Most of the staff members earn a minimum wage and struggle to meet their essential food and other needs, and the project helped reduce their economic vulnerability and a high level of stress associated with daily subsistence. In addition to the economic support provided, the project reinforced staff identity through the distribution of uniforms, which included two shirts and one pair of pants for women, and three shirts for men.
Capacity-building was also prioritized through a structured training plan, designed after assessing staff needs. Five employees pursued individualized studies in administration areas, while 35 workers participated in two group courses, including a 15-hour parafiscal program and a workshop on assertive communication aligned with the 2025-2026 pastoral educational year.
Stefani Agreda, aged 29, who works in monitoring and evaluation in the Provincial Office of Planning and Development, was one of the recipients. She said, “I am deeply grateful to Salesians Missions for the project. Sustaining living costs in the capital is very difficult, but thanks to this support I have been able to meet critical expenses of food, rent, transport and health.”
Agreda added, “I have also benefited from the Design of Management Indicators course, which has enabled me to reinforce this vital area for the office, knowledge that I owe largely to my experience in youth ministry, achieving a better drafting and evaluation of our projects for the donors. I must also thank you for the uniforms, because they have allowed us to strengthen our institutional identity and sense of belonging, projecting an image of unity and professionalism.”
Salesian missionaries have been living and working in Venezuela long before the country’s political and economic crisis began. They operate schools, youth centers, and other programs that support youth in need and their families. An estimated 87% of the population is currently living in poverty, and essential goods such as food and medicine are scarce.
Source: Mission Newswire
