“It's intensive, but it's necessary”

An entire African village won't be saved if you donate to Don Bosco Teenage Care. Yours won't be the donation that helps find a cure for a terminal disease. And as much as we're fond of them, it will do little to swell the population of dolphins.

The work we do isn't as spectacular or fashionable as some of our charitable counterparts. It is however essential, very real and on your doorstep. We work with children from disadvantaged backgrounds to give them a chance in life. These children haven't wasted their first chance and this isn't a second chance, they simply had the misfortune of being born into a situation where those entrusted to be their primary sources of care and affection lacked the capability to provide for the most basic of human needs. Isolated and apparently ostracised, these young adults struggle to see the purpose of live.

If they are allowed to continue on this path the next time you'll hear about them is in the crime statistics or figures on drug related fatalities. Worse still, they may go on to have children they are ill-equipped to provide for and continue a cycle of poverty that blights society.

Whilst cooking a dinner and providing a comfortable environment are essentials in the short term, specific and targeted counseling is required to provide the motivation the human spirit craves in the long term. We give these kids the emotional and practical support that has been absent from their lives. During the day they continue with their education and in the evening to the stability of the Teenage Care homes. We encourage them to take part in sports and othe activities which will develop their social skills. By it's nature, the work that needs to be done with these children is remarkably intense, but if we can break the cycle of poverty and help this child on the path to realising their potential, the knock-on effects for future generations and wider society are obvious,

It's intensive, requires specialist expertise and we can only deal with a few children at any given time, but equally, it is necessary. At present we've got people studying medicine, psychology and social care at third level along with younger children attending school. Regardless of the age bracket, the common theme is one of trying to make something of themselves, It's no exaggeration to say that without our help, they could be in bouncing around juvenile detention centres, drug addicts and criminals. We know we won't be changing the world anytime in the near future, but what we can do is make sure there is a future for the children who need our care.