(ANS) – Global crises, social polarization, and growing social insecurity shape the daily lives of many children and young people. Fears about the future, limited prospects, and feelings of powerlessness place particular strain on younger generations. With the guiding theme “hoffnungsstark (strong in hope) – because hope shapes the future,” Don Bosco Germany is intentionally setting a counterpoint in 2026.

Beginning on Don Bosco Day, a multimedia online dossier is available at http://www.donbosco.de/hoffnungsstark, illustrating how hope takes concrete shape in the lives of young people.

At the heart of the dossier is a video series in which young people from different Don Bosco institutions in Germany share their personal experiences. They speak openly about what sustains them during difficult periods of their lives and how relationships, educational support, and community open new perspectives. The guiding questions are: “What gives you hope? What sustains you in your everyday life?” The result is a series of powerful portraits that reveal the many faces of hope and its capacity to transform lives.

The project is complemented by interviews, background articles, and service-oriented content. Futurologist Susanne Eckes places the social importance of hope in a broader context, emphasizing that resilience develops above all “when young people experience that their actions make a difference.”

Giving Hope a Face

Among the protagonists of the video series are Hannes y Melanie. Fourteen-year-old Hannes attends the Bartolomeo Garelli School in Bamberg, a special education school that allows him to learn at his own pace. After difficult experiences in mainstream schools, he regained confidence there. Particularly important to him is the school’s creative circus program. He expresses his hope in these words: “I have hope because in a year and a half I will be leaving this school and starting my apprenticeship.”

Seventeen-year-old Melanie is training as an industrial electrician at the Don Bosco Vocational Training and Youth Center in Aschau am Inn. At this vocational rehabilitation facility, she receives intensive, individualized support. For her, hope grows from recognizing what she has already achieved: “I have hope because I can see what I’ve already accomplished—and what I will still accomplish.” Her dream is to one day work with robots.

The video portraits are also available on the Don Bosco Germany YouTube channel, as well as in shorter versions on Instagram y Facebook.

With “hoffnungsstark,” Don Bosco emphasizes that, especially in times of crisis, young people need more than quick answers. What truly matters are reliable relationships, spaces of trust, and tangible prospects for the future. Education and vocational training, community life, personal guidance, and the Christian faith form the core pillars of this work.

Don Bosco has been working on behalf of children and young people worldwide for more than 150 years—especially those who are disadvantaged or living on the margins of society. In schools, youth centers, training facilities, and child and youth welfare institutions, young people receive support, encouragement, and the opportunity to actively shape their own lives. The new dossier brings these experiences together and shows how hope becomes a source of strength for the future.

Further information:
http://www.donbosco.de/hoffnungsstark

YouTube playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9WNE6SGqxcXkrXKLCh3DQkxGWMazB_y6