ASIA/SRI LANKA - New school hopes to promote education for local youth

Metiyagane (Agenzia Fides) – Saturday, June 5, is the day set for the opening of the Metiyagane “Don Bosco Residential Technical Center” (DBRTC), a new Salesian work in Sri Lanka. The event will also include the planting of some trees symbolising the birth of a new work and the expected growth in pupils at Metiyagane. The building of DBRTC was made possible through the generosity of Bishop Harold Antony Perer of Kurunaegala, who gave the land for the building; also Dr. Carlo Pesenti, who gave financial coverage for the project, via the “Fondazione Italcementi Cav. Lav. Carlo Pesenti”, which has as its purpose, as explained by Giampiero Pesenti, Carlo's son, “to support education and research in social development and sustainable progress of business.” The DBRTC is one of 16 Don Bosco institutes in the vice province of “St Joseph”, Sri Lanka (LKC). Salesians have been active in the area since 1956, when they opened their first work at Negombo, and since then have always been involved in education and youth development, regardless of creed, but with a preferential option for very poor young people. The Metiyagane Centre aims specifically at instructing young people in building trades, aluminium construction, hydraulic engineering and printing technologies which will allow good access for young people into local civil engineering businesses. (AP) (Agenzia Fides 06/04/2010)