth Projects (SIYP) global project.
Overall presentation of the Cape Town site
Under the direction of Father François Dufour, S.D.B., the Salesian Institute Youth Projects (SIYP), located in Cape Town, South Africa, focuses specifically on at-risk youth in the Cape region.
Young girls and boys grow up in poverty from childhood. They are largely out of school and become unemployed when they drop out. They come from communities that generally suffer from extreme drug and alcohol abuse, social dysfunction, poverty, violence, and organized crime. Additionally, the majority of these young people have never known their fathers.
Motivated by Don Bosco's values, we seek to develop their emotional, physical, moral, and spiritual potential. We want to offer them hope and dignity to take their rightful place in society.
② Measures implemented
We achieve this through educational programs that develop both soft skills and work-related skills, with the ultimate goal of obtaining employment.
Our annual budget is around R22 million (EUR 1.1 million). None of our beneficiaries pay any fees, and we depend entirely on the generosity of our donors. The Salesian community of priests and brothers is supported by 45 employees whom we pay. We also cover a feeding and transportation program for all our students.
The 4 programs developed for young women and young men
Learn to Live School of Skills This project is offered to you for your generosity
A vocational school for 220 vulnerable young people, aged 14 to 18. We are trying to provide them with a safe environment with therapeutic support, offering them 5 skills workshops: mechanics, hospitality, hairdressing, carpentry, and electricity. Recently, there's been a choir and a group that learned to play the marimba (balafon) and guitar. Their first concert was a great success.
–> The training of these young girls and boys requires expensive equipment. In order to maintain a good technical level of the equipment, it must be regularly renewed. We want SIYP to have new machines for the renewal and expansion of the fleet. For this, a budget of 12,000 euros is necessary.
We are therefore calling on the generosity of our loyal donors to help the future interns of Learn to Live School of Skills.
Waves of Change
Aimed at 18-35 year olds. This program offers a second chance to many former prisoners and ex-gangsters seeking to reintegrate, through maritime training, preparing them for employment opportunities at sea or in ports. We train an average of 350 young adults per year.
NEETS (Not in Education, Employment or Training = Ni en Étude, ni en Emploi, ni en Formation) – ‘Work Readiness Program’
Using an innovative practical and theoretical learning methodology, this program is aimed at 18-25 year olds who have dropped out of school. This one-year course gives them a recognized qualification with which they can find employment more easily thanks to the Institute's support.
Stitch Ahead
This program of couture for young women lasts 3 months. It is renewed 3 times a year and trains about fifteen women per session, which allows them to then launch into a remunerative activity.
With your support, Salesian Institute Youth Projects can continue to help the most disadvantaged youth in Cape Town, especially those in the Learn to Live School of Skills program. A huge thank you in advance for your support.
Donate to this project
- By sending a check payable to «Don Bosco Foundation – Cape Town» to Don Bosco Foundation – 393 bis rue des Pyrénées – 75020 Paris or
- By paying with a bank card on this website
The Don Bosco Foundation is authorized to receive donations for income tax purposes, and donations for IFI purposes, as well as legacies and life insurance.
Find all the information on the website of Salesian Institute Youth Projects
