EU award for Salesian branch

The European Commission has awarded the Don Bosco Voluntary Service (DBVS) for "best-practice" in work with marginalised youth in Malta.

The young volunteers of the DBVS are a branch of the Salesian organisation within St Patrick's in Sliema. They were given the award in recognition of the sterling work they did in conjunction with St Patrick's Care Team during the summer of 2004.

The project, entitled Arts And Living, received €8,000 in funding from the European Commission and the Salesian community of St Patrick's.

The project involved a schedule of activities for the children in care to provide them with a normal life as possible while at the same time compensating for some of their disadvantages.

Provision was made for their physical, emotional, educational, spiritual and developmental needs through a variety of activities. Apart from that, the project reunited the boys in care with their siblings in other institutions to take part in various events.

The activities ranged from arts and crafts to photography and gardening. They were taken on tours and attended music lessons with a band club, football camps, basketball camps, karate training, swimming lessons, Scout camps and live-ins.

The project also included information sessions given by the Health Promotion Department on the importance of a healthy lifestyle.

The boys were given the opportunity to experience a more domestic living environment by making use of a house for three weeks and performing normal chores. Since some of the boys were experiencing learning difficulties, the project incorporated the Johnny Bosco's Learning Club Activity, whereby the boys were stimulated to achieve more in their studies to get points which could be exchanged for scores in a virtual football game.

A CD was produced by the group to promote the activities. This was distributed among other residential homes and professionals in the field of youth work and education in order to promote the initiative and encourage those involved in residential services to embark on similar projects.

St Patrick's is a Salesian organisation that provides residential services to young people who are in need of care and protection in Malta.

The 33 best practice projects are chosen from all over Europe.

All projects show how dealing with social exclusion and minorities in society can be improved through intercultural project work.

http://www.youthweek.eu/active-best-practise-projects.html