by Clerics Christopher Nadar & Rohan D'Souza for BISMumbai

The month of August has seen the easing and opening of businesses. Many have got back into earning an income. Yet many are still at home without a job or any form of income. It is to these that Don Bosco Nerul, continues to reach out to those in dire need. It is a challenge to sift out those that are not in need yet want to hoard or sell off the ration kits to the grocery stores.

Families situated in Karave Gaon, Belapur, Panvel, Kharghar, Turbhe and Seawoods are being reached out to. Besides these needy families, a couple of other needy groups were an Orphanage in Seawoods, where after regularly giving them food essentials, the clerics from Don Bosco Nerul have been conducting interactive songs, games and other activities for the orphan children. Another needy group, ‘Divyang Samajik Sanstha’ comprising more than 125 handicap people who have been totally dependent during the lockdown period and in need of constant support have also been helped. Collaborative ventures with them to find workable career options, training, using or making their identity documents to procure government schemes are in progress, apart from providing them with ration during the lockdown and are looking forward to reach out to them to make them self-reliant.

The move is to now shift from food relief to helping the needy obtain a skill to make them job ready. Some of the mothers of the Oratory children went to ‘D-mart’ and ‘Reliance Fresh’ for jobs, they were asked for a Class X certificate. Since none of them had completed their schooling, they took up the challenge and now 17 young ladies between 19-45yrs have enrolled and are taking online coaching classes to appear at the end of this scholastic year for their SSC through the National Institute of Open Schooling [NIOS] system. They are having additional life skill and spoken English coaching besides their regular online tuitions. Those that wanted to enroll but did not know to read well are being prepared for the next batch.

Don Bosco Nerul is now searching means of helping poor families become self-reliant, encouraging entrepreneurial activities, ‘Learn to Earn’ pick up skills from other vendors, etc. This is a time of transiting from giving food relief to training and seeking jobs for these needy.