INDIA: Students build homes for families in need
Home recently given to mother and her son
INDIA
(MissionNewswire) Students attending Don Bosco Arts & Science College, located in Angadikadavu, a town in Kerala, India, built a house for a mother and her son. Dr. R.N. Ansar, the Kerala State National Service Scheme (NSS) officer, handed over the key to the newly constructed building.
The project, known as Sneha Veedu, was initiated by the college and carried out by NSS members of the college. To date, five houses for deserving families in the locality have been constructed. The most recent house has 750 square feet with three bedrooms, a kitchen, a work area and an outside area. Money for the construction came from students and the public through fundraising programs.
E. Jisha, the NSS program officer at Don Bosco College, said, “NSS aims to inculcate social awareness among students. The project is an eye-opener for the students to take action in support of the welfare of those in need.”
Don Bosco College started in 1994 as a parallel college to Calicut University, offering pre-degree, undergraduate and postgraduate courses for about 600 students. In 2002, the college was elevated to an affiliated self-financing college of Kannur University. Today it offers a range of courses including post-graduate programs in computer applications, communication and journalism, and social work. There are also programs in English literature and mathematics, among other areas of study.
Access to professional training and workforce development services is highly valued in India. The country, which is home to 1.34 billion people (18 percent of the world’s population), will have overtaken China as the world’s most populous country by 2024, according to the World Economic Forum. While India has the world’s largest youth population, it has yet to capitalize on this, leaving some 30 percent of this population without employment, education or training.
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Sources:
Photo courtesy of Don Bosco South Asia
Don Bosco South Asia – Students build house for mother and son
Don Bosco Arts & Science College
Salesian Missions – India
World Bank – India
