By BIS Correspondent for BIS Mumbai

 Mumbai, October 18, 2026: About 130 girls and women attended a Garba celebration at Shelter Don Bosco, Wadala, on Sunday evening. Shelter Don Bosco organized the event in collaboration with the Suraksha Migrant Desk (SMD), Matunga, and Sahyani Social Development Society, Wadala.

 The participants came from underprivileged backgrounds, from migrant families and from social outreach projects in the area. For many of them, the evening was a chance to set aside work and household duties for a few hours and join in a festival celebration close to home.

 The organizers opened the evening with a moment of prayer and a short explanation of the religious and cultural significance of the festival.

 Before the dancing began, Sister Vandana FMA of Mazzarello Youth Centre, a member of the organizing team, spoke on the safeguarding and protection of women. Sister Vandana belongs to the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians (FMA), known as the Salesian Sisters. She explained the redressal systems available to women who face abuse or harassment and encouraged them to approach institutions such as Don Bosco and Sahyani for support when they need it.

 The participants were informed that redressal systems in India include the national emergency number 112, protection officers appointed under the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005, and the Local Committees set up in every district under the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act, 2013. These committees hear complaints from women in informal work, including domestic workers. Sr Vandana also assured the participants that help could always be sought from at Shelter Don Bosco as well as Sahayani Social Development Society.

 Staff members of Suraksha Migrant Desk were also present to register women for e-Shram and Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA) cards; especially those women involved in the unorganized labour sector. The staff also advised women engaged in domestic and construction work on the government schemes available to them.

 The girls and women then formed Garba circles and danced through the rest of the evening. The organizers gave out spot prizes during the dance. The evening also included Dandiya, a related Navratri dance in which partners strike pairs of decorated sticks in rhythm.

 The organizers said the evening gave the participants a chance to relax, enjoy themselves and celebrate a familiar tradition together. It also showed them that the Salesian Fathers and Sisters are ever ready to defend the rights of women and to support their safety and protection.