DON BOSCO BOYS HOME – THATTANCHAVADY PONDICHERRY
1. Don Bosco Boys Home
Don Bosco Boys Home began in 1984, as a Home for the underprivileged orphans, destitutes, dropouts, rag pickers, street children, trade apprentices and working boys. The Boys Home has different groups of inmates: school children (64), carpentry trainees (26), working boys (25) and computer students (4). The beneficiaries mostly hail from the Archdiocese of Pondicherry and the diocese of Cuddalore. Boys are directly referred here by their Parish Priests, by welfare agencies or by other social workers. During the months of April-May, the Salesians visit the nearby villages in search of dropouts and needy students. Besides education, opportunities are also given to acquire technical skills of different trades: computer, carpentry, fitters, electricians, welders, tailoring, printing, etc. This is done by making use of the neighboring technical resources available at the industrial estate and the local workshop in a non-formal training model. By the time the boys finish their education, they master their own respective choice of trade. This will ensure them a bright future with a reasonable income. Monthly Recollections, First Friday mass and Adoration are held regularly. The commemoration of Mary Help of Christians on the 24th and Don Bosco on the last day of the month are also solemnized. With a 119 boys in the boarding, the place is rather congested. Plans are underway to build another wing with a hall and a refectory. Given below is a brief sketch on each of the categories in the boarding:
Boarding Home for the regular School Boys
The Boys Home is also a boarding house for regular school boys, as well as for those who have passed out of Std. VIII of the Transit School. They are helped to continue middle school or high school in the nearby schools. Presently, 60 boys are boarders in this category.
Boys Home for Working Youth
The unemployed youth from nearby villages who come to Pondicherry for employment opportunities and are unable to meet the high cost of living on their own, are given accommodation in the Boys Home at a minimal rate.
St. Joseph’s Non-formal Carpentry Training Centre
Carpentry trainees are dropouts aged between 15 – 20 years, who are given training in the St. Joseph’s Non-formal Carpentry Training Centre for 3 years. Started during the year 2000-2001 with 7 boys, this year there are 30 boys. The curriculum provides for 2 years of training and the final year of apprenticeship where they can both earn and learn on the job.
BICS InfoTech
In the year 2001, computer training was started as a certified course of BICS InfoTech. The well-equipped computer lab with 20 computers offers Diploma courses (full time and part time) and Electronic Data Processing training (EDP).
2. Don Bosco Transit School (DBTS)
The vision of DBTS is to identify, accommodate, rehabilitate, and train school dropouts in and around Pondicherry, so as to prepare them to continue their studies in the main stream. Rev. Fr. John Louis sdb, the then Director of Don Bosco Boys Home, Thattanchavady, took up this initiative, and Mr. Arturo Vicari, a benefactor from Italy, came forward to make this dream come true, with the formal inauguration of DBTS on the 24th June 2002 as a part of Don Bosco Boys’ Home. This year there are 183 students on roll (Christians 84). Not counting 15 absentees, 170 boys presently reside in the premises. Two full-time resident Salesians, 12 teaching staff with a lay person as Principal, and a female volunteer from Germany, help out in the running of the School. The School in divided into 4 houses for a healthy competitive spirit among the students. Extra curricular activities (ECA) are held throughout the year. Carpentry, computer, horticulture, yoga, drawing, music, band, singing and dancing are some of the activities taught during ECA periods. Their faith formation, academic studies, games and other extra curricular activities are followed up by the confreres, with the help of two lay wardens. The boys are very responsive to the care and attention of the superiors. They are quite happy and also sing and pray well. Since 2 months, a female volunteer from Germany, Ms. Costanza, is also residing in the community and helping out in the boarding and in the Transit School. Thanks to the excellent facilities and a set of dedicated staff members, both Salesian and lay, today DBTS in well set to grow in strength, quality, moral formation and education at par with any other regular school.
3. Neighbourhood apostolate for the poor and underprivileged
The community runs 2 night study centres at Thattanchavady and Jeevanandhapuram to facilitate special coaching and supervised study in the evening for poor children of the neighbouring slums. Twelve tuition teachers are engaged to coach them. Nearly 300 children benefit from this initiative, and the community has plans to increase the number of such centres in future.
4. Vazhikaatti – the Don Bosco Career Guidance and Job Placement Centre
Through Vazhikaatti, seminars for high school and college students, as well as for teaching staff are conducted. Coaching and training in different trades are also available. In order to cater to registered applicants, nearby industries, factories, etc., are approached for job opportunities and placements. Self-Help programmes to provide self-employment for neglected youth are also conducted.
5. A satellite Unit at Cuddalore
In order to reach out to tsunami-affected areas, a satellite unit of the Don Bosco Boys Home at Cuddalore, nearly 25 Kms from Pondy, was established on the 24th of June 2006. It is a boarding house for working youth and a contact centre for street children, school dropouts, poor school children, and tutorial going children. Totally 38 children are housed in this boarding.
ponyboscoboys@yahoo.com
Don Bosco Boy's Home
Thattanchavady
PONDICHERRY – 605 009
Cell – 94434 92104
