(ANS – Bangalore) – For the past 22 years working for the rights of children abandoned on Bangalore's dangerous streets “Bangalore Oniyavra Seva Coota”, or simply “Bosco” has been active. Run by Salesians with the help of many lay volunteers, every year it takes thousands of children and youngsters off the streets and offers them a future.

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

Over the years the weekly  programme grew and became a daily one dealing with minors through study, recreational activities outings … In 1985  Bosco obtained its first premises and was able to provide a safe refuge for abandoned youngsters.

Fr George Payyamthadathil is the current Director of Bosco. “It's about following the Lord's command to leave the 99 and go after the lost one," he explained in Brisbane during his recent trip to Australia to raise awareness of BOSCO. “"We want to give these children dignity," he added. "Our motto is to give life in all its fullness as spoken of in the Gospel."

There are so many needy minors. According to Fr Payyamthadathil about one in 4 in India don’t go to school  and “"About 50,000 children live and work on the streets of this city alone," he said. "They beg, they rag pick, they are victims of substance abuse, they are abandoned or orphaned children, many are runaways. "It is the girl children who face the most difficult situations. Often they are not wanted by their parents who almost always want male children.” They are sometimes abused or forced into prostitution. 

BOSCO volunteers head to locations such as railway and bus stations, marketplaces, anywhere where crowds gather, to seek out the "lost ones". "These are our contact points," he said. "We have six such places in Bangalore. "At each place three to four staff members take turns to monitor these locations 24 hours a day, seven days a week."

Rehabilitation work is far from easy. Doctors, teachers and nurses are also involved in working with these damaged children. "The children's street backgrounds lead to suicides, fighting and killing in these rehabilitation centres," Fr George said. It's the success stories that help to keep him going. Camleti Manjunath, who arrived at one of the centres when he was about six years old, is one of those success stories. He was with his mentally ill mother and had been begging on the streets. Now he's a state-level cricketer and has recently been to Germany to complete business studies.

At present “Bosco” has 8 centres for minors almost all in Bangalore, as well as 6 others in places of greatest risk. Over 100 Salesians and helpers are involved and about 6000 the number of minors rescued from the streets every year.

Published 30/03/2012