Salesian Annual Report 2018

CHAIRPERSON’S
REPORT
02
In his preface to this report, the outgoing Rector of Salesian Institute,
Father Jeffrey, relates how in 1846 St John (Don) Bosco became very sick
and was close to death – and then recovered to serve the youth, who had
prayed for him, for another 27 years without ‘further need of either doctors
or medicine.’
The Salesian Institute Youth Projects (SIYP) has, this past year, faced a similar
challenge to its work with at-risk youth. We have, in some senses, become sick
and, as a result, had to walk through fire. But, like Don Bosco, SIYP has survived
and come through with renewed vigour and optimism.
Our dedication to our mission to provide opportunity and hope to our youth
has not wavered. We have had to face considerable leadership and funding
challenges head on. This has required clear-eyed courage and steadfast
commitment to doing what is right for the future of the youth we serve.
Wise words from Don Bosco should comfort us here. He said: “Willingly suffer
a bit for God who suffered so much for you” and he counselled us: “Do not try
to excuse your faults; try to correct them”. That we have done this year, always
keeping in our sights the welfare of the youth at risk we work with. So hard
decisions have had to be made.
We have regrettably had to close the Youth Employment Skills (YES)
programme and the Outreach programme. We have retained our Learn to
Live School of Skills, Waves of Change and our Porsche PAVE PTRC-ZA training
programme, whose ongoing success you will read of in these pages.
We have made these changes in order for SIYP to be sustainable and to focus on those programmes with maximum
long-term impact. We have had to tell funders about these changes in the face of the increasing difficulty all NGOs face
in attracting funding in our ailing economy and a world less focused on South Africa. Our funders have been incredibly
supportive and understanding of these realities and have welcomed our honesty.
Over and above these necessary changes, I would like to celebrate the green shoots of further transformation planned
for the year ahead. Our Learn to Live School of Skills will be getting an education makeover as we finalise a comprehensive
review of the best practice methodologies that will suit our youth and teachers best. This is a very exciting development and
we are particularly grateful to Professor Tom Ryan of the Graduate School of Business for his input in this regard.
Elsewhere our Porsche PAVE PTRC-ZA programme goes from strength to strength. Our second cohort of students starts
this year. The first 23 graduates – five women and 18 men – graduated from the programme, which began in March 2017,
on July 1 2019 and will find a career in the Volkswagen Group here in South Africa. This will change the lives of these young
people, their families and their communities. And as our CEO, Father Patrick Naughton, said on the day: “These students
have shown what can be achieved when young people are given their chance.”
This year, we have been led by our Provincial, Fr Joy Sebastian, who has amplified the role and integration of the
Salesian order across all of the NGOs in the province. In that regard, our board has been reconstituted to be smaller, which
makes it more agile in its decision-making. In addition, through a greater representation of the Salesian order, we welcome
a greater emphasis on charism.
We would like to thank the departing board members: Fr Jeffrey Johnson (outgoing Rector), Hugh Fynn, Bernard Ashlin,
Heribert Trunk, Rick Earley, Dermot Mullins and Fr Kizito Gugah. We would also like to welcome new board members,
Fr Eoin Farrelly and Fr Joseph Nguyen as Rector.
The board and I remain committed to giving each and every young person who comes through our doors their very best
opportunity as they face the challenges of a future that seems to change so quickly. And with our leaner, fitter board and
programmes, that is exactly what we intend to do. In doing so, we will be, in Don Bosco’s words, serving the Lord joyfully.
“Servite Domino in laetitia!” (serve the Lord joyfully!)
John Doidge
Chairman, SIYP
SALESIAN INSTITUTE YOUTH PROJECTS ANNUAL REPORT 2018
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