The organization serves child laborers, victims of child abuse and youth who are orphaned, abandoned or live on the streets at nine BOSCO rehabilitation centers and six outreach hubs spread throughout the city. In its 35 year history, BOSCO has helped improve the lives of more than 125,000 children and rescues and rehabilitates close to 7,000 children each year. In 2014, BOSCO volunteers rescued 6,451 runaway youth and were able to reunite 4,681 of them back with their families. Those remaining are under the care of India’s Child Welfare Committee. Of the youth rescued, there were 5,561 boys and 900 girls, the majority of whom were between the ages of 6 and 16 with 75 of the children under age five.

Many children living on the streets are runaways who have left home in search of work or to escape violence or other family difficulties. According to UNICEF, more than 40,000 children are reported missing every year in India. Of these, close to 11,000 remain untraced. As many cases go unreported, it is suspected that the actual number of missing children is much higher. Many runaways come to major cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Bengaluru in search of work and a better life with the majority of them living on the streets and on the country’s railway platforms where they beg, steal or perform menial jobs to survive. All too often, they fall victim to child traffickers.

In 2010, India passed a landmark law mandating that all children between the ages of 6 and 14 be in school, but according to UNICEF, millions of children remain in the workforce. Full implementation of the law went into effect in 2013, but child workers can still be found in almost every industry in India. The problem has been enforcing the law, particularly in high poverty regions of the country.

Once youth are identified by BOSCO and convinced to come in off the street, their basic needs are provided for such as housing, food and clothing. In addition, they receive counseling and, if appropriate, are reunited back with their families. Education is also a primary component of BOSCO and is provided to those in the rehabilitation program while those who are returned to their families have access to Salesian schools throughout India. Youth who continue their education are more likely to find and retain stable employment later in life and break the cycle of poverty.

“Salesian missionaries in India are working hard to rehabilitate street children and restore their childhoods,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Many take for granted having a safe place to sleep, enough food to eat and access to medical care. Salesian missionaries recognize how critical it is to meet these basic needs before expecting youth to be able to focus on education.”

BOSCO is also involved in child rights education in schools, colleges, and for the general public and has made significant contributions towards the development of government policies for the protection of children. In addition, BOSCO has been running the Childline Youth Hotline since 2002. This hotline is a safety net for youth on the streets and connects them to safe shelter and other services. Salesian missionaries collaborate extensively with the Indian government and child protection system by providing training, advocacy and outreach program development to help reduce the number of street children while sharing resources for finding, identifying and rehabilitating those currently living on the streets.

India is home to 25 percent of the world’s poor and more than 30 percent of the country’s population lives in poverty, according to the World Bank. With the largest number of child laborers in the world, India has made significant progress the past eight years reducing the number of out-of-school children from 25 million to 8 million. However, an estimated 11 million children live on the streets facing the daily horrors of rampant exploitation, forced labor, widespread substance abuse and physical violence. Many poor youth see little opportunity or hope for a better life.

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Sources:

Bangalore Oniyavara Seva Coota

Don Bosco India – Government of India names BOSCO, Bangalore the best NGO for Child Welfare

UNICEF – State of the World’s Children 2012

World Bank – India

The post INDIA: Indian Government Awards Salesian-run BOSCO Bangalore the 2014 National Award for Child Welfare first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Many children living on the streets are runaways who have left home in search of work or to escape violence or other family difficulties. According to UNICEF, more than 40,000 children are reported missing every year in India. Of these, close to 11,000 remain untraced. As many cases go unreported, it is suspected that the actual number of missing children is much higher. Many runaways come to major cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Bengaluru in search of work and a better life with the majority of them living on the streets and on the country’s railway platforms where they beg, steal or perform menial jobs to survive. All too often, they fall victim to child traffickers.

In 2010, India passed a landmark law mandating that all children between the ages of 6 and 14 be in school, but according to UNICEF, millions of children remain in the workforce. Full implementation of the law went into effect in 2013, but child workers can still be found in almost every industry in India. The problem has been enforcing the law, particularly in high poverty regions of the country.

In 2014, BOSCO volunteers rescued 6,451 runaway youth and were able to reunite 4,681 of them back with their families. Those remaining are under the care of India’s Child Welfare Committee. Of the youth rescued, there were 5,561 boys and 900 girls, the majority of whom were between the ages of 6 and 16 with 75 of the children under age five.

Once youth are identified by BOSCO and convinced to come in off the street, their basic needs are provided for such as housing, food and clothing. In addition, they receive counseling and, if appropriate, are reunited back with their families. Education is also a primary component of BOSCO and is provided to those in the rehabilitation program while those who are returned to their families have access to Salesian schools throughout India. Youth who continue their education are more likely to find and retain stable employment later in life and break the cycle of poverty.

