By Matters India Reporter

Guwahati, Nov. 10, 2018: The Guwahati province of the Salesian Sisters of Don Bosco on November 10 opened a new center to coordinate their efforts to check social evils such as human trafficking in northeastern India.

Archbishop John Moolachira of Guwahati blessed the center, the Auxilium Reach Out.

Salesian provincial Sister Alphonsa Kurisinkal, who opened the new office of the province’s social action office, said it would help their social work activities in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Nagaland.

A large crowd comprising religious, laity, social workers and beneficiaries from the four states attended the inauguration.

The Auxilium Reach Out has been active in the region for the past 15 years empowering tribal and non-tribal women, youth and children through various development programs. They also attend to street children, HIV affected and infected children and women through Ashalaya and Snehabhavan in Guwahati and Imphal.

In 2016, it launched a drive to eliminate human traffic trafficking in 30 villages. The center’s well planned activities aim to make these villages free of the social menace by 2020

Sister Kurisinkal said the new center will be used for residential training programs, skill training of the school dropout youth, providing low cost accommodation to marginalized women and young girls who come from interior villages to Guwahati in search of jobs and for higher education.

Guwahati, the commercial capital of Assam, is the nerve center of all seven states in northeastern India.

The center can accommodate around 100 people for its various courses and programs.

Salesian Sister Annie Enchenatil has directed the center for the past 10 years. She is veteran social worker who has spent several years in remote and interior areas on the region.