* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * To meet Goans worldwide and take part in discussions on Goa join Goanet(estd 1994) http://joingoanet.shorturl.com * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
SALESIANS IN PROFILE: FROM NIGHT SCHOOLS TO FARMS... AND A MARITIME ACADEMY >From Frederick Noronha MOST SALESIANS from the province have their birthdays in January, some serve in places as distant as Ethiopia and the Solomon Islands, and there are some 174 priests in the Salesian Province of Mumbai. These details are contained in a recently-published Salesian directory that offers detailed links to the Order's various houses -- nine in Goa, four in Karnataka, eight in Gujarat, one in Rajasthan, three in Madhya Pradesh, thirteen in Maharashtra and 11 more in various parts of Mumbai. Besides this, there is also one in Salmiya-Kuwait, at the Indian English Academy School. Set up in 2002, this has been attached to the Mumbai Provincial House though it falls within the Diocese of Kuwait. The Salesian Province of St Francis Xavier, Mumbai has the sixteenth century Basque missionary saint after whom it was named as it patron, and was erected in January 1972. It currently has provincial commissions for youth, education and culture, evangelisation and cathecatics, group experience, vocation orientation and promotion and marginalised youth. Besides, it has special teams to work with its technical schools, social communications, social developments, and Salesian past pupils. This directory also contains a detailed who's who of the Salesian Sisters which has provinces in Bangalore, Kolkata, Chennai, Mumbai, Guwahati and Shillong. In keeping with the shifting approach in modern-day communications, email links are available for most Salesian centres across the country, as this directory shows. Some innovative projects have been taken up by the Salesians over the years. In Fatorda, Goa the Salesians run a technical institute that offers formal technical courses (welding, fitters, electrician, electronics, computer operator and programming assistant), computer courses and non-formal courses too. Another centre, called the Don Bosco Crafts Institute at Loutolim, also in South Goa, is meant for offering "functional vocational courses exclusively for school drop-outs". Quite a number of Don Bosco institutions currently run centres for the National Open School, that makes education accessible to the poor, educationally-weak and marginalised. Don Bosco's Panjim, a prominent educational institution in Goa, has recently launched its college (offering a Bachelor's in Computer Applications degree), continues with its night-school and houses facilities for the Childline-1098 which assists children in distress. Don Bosco's Agro-Ed complex in Sulcorna, Goa runs a far and dispensary. In Sindhudurg's Bosco Udyogshala, girls can learn cutting and stitching. Bosco Snehalaya in Baroda runs a street children's project. In Baroda's Chhotaudepur area, the Don Bosco Gaam runs a career development centre. Tuition classes, rural development work, watershed projects, hostels for boys, Marathi medium high schools, computer academies and typing institutes, coaching classes, and even bhajan mandals are some of the other activities undertaken by various Salesian institutions in this province. Don Bosco Maritime Academy in Kurla offers the ATS course for youngsters looking forward to a career at sea. It also houses the Don Bosco Institute of Technology, with an engineering college teaching computer engineering, electronics & telecommunications, IT, and audio recording studio. See more details at http://www.donboscotech.com >From Wadala in Mumbai, the Shelter Don Bosco offers a drop-in centre and 'pavement khelwadis' (play centres). It also has a 'street community college'. Salesians and confreres from this province also reside in places ranging from Bangalore to Delhi, Guwahati and Kolkata, and overseas -- Italy, the US, Canada, Ethiopia, Philippines, the Solomon Islands and Sri Lanka. Currently this province, spread over western India, has a total of 174 priests, eight deacons, 22 brothers, 77 clerics, and 18 novices. (ENDS) -- Frederick Noronha : http://www.fredericknoronha.net : When we speak of free Freelance Journalist : http://www.bytesforall.org : software we refer to Ph 0091.832.2409490 : Cell 0 9822 122436 : freedom, not price. _______________________________________________ Goanet-news mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.goanet.org/mailman/listinfo/goanet-news