“Salesian missionaries in India are working hard to rehabilitate street children and restore their childhoods,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Many take for granted having a safe place to sleep, enough food to eat and access to medical care. Salesian missionaries recognize how critical it is to meet these basic needs before expecting youth to be able to focus on education.”

Salesian missionaries collaborate with the Indian government and child protection system by providing training, advocacy and outreach program development to help reduce the number of street children while sharing resources for finding, identifying and rehabilitating those currently living on the streets.

India is home to 25 percent of the world’s poor and more than 30 percent of the country’s population lives in poverty, according to the World Bank. With the largest number of child laborers in the world, India has made significant progress the past eight years reducing the number of out-of-school children from 25 million to 8 million. However, an estimated 11 million children live on the streets facing the daily horrors of rampant exploitation, forced labor, widespread substance abuse and physical violence. Many poor youth see little opportunity or hope for a better life.

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Sources:

Bangalore Oniyavara Seva Coota

Video – BOSCO Street Children in India

UNICEF – State of the World’s Children 2012

World Bank – India

The post INDIA: BOSCO Bangalore Outreach Programs Help Rescue and Rehabilitate Homeless Youth first appeared on MissionNewswire.

In 2014, BOSCO volunteers rescued 6,451 runaway youth and were able to reunite 4,681 of them back with their families. Those remaining are under the care of India’s Child Welfare Committee. Of the youth rescued, there were 5,561 boys and 900 girls, the majority of whom were between the ages of 6 and 16 with 75 of the children under age five.

“BOSCO is one of the single largest organizations in the country that has rescued such a large number of children from the streets,” says Father P.S. George, executive director of BOSCO in a recent Matters India article. “Their favorite destination is Bengaluru since the majority of youth revealed during the counseling session that they had come to the city to find a job, and others who said that they had come as they were attracted to the charm of the city.”

Salesian missionaries in the country focus their work on education and social development programs for poor youth and their families. Programs include Child Rights Clubs and others that educate youth about their rights and the services and protections available to them as well as those that focus attention on the plight of runaway and homeless youth.

Once youth are identified by BOSCO and convinced to come in off the street, they are provided with basic needs such as housing, food and clothing. In addition, they receive counseling and, if appropriate, are reunited back with their families. Education is also a primary component of BOSCO and is provided to those in the rehabilitation program while those who are returned to their families have access to Salesian schools throughout India. Youth who continue their education are more likely to find and retain stable employment later in life and break the cycle of poverty.

India is home to 25 percent of the world’s poor and more than 30 percent of the country’s population lives in poverty, according to the World Bank. With the largest number of child laborers in the world, India has made significant progress the past eight years reducing the number of out-of-school children from 25 million to 8 million. However, an estimated 11 million children live on the streets facing the daily horrors of rampant exploitation, forced labor, widespread substance abuse and physical violence. Many poor youth see little opportunity or hope for a better life.

Many children living on the streets are runaways who have left home in search of work or to escape violence or other family difficulties. According to Unicef, more than 40,000 children are reported missing every year in India. Of these, close to 11,000 remain untraced. As many cases go unreported, it is suspected that the actual number of missing children is much higher. Many runaways come to major cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Bengaluru (formerly Bangalore) in search of work and a better life with the majority of them living on the streets and on the country’s railway platforms where they beg, steal or perform menial jobs to survive. All too often, they fall victim to child traffickers.

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Sources

UNICEF – State of the World’s Children 2012

Matters India – Salesian NGO rescued thousands of runaway children in 2014

World Bank – India

Bangalore Oniyavara Seva Coota

The post INDIA: Salesian Volunteer Program Rescued 6,400 Runaway Youth in 2014 first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Due to the high number of homeless youth in the country, Salesian programs in India have been created to provide safe shelter, rehabilitation services and educational opportunities to those living on the streets.

In May, Salesian missionaries began two summer camps for street children in the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad, located in the Indian state of Telangana in central India. More than 100 youth from the Don Bosco Navajeevans Rehabilitation Center and the Salesian-run Daughters of Mary Help of Christians and the Sisters of Charity of Jesus centers participated in the two camps.

The camps ran from morning to mid-afternoon and focused on English language courses and social activities including music, dancing, football, basketball and volleyball. The camps provide recreation for street youth as well as teach important life lessons in collaboration, teamwork and working towards a common goal.

“The Salesians in India are working hard to rehabilitate street children and restore their childhoods,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Many take for granted things like having a safe place to sleep, enough food to eat and access to medical care. The Salesians recognize how critical it is to meet these basic needs before youth can focus on education.”

Salesians in India also work with the government and child protection system on training, advocacy and outreach program development to help reduce the number of street children and provide a safety net of resources for finding, identifying and rehabilitating youth currently living on the streets.

