INDIA: Youth who were homeless graduate
25 students take part in Don Bosco Tech hospitality program
(MissionNewswire) Twenty-five youth who were formerly homeless have been given a second chance at life thanks to Don Bosco Tech in Rongajan, Assam, India. The students are part of a unique hospitality training program under the stewardship of Salesian Brother Sunny Joseph and his dedicated team, according to a BNN Breaking news article.
Through the training, students gained marketable skills in food and beverage service, as well as in basic computing and the English language. The training lasted two-and-a-half months and included both classroom instruction and 19 days in local hotels where youth gained valuable service experience.
The article noted that “Don Bosco Tech is not just a vocational training program but a lifeline for those on the fringes of society, offering them a chance to step into the world of dignified employment and self-sufficiency.”
Fifteen of the graduates have found employment at Vedik Resort in Gujarat while five have joined the Tamara Resort in Kodaikanal, Tamil Nadu. The remaining five students have secured local employment in Assam. The achievement of the students is particularly remarkable given the challenges they have faced in life, which include loss of family and overcoming addiction.
The article stated: “For these graduates, the program offered by Don Bosco Tech has been more than just an opportunity to learn job skills; it has been a journey of personal transformation. The support and training they received have equipped them to face the world with confidence, not just as skilled professionals but as individuals instilled with a sense of purpose and self-worth.”
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.
India’s youth face a lack of educational opportunities due to issues of caste, class and gender. Almost 44% of the workforce is illiterate and less than 10% of the working-age population has completed a secondary education. In addition, many secondary school graduates do not have the knowledge and skills to compete in today’s changing job market.
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Sources:
BNN Breaking – Transforming Lives Through Hospitality: Don Bosco Tech’s Triumph Over Adversity in Assa
Salesian Missions – India
World Bank – India