School grows to provide education to youth and adults.
NEW ROCHELLE, NY (March 2, 2026) The Garden Open Community School, located in Thorn Park, a neighborhood in Lusaka, Zambia, has solar panels and newly painted classrooms in the primary section thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco.
The improvements to the school aid the learning environment for the students in vulnerable situations who attend. The enrollment keeps growing as the government schools are crowded with sometimes more than 100 students to a classroom. The Salesian sisters who run the school provide smaller class sizes and a good education.
The school serves primary and secondary students as well as adults who take trade education in computer studies, hospitality and cooking. Nine of the classrooms were constructed in 1993, and the project helped improve those outdated classrooms.
A Salesian sister said, “This was an important project to help the school improve the learning environment for students. The solar panels have allowed us to save on the cost of diesel for the school. This funding can be used now to help make improvements in the school for the students.”
Salesians in Zambia provide a range of social development programs and education to aid youth who are poor and at risk so they can have a healthy, productive life. Early education helps youth gain a foundation to allow them to later advance to skills training for employment. Basic needs are met along the way ensuring youth focus on their education.
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About Salesian Missions
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.
