【慈幼通訊社
─ 2009年9月3日西班牙華倫西亞訊】─一群年齡介乎十五至十八歲，來自的華倫西亞鮑思高接待中心及教育支援計劃的青少年，剛於七月十八至二十八日，參與一項前往非洲諾克少的茅利塔尼亞進行實地調查的行動，隨行的還有七名中心職員。
鮑思高會院院長 Segundo García 神父解釋，這次旅程的主要目的，在於幫助青少年更深入了解非洲大陸，這樣，他們便會更珍惜自身的生活環境。
在旅程結束時，青少年分享他們的一些印象，其中之一就是發現到時間的可貴。在非洲，時間似乎過得較慢得多，人們不在意時間表的問題，或使工作得以完成，卻懷著一份欣賞的態度，絲毫不浪費半點光陰，因為生命就是依賴時間。
對人們來說，最重要的不是完成什麼工作，而是珍惜和享用時間，互相問候及與人們一起的時刻。一天中兩三次，與他人茶聚，不但是傳統，更反映他們對理解生命及如何活出生命的方式，對友誼及溝通的方式。
另一樣令這些青少年注意的事，就是他們在諾克少與當地青少年相聚。他們體會到當地的生活與他們固有的生活，是兩個截然不同的世界：就是極度貧困，尤其是當地青少年所經歷的。這使他們更醒覺到，他們如何享有特權，但這更令一切變得是如何的不公義。
他們到訪兩所位於大貧民區內的小型社區中心，作初步認識後，心中泛起一些疑問：「這麼少的資源，如何能做這樣多的事呢？面對眾多的兒童和無辜的母親的極度貧乏，你能仍不在乎嗎？我們能做什麼去協助解決問題呢？」
與非洲文化作面對面接觸，對來自華倫西亞的青少年來說，可算真正開啟了他們的視野。非洲使他們留下深刻的印象，永不磨滅：即使氣味也與他們的國家截然不同，聲音在他們耳中繞樑。茅利塔尼亞之旅對來自鮑思高中心的青少年來說，是一份難忘的經歷，因為他們體驗到別人的款待，並與另一個世界的人和家庭相接觸。
Getting to know the African continent
(ANS – Spain - Valencia, 3 September 2009 ) –Some young people between 15 and 18 years of age from the “Don Bosco” Reception Centre and the Educational Support Programme in Valencia returned from a fact-finding mission in Mauritania, at Nuakchot, accompanied by seven staff members between 18 and 28 July.
Fr Segundo García, Rector of the Don Bosco house, explained that the main purpose of the journey was help the youngsters get to know something about the African continent, and in this way to appreciate the conditions in which they are used to living themselves.
At the end of the trip the youngsters shared their impressions. One thing they discovered was the value of time. In Africa where time seems to pass much more slowly, it was not so much a question of timetables or getting things done but appreciating and not wasting time because life depends on it.
The important thing is not so much what is being done as the appreciation of enjoying the time to greet and spend time with other people. Having a drink of tea together, not just once but two or three times a day is not only a matter of tradition but reflects a way of understanding and living life, of relationships and of communication.
Another thing which struck the young people was in their meeting with the young people in Nuakchot. Seeing their daily way of life and the difference between that and the world they themselves are used to: the extreme poverty experienced especially by the youngest ones. It made them very aware of how privileged they themselves were and even more just how unjust it all was.
Visiting and getting to know two small social centres in the midst of a huge slum got them thinking and asking questions: “How is it possible to do so much with so little? How can you be indifferent in the face of such poverty of so many children and so many innocent mothers? What can we do to help solve the problem?”
Coming face to face with African culture in general was for the young people from Valencia a real eye-opener. For them Africa made a great impression, one they could not forget: even the smells so different from those in their own country, sounds and voices ringing in their ears. The trip to Mauritania for the young people from “Don Bosco” house was an experience of being made welcome, and of meeting people and families from another world.