Father Luis Víctor Sequeira Gutiérrez came to visit us on the day of formation of the inspectors and told us about his activity as superior in Angola. He described to us a very young country full of hope but that poses urgent challenges in the field of formation: as the DON BOSCO NEL MONDO Foundation, we are giving our support to face them in the best way.
In Angola the Salesian charism has great potential: the goal is to guide young people and train them.
A nation with a low average age, emerging from war and wanting to grow: Don Luis Victor describes a typical context with great potential for the Salesian mission.
“Angola is a very young nation. The average age is about 24. It is therefore a country in which the charism of Don Bosco finds wide resonance. It is growing strongly, because it is emerging from a long period of war. There are many young people and they need to be guided: one of the greatest challenges we face is their formation”.
The School of Agriculture: a dream come true thanks to the Foundation
In Angola, the donations from our 5×1000 Campaign have become cement and bricks, contributing to the construction of an Agricultural School that will be able to offer a turning point in the lives of many young Angolans.
“One of the dreams that I have seen come true in Angola is the construction of the Agricultural School that you supported as the DON BOSCO NEL MONDO Foundation, with the 5×1000 Campaign. The country has a fertile land and this school represents a turning point in the lives of many young Angolans! For this reason, I will never stop thanking the Foundation and the supporters who have allowed this dream to come true, to guarantee a future and nourish hope in our children”.
In Salesian schools, the best laboratories in the country. But more must be done
In Angola too, the inspectorate of Father Sequeira Gutiérrez proposes the traditional model of Salesian youth training: a solid technical-professional education, supported by a constant eye on computer skills and equipment. But the high demand for enrollments poses unavoidable challenges.
“Our schools are open to all and about 50% of those enrolled in all courses are girls. But they are not enough… This year, for example, in the professional school in Luanda we had 2,000 requests for enrollment compared to the 300 places we had available. My heart sank thinking of all those young people to whom we had to say no. At our schools we hold technical-professional courses aimed at teaching young people the most sought-after professions, such as electrician, air conditioning technician, hotel staff, even industrial welder to go and work on oil tankers. In all the courses, we include computer science because nowadays it is necessary to know how to use a computer. Many young people travel miles to be able to enroll with us, where they find the best and most innovative tools and laboratories in the country, because it is important for us to offer young people an education that is in step with the times and skills that are more marketable in the world of work”.
Integral Ecology Projects and Social Works: the ambition of a broad impact, capable of offering ways out of poverty
From women to children living on the streets, from eco-sustainable ovens to the protection of minors, the beneficiaries of the Salesian proposal in Angola are diverse and the proposals of the mission are equally varied. The goal is one: to start a process of change in people’s lives.
“To raise the necessary funds, we also present projects. A particularly innovative one has involved several women in the creation of ovens, to cook using little wood and coal: lower consumption and CO2 compensation. We always try to focus on innovation that respects the environment and resources, to raise awareness on these issues too. In addition to professional training, we work a lot with Social Works. In our cities there are children, even very young ones, who live on the streets because of the poverty of their families, who cannot afford to feed them. We have set up a dedicated network, which helps children and adolescents at risk with a support path, divided into three phases: a first contact, when young people approach us and we offer them a place to rest and feel safe; a second phase, in which we propose that they begin a path of schooling and training; a third phase, in which we try to reintegrate them into their family, which should protect them and support their growth. When this is not possible, we guide them towards independence by helping them find a job and a place to live. Unfortunately, some of them decide to continue living on the streets because it is the only world they know and we are unable to help them, but our door is always open for them, to start a process of change if they feel ready to accept it”.
There are many needs, to respond we need new vocations
The personal story of Father Luis Víctor Sequeira Gutiérrez covers all the stages of the Salesian context: the parish, the oratory, the evening school, the seminary. Now his challenge also consists in making the ground fertile for new vocations.
“I was born in Paraguay and already as a child I understood that education was important. Like many children who came from a poor background, I was forced to work in the morning and attend school in the evening. I attended the parish and the Salesian oratory and from an early age I felt a propensity for religious life, so at 21 I entered the seminary. Now I have been in Angola as a missionary since 1992 and have held various roles: I have been parish priest, bursar and now, for the second time, inspector of a province in which, beyond the name, the territory of Namibia has recently been included. Here we Salesians are unfortunately few and we hope for many new vocations, so as to be able to respond to the numerous needs that arise”.
