Education Changes the World
The history of our ngo
1967: Opening of the Cité des Jeunes in Lubumbashi
The first milestone of VIA Don Bosco was laid in 1967 when the Salesian Gerrit van Asperdt opened a vocational school for young people in Lubumbashi, in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This was the first concrete step towards realising his dream: that every young person in the world should have access to quality education.
1969: Foundation of VIA Don Bosco
Upon returning to Belgium, Gerrit van Asperdt began to raise funds for this school, called ‘La Cité des Jeunes’, as well as for other Salesian school centres. His aim: to work hand in hand with local partner schools around the world, supporting and funding them in order to take concrete action for the education of young people.
1976: Recognition as an NGO for international cooperation
VIA Don Bosco was recognised as an international cooperation NGO by the Belgian government. It was therefore able to apply for subsidies from the Ministry of Development Cooperation. Since then, VIA Don Bosco has successfully passed all the audits and retained its accreditation.
2003: Belgian programme for education in global citizenship
VIA Don Bosco extended its mission to the Belgian public by launching its global citizenship education programme in the country’s schools. The aim was to inform young people about the challenges of international solidarity so that they become responsible, critical and supportive citizens of the world; because education is the key to building a just and sustainable world.
2014: Creation of the first employment offices
In collaboration with its partners on the ground, VIA Don Bosco set up its first employment offices to help young people find work placements and decent jobs once they had finished their studies. The employment offices also play a crucial role in adapting the courses and educational projects of our partner schools to the realities and needs of the local job market. The aim is to maximise young people’s chances of getting a job as soon as they have finished their studies.
2019: VIA Don Bosco celebrates its 50th anniversary
VIA Don Bosco celebrated its 50th anniversary. A major meeting of local partners was organised in Brussels, providing an opportunity to discuss current projects as well having a celebration. Queen Mathilde honoured VIA Don Bosco with her visit and expressed her deep appreciation for the development of its international educational programmes and the results of the actions undertaken.
2022: Launch of a new 5-year programme
VIA Don Bosco launched a new five-year education programme and set up operations in two new partner countries: Honduras and Burkina Faso. From 2022 to 2026, with its partners on the ground and thanks to the invaluable support of its donors, VIA Don Bosco aims to give access to quality education to more than 125,000 young people, 41% of whom are girls. It will support more than 90 technical and vocational schools in 15 countries, enabling 60,000 students to graduate. Its training and reinforcement programmes will involve more than 900 teachers.
2023: Creation of the VIA Don Bosco Foundation in The Netherlands
The VIA Don Bosco Foundation was set up in the Netherlands to provide long-term support for even more young people around the world, and to defend the right to quality education for all.