5 shipments sent to Salesian programs in 2025.
NEW ROCHELLE, NY (Jan. 21, 2026) Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, has been able to support nutritional needs of youth in Zambia thanks to an ongoing partnership with Feed My Starving Children, a nonprofit Christian organization committed to “feeding God’s children hungry in body and spirit.” In 2025, five shipments were sent to feed children in Salesian programs.
Meals have already been distributed at Don Bosco Primary and Secondary School, located in Luwingu. The Salesian sisters, who operate the school, noted that more than 5,000 children benefit from food shipments like this.
Salesian sisters with Daughters of Mary Help of Christians have been working in the town of Luwingu since 1984. The town is small and for a long time was isolated from the rest of the country because there were almost no roadways to and from the town. As a result, the population could only rely on subsistence agriculture and hunting as the main sources of food, which was inadequate in terms of both quality and quantity.
At first, the Salesian sisters started a youth center and literacy classes. Later, they opened Don Bosco Primary School that today is one of the best schools in the district. The Salesian nuns also provide vocational education to give the local community opportunities to find employment.
Recently, Salesian sisters in Zambia hosted J.J. Slag, CEO of Feed My Starving Children. Slag said, “I was so very impressed with the Salesian sisters’ work in Zambia. As someone who visits schools, orphanages, feeding sites and care points around the world, I can honestly say that the Salesians are running a first-rate mission here.”
The needs of the Salesian sisters are vast. Slag said, “The Sisters in Lusaka seem to be making the highest possible impact with their limited resources. I can see that more financial and food resources would be used to increase their impact.”
The ongoing partnership between Salesian Missions and Feed My Starving Children has resulted in 40-foot containers of fortified rice-meals being shipped to Salesian sites around the globe. Feed My Starving Children provides the food and Salesian Missions takes care of the cost and logistics of shipping each container from Feed My Starving Children warehouses to the destination country. Salesian Missions also works to help identify where the greatest needs are at any given time. The partnership began in early 2006 when the first container was donated to and shipped by Salesian Missions for programs in Sri Lanka.
Slag said, “The Salesians have proven that they are able to take the food donated from Feed My Starving Children and use it in a way that makes the highest impact for the kids that they serve. We are thankful for their impact and are excited to see how much more can be done through this partnership with Salesian Missions in the years to come.”
Poverty is widespread in Zambia with 64% of the total population living below the poverty line. For those living in rural areas, the poverty rate rises to 80%, according to UNICEF. Over the past three decades, incomes in Zambia have fallen steadily and people do not have enough money to meet basic needs such as shelter, nutritious food and medical care.
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.