In April, BOSCO, a Salesian-run program that has been working with at-risk youth in Bangalore since 1980, held a training session for the city’s railway authority and police personnel to alert them to the risks faced by youth who arrive at the city railway stations and train them in how to safeguard the rights of these youth. The training was supported by the Department of Women and Child Development, the government of Karnataka and South Western Railways, Bangalore Division. More than 35 people took part in the day-long session.

Participants of the training learned about a week-long survey and rescue operation held in March by BOSCO staff in collaboration with the Department of Women and Child Development. This event helped rescue 202 children at the city railway station within a week’s time. Over the last 18 years, BOSCO has rescued and rehabilitated more than 50,000 youth at the city railway station.

“The children who come into our hands are safe,” says Father George PS, executive director of BOSCO. “The majority of youth we are not able to reach fall into the hands of the brokers and middle men who hand them over to the hotels as cheap labor or abuse and exploit them. If these children are not protected, there is a higher chance they will turn to criminal activity themselves.”

In meetings following the training, the National Commission for the Protection of the Rights of Children together with local Salesians developed the “Recommendations for the Protection of Children in Railway Stations.” These recommendations lay the ground work for future training and best practices for helping the city’s street youth population. The document highlights the need for separate services for boys and girls and for the continued education of at-risk youth on the dangers of living on the streets. The recommendations also call for police to adopt a more reassuring approach when encountering street children at the railways platforms and for better collaboration between all who are working for the protection of children.

“Salesians are making steady progress in fighting for children’s rights in India, but there is so much more to be done. As long as children face unspeakable hardships, Salesians will be there to offer shelter, education and other supports in the hopes of providing a brighter future,” adds Fr. Hyde.

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Sources:

ANS – India – Training for Street Children

ANS – India – Camps for Street Children

World Bank – India

The post INDIA: Salesians Provide Protection and Rehabilitation for Street Youth first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The goal of CREAM is to encourage and enhance youth participation in the development process of promoting children’s rights and ensuring their care and protection. The project will include the formation of more than 450 child rights clubs and the training of 900 teachers and 22,500 children in Human Rights Education. It will also impart children’s rights awareness to about 75,000 children within a three-year period.

“Youth in every region and in every culture around the globe are entitled to basic human rights,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Through educational programming, the Salesians fight tirelessly each day to make sure the voices of marginalized youth are heard and accounted for. This program will help to enhance this work and make sure every child knows his or her human rights and is able to become a part of the development process.”

The CREAM project’s inaugural event began with an address by Sashikala Shetty, director of the Integrated Child Protection Scheme of the Government of Karnataka. She emphasized that every child by virtue of his or her birth has the right to survival, protection, development and participation, and noted that unless children are educated about their rights they will not be able to affirm those rights.

Following Mrs. Shetty’s address, Father Thomas Anchukandam, Salesian Provincial of Bangalore, spoke of the Salesians in India actively participating in the protection of children’s rights through the Young at Risk Forum and other Salesian programs and educational initiatives.

Father Joy Nedumparambil, executive director of the Bangalore Rural Educational and Development Society (BREADS), gave the keynote address and explained in detail the objectives of the project. CREAM is an initiative of BREADS and will cover 10 districts of Karnataka, namely, Bangalore, Ramnagara, Mysore, Bidar, Gulbarga, Yadgir, Chitradurga, Yadgir, Bellary, Raichur and Davangere. Other dignitaries were also on hand to celebrate the event.

The Salesians have been active for many years fighting for the rights of youth in India. For the past 22 years, the Salesians in Bangalore have focused on the rights of abandoned youth on city”s dangerous streets. With the help of many lay volunteers, the Salesian-run organization, Bangalore Oniyavra Seva Coota — locally known simply as “Bosco” — takes thousands of youth off the streets and offers them the chance of a better future.

The “Bosco” project began in 1980, when a group of Salesian students from Kristu Jyoti College in Bangalore decided to get personally involved with the abandoned children and youth in the city. They soon discovered the harsh reality experienced by the thousands of minors fighting for survival on the streets of Bangalore and started a weekly outreach project.

Today, Bosco has eight Salesian-run centers for youth, almost all in Bangalore, as well as six others in places of greatest risk. More than 100 Salesians and volunteers are involved in the centers and about 6,000 youth are rescued from the streets every year.

Learn more about Salesian Missions Programs in India >

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PHOTO: Neill Holland / Salesian Missions

Sources:

ANS – Bosco Project: giving life in all its fullness

Salesian of Don Bosco – Bangalore

Salesian Missions – India

The post INDIA: New Salesian Initiative to Provide Human Rights Education to Tens of Thousands of Youth first appeared on MissionNewswire.