(ANS – Milan) – A jar of honey can tell us much more than just its flavor: it can speak of connection, education, and a choice rooted in solidarity. On the Feast of Don Bosco, celebrated on January 31, 2026, the children of the Primary School of the Salesian Sant’Ambrogio Institute in Milan shared with their families and communities a meaningful gesture of solidarity with Rwanda: honey produced by young people involved in the Ndiza – Don Bosco Beekeeping Project, packaged in small jars to raise awareness of the initiative and support its mission.

The project, promoted and supported by the Opera Don Bosco Onlus Foundation, was created to accompany the Salesians of Don Bosco in Rwanda on a journey that brings together education, work, and hope for the future. The Great Lakes region, which includes Burundi, Rwanda, and Uganda, continues to bear the weight of a complex past and ongoing challenges: poverty, economic instability, and a lack of opportunities—especially for young people.

Within this context, the Salesians of Don Bosco propose a development model centered on beekeeping, an activity capable of strengthening the self-sufficiency of socio-educational works while also fostering youth entrepreneurship.

Father Pierre Célestin Ngoboka, a Salesian missionary in Rwanda, explained: “Here, young people need real opportunities—to learn a trade, to work together, to generate value. Bees teach us that growth happens through community. Honey is the outcome, but the true wealth is the trust that emerges when someone far away chooses to believe in you.”

Launched with the Foundation’s support in early 2024, the Ndiza – Don Bosco Beekeeping Project (also known as the Salesian Beekeeping Project – Ndiza, named after the area where it is based) became operational in early 2025, thanks to the prompt generosity of benefactors. This made possible the installation of the first beehives and the beginning of honey production.

The project includes the construction of four modern apiaries (approximately 100 hives each), training local young people in beekeeping as a source of income and microenterprise, and developing new forage tree crops—bringing benefits to the environment and supporting pollination.

Michele Rigamonti, President of the Opera Don Bosco Onlus Foundation, noted: “Supporting the Salesians in Rwanda means investing in a vision for the future. Through this project, young people become protagonists. Beekeeping strengthens the self-sufficiency of socio-educational works while creating entrepreneurial opportunities in a country striving to build a different tomorrow, despite ongoing poverty and limited opportunities.”

From October 2025 through the Feast of Don Bosco, the children of the Sant’Ambrogio Primary School in Milan, guided by their Salesian mentor Fr. Bruno Baldiraghi, along with teachers and educators—and supported by their families—undertook a journey of discovery about the missionary project in Rwanda, actively engaging in its support and learning what it means to belong to a community that looks beyond its own borders.

Valentina Cattaneo, Primary School Coordinator, shared: “We wanted the children not just to know that missionary projects exist, but to learn to feel close to them. Learning, asking questions, understanding, and then taking action: even a small gesture, like preparing a jar of honey, can become a deeply meaningful educational experience.”

For the Feast of Don Bosco, the children received honey produced in Rwanda by the young people involved in the project and, with the help of their teachers and educators, packaged it into jars—a simple way to enjoy a delicacy that carries with it a powerful story of redemption and shared responsibility.

Fr. Alessandro Ticozzi, Rector of Sant’Ambrogio, concluded by highlighting another essential dimension of the initiative: “Educating children to have a missionary spirit means shaping how they see the world. It helps them understand that life extends beyond their daily routines and that solidarity is a concrete responsibility. When this awareness is nurtured from an early age, it becomes a lasting way of life, not just a one-time experience.”