Rescuing 9000 Children From the Streets in India

Dear  friends and well-wishers,

 BOSCO has been conferred the prestigious National Child Welfare Award 2015, instituted by Ministry of Women and Child Development Government of India. This award has been presented for its decades – long outstanding service in the field of welfare of marginalized children.

 This award instituted by the Government of India in 1979, in order to encourage and recognize the voluntary sector is perhaps the highest national recognition for voluntary action.  A high profile national selection committee headed by the Minister of State for Women and Children, after going through the applications from the states found BOSCO, the most eligible organization to win the award.

 The award ceremony was held at the solemn function on 14^th November, 2015 at Rashtrapati Bhavan ,New Delhi. The award carrying 3 lakh rupees was presented by Sri. Pranab Mukharjee Honorable President of India to Fr. Mathew Thomas Panamkattu, Executive Director BOSCO Bangalore.

The National child Welfare NGO Awards is among the most esteemed event in the arena of child welfare, and it is arecognition for the excellent service done in the past 35 years.  It is an award for the dedicated work of many salesians and other personnel who worked at BOSCO and are now working at BOSCO.

The real back born of our organization is our evergreen well-wishers and sponsors who have been with BOSCO through thick and thin. This would not have been possible without your support and help. We extend our sincere gratitude to all who have contributed in the success of BOSCO. We expect your continuous support which will make a meaningful difference in the lives of children and help create a safer community for them.

With regards,

Fr. Mathew Thomas,

Executive Director, BOSCO Bangalore.

www.boscoban.org

Dear All,

   The phenomenon of street children has long existence in many regions. Appropriate social and economic policies are clearly essential to prevent the inflow of children to the streets. It is also equally important that those children facing the hardship of street need to be given instant opportunities to wean away from the street habits. Development oriented initiatives will enable them to get out of street lives and  to realize and develop  their innate potential so that they can function effectively in both the family and society.

    It is in this context   we had requested you all for rebuilding the lives of rescued street children providing formal education and enhancing employability skills through vocational training. With your support, 2165 children were rescued last 3 months and 1648 among them repatriated back home after sorting down the causes that led children to ran away from home. BOSCO has put in all the efforts possible at the beginning of this academic year to enroll as many children as possible to schools so that ‘they may have life and life in all its fullness’. So far we have enrolled 180 children to various schools and colleges who were identified as having the least possibility of attending school or college. These children were also in situations that had obstructed them in one way or other from attending schools.                            

     Approximately 86 youngsters rescued youngsters from streets of Bangalore have been enrolled for vocational training and also partake in psychosocial and interpersonal skills enhancement programmes that are designed to help them for a healthy social living along with the vocational trainings.  Finally, we were able to look after the educational/vocational training requirements of so many children through the support of our well wishers and friends which, of course, is helping them to realize their dreams. Thank you so much  for the continued support and let us wish all the very best for all the school/college going children and youngsters enrolled for vocational training.

    As you all suggested, a short video documentary has prepared on the socially beneficial interventions of BOSCO for the Street Children in Bangalore. Kindly find the web link  (SURVIVING THE STREET-Video Documentary)     and kindly revert your valuable feedbacks. Once again I remain acknowledging all the generous support you have  rendered.   Your personal commitments were incredibly helpful to reach 2165 children (from June to August 2015) who were languishing on the streets   and were desperately looking for a supporting hand.  We sincerely express our appreciation for your generosity and request you to continue the same.

Yours Truly,

Arun Thomas

Manager-Projects, BOSCO Bangalore 

Links:

• City Railway Division a Role Model in Child Protection
• 284 Beggars rescued as cops lunch operation smile