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.

Vinod

Vinod from Haryana

Kochuveli RPF personnel called to our helpline and informed about a child sitting at the premises of the railway station very hungry, lean and tired. Our team immediately reached the place and brought Vinod to Don Bosco Nivas. After giving him a bath we took him to the hospital as he was weak and not eaten for days. He was unable to take in food. He looked to be deaf and dumb and he was not speaking. At the hospital when the nurses brought the needles he started talking and was very unwilling to cooperate. Giving him tablets, we brought him back and provided shelter.

Slowly he started taking in liquids and soft bread. He was mentally unstable. He said that he had lost his parents and had no one to care for him. From the fact that he was communicating in English we understood that he did not belong to the street. He always refused to eat rice. With lots of persuasion we managed to take his blood and conducted tests to make sure he did not have any serious sickness.

After three weeks Vinod improved his health and one day he revealed the actual details of his whereabouts. He hailed from Haryana and was belonging to a well to do family. “Though Vinod had some mental instability he never left home before”, said his Father. They were searching all over and had given missing complaint at the police stations in different states. The family was relieved to receive Vinod and they flew back to Haryana with Vinod.

Vinod’s story is one among 12 children we rescued in the past three weeks. 

ONAM ALSO FOR THE DEPRIVED

Onam at Don Bosco Veedu

24 youth of the DB Tech programme of Hospitality Management at Don Bosco Veedu celebrated onam on 11^th of September. The group of trainees from different parts of Trivandrum is provided free training in hospitality management with 100% placement opportunity in collaboration with Taj Group of Hotels. The students who hae dropped out from regular education and have completed 18 years are the target group of the programme. Presently the third batch is under training and the present group is active and learning well. The preparation of the programmes of onam celebration was befitting the hospitality management trainees. The students performed well and also had arranged the stage and sadhya (lunch) very well. The group dispersed for onam holidays  

Onam at Don Bosco Nivas

The children in the shelter home had a wonderful celebration of Onam which lasted almost three days! The Christ Nagar School children gave our children an unforgettable onam. The children of 11^th standard from Christ Nagar School took our children out for onam shopping. They bought new dresses and other gift items for our children on 12^th September. On the 13^th our children were the guests at the onam celebration at Christ Nagar School. All the children were provided onam gifts and onasadhya.

On 14^th September, We celebrated onam at our centre. All the staff and children were present. The programme started at 11.30 with cultural programmes and a solemn onam lunch. Fr. Francis Karackatt, the rector of the institution and Fr. Santhosh were present during the celebration. The children were happy to perform different programmes during the cultural events. The celebration continued after lunch with variety games in which all children participated.

Onam at Karimadom

On September 13^th at 4 pm all the Sthree Jyoti- self help group members, Tuition Children, Sponsored children and those who attended the eye camp and were in need of spectacles gathered at Karimadom Community hall for the onam celebration. Variety entertainment programmes from women and children, Thumbi Thullal (Onam special cultural event), and onam games were part of the programme. The cultural events were followed by distribution of spectacles to all those who required it. There were 24 glasses distributed freely. The Managing Director of Babu Optical, Mr. Babu who sponsored the spectacles was present for the onam celebration. The poor people of Karimadom colony were thankful for the glasses that they received free of cost. The onam celebration ended with payasam (onam sweets) for all.

RAS

Rapid Assessment Survey (RAS)

In collaboration with YaR Netwok (Young at Risk Forum) and Don Bosco Research Centre, Mumbai, Don Bosco Veedu Society is conducting a rapid assessment survey to find the number of street children in Trivandrum. The area covered in the survey consists of 100 wards under the Corporation of Trivandrum city. The survey is carried out in collaboration with the Social Justice Department of the Government of Kerala. Two ICDS – anganwadi workers from each ward of the corporation were selected to conduct the survey. 184 anganwadi workers participated in the training programme conducted by us on 28^th of August 2013

The survey consists of ward wise head counting of street children and interview of three street children from every ward of the corporation. The aim of the survey is to provide information to NGOs, the State Governments, and other stakeholders for planning and implementing a well-coordinated program to meet street children’s needs and respect their basic rights. It also is an opportunity to evaluate the impact of our work for street children since 1991. A survey was conducted by Don Bosco Veedu society in 1994 to determine the number of street children and it was found that there were over 2000 children in the city. Identifying areas where there are street children is also in view of rescuing and protecting them. Our aim is to create a street children free Trivandrum with on the spot intervention to rescue and rehabilitate any child who reaches the streets of Trivandrum.

The survey is being carried out and we hope to finish the same and begin the tabulation and publishing work by 20^th of this month.