Our Projects
Child Care Institution (CCI)
The CCI looks after the needs of children in need of care and protection (CNCP). They are provided basic education in institutions around MBBS, a caring environment in the home and nutritious and healthy meals. The boys also get training in music, sports and other aspects of life. They get opportunities and are encouraged to participate in sports and cultural activities to round out their personalities.
Those who want to take the opportunity are given internships and jobs where they can earn and save some money of their own.
Haran Shikaris
In Karnataka, the Haran Shikaris tribal community is referred to by different names like Haran Shikaris and Pardhi. Their traditional occupation was hunting in the forest, collecting stone slabs which they often sell to builders and also sharpening knives. In Dharwad, Haran Shikaris are located at Siddeshwar Nagar, Ward Number-19. They are now involved in different occupations like agricultural labour and construction work. They also earn money by sharpening knives and other iron implements. There are a total of 48 households.
Street Vendors
We are actively working to support the livelihoods of street vendors, particularly focusing on 250 families engaged in selling artificial ornaments. These families rely on daily earnings from their small businesses, and we aim to enhance their economic stability through various initiatives.
One of our key interventions has been the formation of five Self-Help Groups (SHGs) among the vendors. The response from these groups has been very positive, as the members have shown great enthusiasm and commitment. Through these SHGs, we are promoting financial literacy, savings, and access to small loans that help vendors expand their businesses and manage financial emergencies more effectively.
In addition to supporting their businesses, we are also prioritizing the education of their children. Many of the children from these families are now attending school regularly. To ensure their academic progress, we are providing support through tuition centres. These centres help bridge learning gaps and provide additional guidance, enabling the children to perform better in their studies.
Our ongoing efforts aim to uplift the street vendor community, ensuring better financial security, educational opportunities for their children, and overall improvement in their quality of life. We continue to work closely with them, addressing their challenges and helping them achieve sustainable growth.
Rag Pickers
In Dharwad approximately 20 families from Andhra Pradesh rely on rag-picking for their livelihood. Recognizing the need for social and economic upliftment, we initiated efforts to support the community, particularly focusing on women’s empowerment and children’s education.
To promote financial stability and self-reliance among women in the rag-picking community, we successfully formed Self-Help Groups (SHGs) comprising 10 women in each group. The SHG aims to provide financial assistance, skill training, and encourage savings among the members to improve their economic conditions.
A significant challenge in the community was ensuring that children received proper education. Due to their families’ dependence on rag-picking, many children were not attending school regularly. Through continuous motivation, counselling sessions, and community engagement, we successfully enrolled 16 children in school. Ensuring regular attendance was another crucial aspect. Out of the 16 children enrolled, 13 children are attending school consistently. We are closely monitoring their progress and working with parents to maintain their regularity.
Brick Kiln Workers
In the brick kiln sector, we are actively working to support migrant families who come to Lakkamanhalli and Anjaneyanagar in Dharwad for their livelihood. These families primarily migrate from different parts of Karnataka, including Aland, Afzalpur, and Kalaburagi talukas of Kalaburagi district, as well as from outside the state. They engage in hard labour at brick kilns, facing numerous challenges related to wages, living conditions, education for their children, and access to healthcare.
Currently, we are working at 20 brick kiln sites, with a major focus on Lakkamanhalli and Anjaneyanagar. Our interventions involve regular visits to the brick kiln owners and interactions with individual workers to understand their struggles and provide necessary support.
One of our key priorities is ensuring that the children of these migrant families do not miss out on education. Due to frequent migration, many of these children face disruptions in their schooling. To address this, we are engaging them in various educational activities, including study centres and tuition support, to help them continue learning despite their challenging circumstances.
Beyond education, we are also focused on raising awareness among these families about essential health and social issues. Many of them lack proper healthcare access and knowledge about preventive measures for diseases. Through awareness programs, we educate them about hygiene, nutrition, maternal and child health, and the importance of availing government healthcare services.
By continuously working with these families, we aim to improve their overall living conditions, provide better opportunities for their children, and advocate for their rights as migrant workers. Our efforts ensure that they receive the necessary support for a more stable and dignified life.
Migrants
There is a huge number of migrant workers in Goa. They come from Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Chattisgarh, Bihar, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Karnataka, the North East and so on.
The migrant cell aims to help migrants in various ways: trying to link source and destination states, helping with documentation, helping in situations where there are disputes with employers, conducting health camps, conducting awareness programmes and help in case a body needs to be transported back to the native state.
Initial studies at various sites have shown that the migrant population is huge. And a lot of them face problems with not being paid proper wages, not being paid at all and so on.
We are currently studying the communities in various areas to see what their needs are and how we can help them.
Support Education Classes
National Young at Risk (YaR)
The Young at Risk programme is a Don Bosco initiative that is followed all over India where we have our institutions. The purpose of YaR is to create awareness about children and young people and to create environments where children and youth feel comfortable, safe and protected.
As part of the YaR initiative, we create awareness among the youth on the importance of good mental health and the dangers and consequences of drug addiction. This is done by giving awareness sessions in schools to the students in senior classes.
