The Salesian work arose with the inspiration of the Spirit to mitigate the misery of the youth. Today, as we celebrate the Golden Jubilee of our province, we can gladly say that the Salesians of the Province of Bombay have continued the same work guided by that same Spirit. The Spirit has prompted us to form communities and be of service to the people who really need us, especially those in far flung villages and the tribal communities. In this regard, the Salesians of the Province of Bombay have done commendable work reaching out to mission areas in the Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and the Central Maharashtra regions.
The Salesian Ministry has blossomed with its various initiatives of camps, music ministry, schools, technicals, sports activities, training sessions, village development, media ministry, counselling services, oratories, Youth at Risk (YaR) works, social works, parishes and also digital ministry which are responses to the cries of the needy. These ministries have evolved with a history and are being continued with charismatic leaders. The danger here is to think of these ministries are isolated in themselves; having an ecosystem of their own and thus losing the main intention of guiding the youngsters to grow holistically. This growth would only happen through means that the young are able to relate with, eventually leading them to come closer to God.
Time and again, we are reminded to work for the poorest of the poor and the marginalised. Our province has reached out, making much effort, and yet there is a need for greater expansion of our works and services to people in those areas where daily living is still a struggle. Various programs on outreach, sports, music, skill building are good as a starting point for urban youth (which is happening in our province) and at the same time much more thinking and effort is needed to address the issues of employment and sustainable livelihood especially for the youth in rural areas.
The recent opening in Nandurbar is indeed a fantastic initiative: a resolve that affirms we are continuing to work for the poorest of the poor. Some villages in this region still do not have access to electric supply, good education, proper health and sanitation. The youth in Gadchiroli district also share the same plight. Most of them, without having completed their education, move from farm to farm and have seasonal employment. There is a slight reluctance to move away from their homes for employment and also there are very few opportunities to do so. The presence of Don Bosco is really needed here - not just in terms of social service to develop the community and the village, but to help the youth grow holistically and lead a more meaningful life. It is here that we need to open the minds of the youth, give them an exposure to the larger world, help them realize their own strengths, provide facilities and show them a way to come up in life.
The Salesians are thus called to be God sent angels who can live with them and accompany them to a bright future. This also calls for tough Salesians who can live without many of the facilities that we take for granted. Having no proper mobile network can be a small example in this regard. Also, it takes considerable time for change to occur and so, we need to have patience. Thus, we need determined, diligent and persistent Salesians who can seek creative ways to reach the minds of the youth in such places which will inspire them to change. This can be done with God’s grace, the generosity of benefactors and with prayerful and courageous Salesians ready to work in such situations.
As we celebrate the Golden Jubilee of our province, we need to remind ourselves that we should continue to work together, network with each other, share resources and the talents that each one is blessed with. This spirit of collaboration and working in solidarity is the direction that the Province needs to move in, in order to be true to our calling to work among the poorest and the most marginalised.
