After four months spent in Africa, something has already inscribed itself on the heart. What our two Slovak Salesian volunteers live by, and where, has been summed up in a blog by missionary volunteer Nikola — known to everyone as Šmiky. Read an excerpt from the article Joy grows by being shared, in which she also tells us who they look after at the centre that our donors can support through the Adoption of Children in Kenya programme.

“Our rehabilitation centre Bosco Boys Langata works with boys from the street. Many of them spent long years there — years that left a heavy mark on them but also made them stronger. They had to fight their way through life on their own. Yet behind every “gangster” expression or posture lies a longing for love, for being noticed, for help, for someone to listen, for a hug, and a dream of one day being a pilot, a doctor or a lawyer. Their smiles light up their faces from morning till night. And that is exactly what I love most about them. They are proof that even though they carry heavy stories in their “rucksacks”, they have never lost the smile on their face.“

All the blogs of our volunteers, together with posts from the volunteers currently serving in Kenya and Angola, can be found at www.saleziani.sk/smd/blogy.