Partnership works to ensure medical supplies reach those most in need
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NEW ROCHELLE, NY (Oct. 15, 2025) Salesian missionaries in Bangui, Central African Republic*, had the supplies needed for a medical clinic thanks to a shipment of goods funded in part by Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. The shipment was sent by Collaboration Santé Internationale (International Health Collaboration), a Canadian organization focused on responding to the needs of health centers in developing countries.
Funding for the shipment was provided by both Salesian Missions and Don Bosco Foundation Paris. The shipment contained electric hospital beds, neonatal incubators, exam tables, filing cabinets, lab coats, amoxicillin, quinine, first aid supplies and vitamins.
The medical clinic was completed with funding from the French government through Don Bosco Foundation Paris. Don Bosco Foundation Paris requested assistance from Salesian Missions with funding for the shipment and for its extensive experience in shipping humanitarian aid around the globe.
“Partnerships help ensure that medical supplies and other critical humanitarian aid reaches those most in need,” said Father Michael Conway, director of Salesian Missions. “While education is the priority for Salesians around the globe, they also focus on ensuring that those in poverty have their basic needs met including essential medical care.”
Since 1996, Collaboration Santé Internationale has been the only nonprofit and international cooperation organization accredited by the Quebec Ministry of Health and Social Services to recover and give a second life to surplus health care supplies for humanitarian aid purposes. Since its founding, the organization has sent the equivalent of $250 million in medical equipment, supplies and medicines to support several hundred health centers in more than 90 countries.
The Central African Republic is one of the poorest countries on the African continent — despite being very rich in resources such as uranium, gold and diamonds. It is also very unstable politically due to the regime changes and civil wars that have occurred over the last 20 years.
According to the World Bank, in 2024, approximately 71% of people lived below the international poverty line, with 65.7% living on less than $2.15 per day. The infant mortality rate is among the highest in the world, and the most common causes are diseases such as malaria, diarrhea, respiratory infections and acute malnutrition.
*Any goods, services, or funds provided by Salesian Missions to programs located in this country were administered in compliance with applicable laws and regulations, including sanctions administered by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Asset Control.
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About Salesian Missions USA
Salesian Missions is headquartered in New Rochelle, NY, and is part of the Don Bosco Network—a worldwide federation of Salesian NGOs. The mission of the U.S.-based nonprofit Catholic organization is to raise funds for international programs that serve youth and families in poor communities around the globe. The Salesian missionaries are made up of priests, brothers and sisters, as well as laypeople—all dedicated to caring for poor children throughout the world in more than 130 countries and helping young people become self-sufficient by learning a trade that will help them gain employment. To date, more than 3 million youth have received services funded by Salesian Missions. These services and programs are provided to children regardless of race or religion. For more information, go to SalesianMissions.org.