Don Bosco Jananam brings awareness to issue with school competition

(MissionNewswire) Don Bosco Jananam, the Department of Addiction and Counseling and Treatment Center for the Salesian Province of Trichy, India, organized a school competition in collaboration with Don Bosco Secondary School in Varadarajanpet to bring awareness to the issue of drug abuse. Twelve schools in the Ariyalur District participated.

The competition brought together 178 students under the theme “People first: stop stigma and discrimination, strengthen prevention.” The students participated in speech, drawing, quizzes, essay, singing and rangoli competitions. Don Bosco Jananam presented the winners with prizes and certificates. All the students received participation certificates and an eco-friendly cloth bag printed with the theme.

At the event, Father John Dharman, director of Don Bosco Jananam, addressed the need for student awareness and their role in helping to combat drug abuse and illicit trafficking. A district child protection officer taught about drugs and child safety.

“This competition provided an opportunity to highlight important issues youth are facing today,” said Father Timothy Ploch, interim director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “While Salesians provide education, they know youth are dealing with much more that often needs to be addressed before they can focus on their studies. A competition like this engages youth in a creative way that makes the topic interesting for students and brings about awareness in a way they understand.”

Salesian programs in India are primarily focused on education. Salesian primary and secondary education helps youth prepare for later technical, vocational or university study. Other programs help to support poor youth and their families by meeting the basic needs of shelter, proper nutrition and medical care.

India has the world’s fourth largest economy but more than 22% of the country lives in poverty. About 31% of the world’s multidimensionally poor children live in India, according to a report by the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative.

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Photo courtesy of Don Bosco South Asia

Don Bosco Jananam Salesian Province of Trichy

Don Bosco South Asia – Inter-School cultural competitions create awareness of drug abuse

Salesian Missions – India

World Bank – India