{"id":1033566,"date":"2026-04-02T22:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-02T20:00:00","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"-0001-11-30T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"-0001-11-29T22:00:00","slug":"trans-27600-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/infoans.news\/en\/trans-27600-1\/","title":{"rendered":"RMG \u2013 Eastern and Southern Africa Region: \u201cDa mihi animas\u201d in the Heart of a Young Continent"},"content":{"rendered":"

A Story that began before Project Africa<\/strong><\/p>\n

The first Salesians arrived in South Africa in 1896<\/strong> — a presence that celebrates 130 years in 2026<\/strong>. The oldest province in Africa, however, is AFC (Africa Centrale – Democratic Republic of Congo)<\/strong>, canonically erected in 1959, although Salesians had reached the Congo as early as 1911<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Madagascar and Ethiopia, too, bear witness to the providential unfolding of this history. While Don Bosco was still alive, he wrote to Queen Ranavalona III of Madagascar<\/strong>, asking support for his educational mission among the young. Decades later, in the 1970s, a French Fidei Donum<\/em> priest, Fr François Bernard<\/strong>, caring for poor children near Ivato airport in Antananarivo, traveled to Valdocco. Already advanced in age, he pleaded with the Rector Major to send Salesians to continue the work.<\/p>\n

A few years later, with the launch of Project Africa, Salesians arrived. Today, that seed has become the thriving community of Ivato Clairvaux<\/strong>. In Ethiopia<\/strong>, the Bishop of Adigrat personally journeyed to Turin requesting Salesians for his diocese. When the response was delayed, he sent two of his own priests to become Salesians. One would later become Bishop of Adigrat. In 1975<\/strong>, during the centenary of the first missionary expedition, the Italian province ILE opened the mission in Mekelle. “It was truly providence,” many recall.<\/p>\n

The Turning Point: Project Africa<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Special General Chapter of 1979<\/strong> gave birth to Project Africa. In 1980, numerous new presences were opened across the continent. That decision changed the face of the Congregation in Africa. Today, Africa is not only a missionary destination — it is a missionary force.<\/p>\n

During the 29th General Chapter, the Congregation formally recognized this vitality by creating two African Regions from the Africa Madagascar region: Central & Western Africa and Eastern & Southern Africa. <\/strong><\/p>\n

Eastern and Southern Africa in Numbers<\/strong><\/p>\n

According to the latest SDB Flash statistics of 31 December 2025, the Eastern and Southern Africa Region shows strong vitality and growth. Ethiopia (AET) counts 99 Salesians with 4 novices; Kenya and South Sudan (AFE) have 175 Salesians and 13 novices; Southern Africa (AFM) numbers 44 Salesians; the Great Lakes Province (AGL), covering Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi, has 149 Salesians with 7 novices; Angola (ANG) reports 175 Salesians and 18 novices; Tanzania (TZA) has 151 Salesians with 16 novices; the ZMB Province (Zambia, Malawi, Zimbabwe and Botswana) counts 155 Salesians with 17 novices; and Madagascar (MDG) has 172 Salesians with 8 novices. Altogether, these circumscriptions alone represent well over a thousand Salesians<\/strong>, with a significant presence of young confreres in formation, confirming the dynamism and vocational vitality of the region. These numbers are not mere statistics. They represent classrooms, workshops, youth centers, parishes, formation houses, and thousands of young lives transformed daily.<\/p>\n

A Land of Vocations<\/strong><\/p>\n

Africa today is one of the youngest continents on earth — demographically and ecclesially. The Salesian presence has borne abundant fruit in vocations.<\/p>\n

As Fr Innocent Bizimana<\/strong> reminds us: “Africa has not only welcomed Don Bosco — she has embraced him. The young of this continent have recognized in him a father, a teacher and a friend.” He continues:“The growth of vocations is not our achievement. It is the grace of God working in the hearts of young Africans who want to give their lives for others.”<\/p>\n

The statistics confirm this vitality: Tanzania, Angola, Zambia, Madagascar, and Kenya continue to show steady numbers of novices and young Salesians in formation.<\/p>\n

The Challenges Ahead<\/strong><\/p>\n

Growth in Eastern and Southern Africa brings not only joy but responsibility. As Fr Innocent candidly affirms, “Our greatest challenge is not numbers. It is depth — depth of formation, depth of identity, depth of communion.” The region is called to deepen the inculturation of Don Bosco’s charism, allowing the preventive system to take root in African languages, symbols, music and communal life — not as mere adaptation, but as a genuine expression of the spirit of Don Bosco with “an African voice and African feet.” At the same time, careful vocational discernment, solid accompaniment, serious academic and professional qualification, and a strong Salesian identity remain essential priorities. Rapid expansion also demands economic sustainability, transparency and responsible administration. As Fr Innocent reminds us, the mission requires educating not only the young, but ourselves, in professionalism, accountability and long-term vision.<\/p>\n

Salesian Presences – A Blessing for the Young<\/strong><\/p>\n

From Ivato to Addis Ababa, from Nairobi to Luanda, from Dar es Salaam to Lusaka, Don Bosco’s dream continues to unfold across Eastern and Southern Africa. The Salesian houses throughout the region serve street children, refugees, and young people affected by poverty and conflict, while also accompanying students in technical schools and those discerning priesthood and religious life. What was once a missionary seed has now become a solid and dynamic reality: the Salesian presence in Africa is no longer fragile or experimental, but a mature and missionary force within the Congregation, radiating hope and opportunity to thousands of young people.<\/p>\n

“Da mihi animas” — the Soul of Salesian Africa<\/strong><\/p>\n

At the heart of it all remains the prayer:“Da mihi animas, cetera tolle.” Fr Innocent concludes with hope:“If we remain faithful to the young and faithful to our Salesian identity, the future of the Congregation in Africa is bright. The Lord has blessed us — now we must be responsible stewards of that blessing.”<\/p>\n

Through the intercession of Mary Help of Christians<\/strong>, St Francis de Sales<\/strong>, St John Bosco<\/strong>, and all the saints of the Salesian Family, may the work of salvation among the young of Eastern and Southern Africa continue to flourish. The dream that once reached from South America to China now beats strongly in Africa — and from Africa, it reaches the world.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A Story that began before Project Africa The first Salesians arrived in South Africa in 1896 — a presence that […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2027600,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1033566","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/infoans.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1033566","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/infoans.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/infoans.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/infoans.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/infoans.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1033566"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/infoans.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1033566\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/infoans.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2027600"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/infoans.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1033566"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/infoans.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1033566"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/infoans.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1033566"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}