Salesian sisters: general

The Institute of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians (Salesian Sisters of Don Bosco) is a religious family in the Church, founded by St. John Bosco and St. Mary Mazzarello in Italy on 5 August 1872, with the intention of providing Christian and human formation to girls. Within the Church it shares in the mission of Christ, through the Christian education of the young according to the "Preventive System" conceived by Don Bosco.

At present the Sisters, numbering about 13,000 are found in about 94 countries in all the continents. They work in schools, oratories-youth centers, tribal missions, orphanages, girls' hostels, centers for streetchildren, welcome homes for girls in difficult situations, skills-training centers, day-care and kindergartens.

The Daughters of Mary Help of Christians (Salesian Sisters of Don Bosco) dedicate themselves to the education of youth - in particular girls - of working classes, especially the poorest and neglected, starting from Kindergarten to Tertiary education. They also engage themselves in human promotion activities, pastoral work in parishes and dioceses and, in mission places, if necessary, offer health services through
dispensaries and hospitals. All work is carried out in the spirit of Don Bosco's Preventive System founded on reason-religion-loving kindness.

                                                           

At the heart of our mission as Salesian women, is our commitment to education. Every Salesian Sister is committed to entrust her life to God and to young people, while being open to the on going need to be qualified in acting for their benefit according contemporary demands.

Committed to schools, of every kind and level, they respond to the realistic demand for systematic education, formation in critical thinking and, in response to the reality of many nations, they offer the possibility to young people of the working class, to acquire the means of accessing cultural environments.

In Europe, what are considered Courses in vocational training, take on a different slant in Africa, in Latin America and in Asia. However, they all express the specific attention given by Salesian education to the work environment and to the need that young people have to insert themselves into the workforce with the specific qualifications required by their social reality.

The Oratory as a specific educative Salesian environment, values the treasured reality of young people. Their human development is the prime objective of oratorian activities in poorer countries, while in more industrialized environments there is a greater demand to reach out to young people in their free time. The demand of young people who search for the deeper meaning of life continues to be a great challenge in education.

A response to children and young people at risk, has called for our attention. We find Family Cottages and Homes, boarding facilities, centers where young people are welcome and where a course of action is taking place to rehabilitate their precarious circumstances and situations of abandonment, leading them to healing their woundedness and to greater maturity in personal freedom.

Education of the young woman, is the chosen priority at the heart of education in various countries. This is expressed in the development of female cooperatives in mission centers and the recovery of young girls who in the suburbs of large cities are easily at the mercy of prostitution. These young women are helped to be inserted into the workforce and cultural initiatives. Support is given to young people to develop with greater consciousness, their ability to struggle for their dignity and for the expression of a culture that respects their identity as women.

Opinions
Here are some recent and concrete occasions that we received the words of appreciation from MOEYS and MOLVT:

Visit of Mother Yvonne Reungoat - General Superior of the Salesian Sisters - from Roma to Cambodia (February 19th, 2010)

On this occasion, the Director of Phnom Penh Municipality Education, Youth and Sports - Mr. Chea Cheath acknowledged in his speech: "Where the Salesian Sisters are working we can find a quality school, a 100% good education. I must admit that the public schools in Cambodia are not able to reach the poor and that instruction still remains a privilege of a few. Your schools are really for the poor: you don't charge the poor, provide them an integral formation, offer them the chance of vocational training. The Ministry of Education appreciates very much your work and Educative System. You provide a quality education attentive to all aspects of the person. The hopeless children find in this school new hope. Who studies in your schools is very lucky. In the name of the Minister, I thank you and I ask you to continue to help us."

Inauguration of Don Bosco Vocational Training Center for Girls - Toul Kork - Phnom Penh (July 7th, 2010)

His Excellency Mr. Pech Sophorn, the Secretary of State of the Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training, and an adviser of the Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, inaugurated the building and praised the Salesian Sisters and the SDBs (Salesian Priests) working in Cambodia for their zeal and excellence in the field of educating poor youth. "Their method of education not only turns out young men and women with skills to help building up the country, but also forms these young people into becoming good and virtuous citizens. They really know how to work hard," he said.