Into a career in six months!

The third batch of Hospitality Trainees of DB Tech has graduated after three months of intensive training at Don Bosco Veedu Skill Training Centre at Manacaud.

The DB Tech programme is a short term (3 months) skill training programme conducted by us at Don Bosco Veedu. The aim of the programme is to provide a skill and certify the same to those youth of the Trivandrum district who are less educated (minimum 10^th grade pass) and are from poor and vulnerable back grounds. These youth often are not able to get into a career due to lack of education and due to lack of certified skills.

Over 170 DB Tech centres across India in collaboration with Accenture, Bosch, and Taj Group of Hotels is providing a set of skills to these youngsters in a short span of three months and another three months of practical training in leading companying which will also absorb them into their system.

Our third batch of Hospitality Management trainees graduated on the 15^th September and is undergoing practical training in different Taj Hotels and in other leading hotels across Kerala. Two new batches in Hospitality and BPO are set to begin soon.

It is heartening to see many youth develop a career in a short span of time thanks to the concentrated efforts of dedicated staff at Don Bosco Veedu Skill Training centre.

Homeward Bound

Rohit, Anil, Vishal and Lakhan had been with us now for more than one year and we have been trying to trace their family during the past year. We tried many means but to no avail. Some of the agencies in North India also helped us in the process. Some of them even agreed to provide shelter to the children and put them up until their family is traced. It is a better way because if the children remained longer with us, they would forget their language and it would become all the more difficult to trace their family later on. We located agencies that were ready to take care of the children in areas close to the native places mentioned by children.

On 24^th of September 2012, Mr. Ratheesh and Mr. Shiva, two staff members of Don Bosco accompanied the children to Delhi, Maharashtra and Chittorgarh, Rajasthan. Anil and Vishal were rehabilitated with Don Bosco Ashalayam, New Delhi. The Child Welfare Committee there initiated the process of finding the parents. Lakhan was takent o Chittorgarh CWC and temporarioly placed at a shelter home with follow up to trace the family. Rohit was brought back as his family could not be traced.

Saved from Hell-Home!

Vineesh is a twelve year old boy and he hails from Valiathura, Trivandrum. For the past three days he had been sleeping in a toilet in his neighbour’s house without them knowing about it. Call came to CHILDLINE when he started taking meals from his friend’s house continuously. When the good neighbour asked about the issue at home, Vineesh spoke about it.

Vineesh had been tied up by his mother because he left home to play with his friends. He has a mother and a step father who is the younger brother of his father. The stepfather and mother are ill treating him every day and making him do all the household chores making him get up at 5 o’clock in the morning.

Call came immediately to CHILDLINE and we rushed to the spot and rescued the child. We took him to the nearest police station and Vineesh spoke at length about the persecution he had to endure at home the marks of which are still visible.

Now Vineesh is happy and is sheltered with our other children at Don Bosco Nivas. We are looking out for a place to make him stay and continue his education

From Empowerment to Emancipation

Seven year old Seema was all ears at the child abuse awareness class conducted by our ‘Success for Success’(S4S) team (Our team which provides life skill and child rights awareness for students, school teachers, parents and other stake holders). Immediately after the class Seema came running to one of our team members and told her about the ‘bad’ dealing of her father towards her often after drinking. She herself said that she knows what to do the next time when it happened.

On our next visit to the school Seeema was found to be very happy and serene. We quizzed her about her home situation. Seema explained to us that when her father made advances towards her she asked him to keep off and told him that she would inform the police and CHILDLINE if he tried ‘bad things’ on her. Her father got a shock of his life and he even stopped drinking!

The experience of Seema was indeed a boost for our team. We could behold the effect of empowerment leading to emancipation. All the children in our schools across Kerala require integral education covering all aspects of life. Life skills are as important as daily lessons. A bookish learning can inform but not educate. Education is bringing out the potentialities of a child to cope with life. Education should empower and emancipate.