by Cleric Rohan D'Souza for BISMumbai

‘Run, Jump, Play but do not Sin,’ the words of Don Bosco have resonated in every activity Don Bosco Nerul conducts for children.

Due to the pandemic, children have not only been deprived of their education, work, and sport activities, but also from all their friendship and relational contacts. Suddenly parents had to manage their children at home 24x7, even while carrying out their children’s school commitments. This situation had relevant repercussions on daily life of families, especially of children who were deprived of their socialization and play spaces.

With the easing of the lockdown and safety protocols in place, Don Bosco Nerul organized the Savio and Vicuna club for the Catholic students of grade 5 to grade 8 during the Diwali vacation. The purpose of the camp was to bring the children close into the Salesian method of being 'Good Christians and Honest Citizens' while also seeking prospective vocations.

Each day began with a prayer, followed by different activities. The teams were named after iconic Salesian models of holiness - Michael Rua, John Cagliero, Michael Magone and Laura Vicuna. Along with games, competitions like poetry writing, drawing, painting, and other similar events were conducted. A treasure hunt was animated by the volunteers which was well received by the children. The final day was on the theme ‘Be a light for others’, in keeping with the season of Diwali and the upcoming Children’s Day. A quiz competition was conducted, each round filled with interesting questions based on the team saints. After every round each team put up an item centred on the theme. It was a beautiful experience for all. There were also career discussions and each day had a specific story on the lives of saints, sing-song sessions, etc.

Every weekend follow-up activities for this group, in order to find and germinate the seeds of a vocation, has been scheduled.