Kolkata – A group of alumni and their families in Bengal gathered at their alma mater to launch golden jubilee of the founding of their association with a series social initiatives, at Liluah in Howrah district, August 16, 201st birth anniversary of Don Bosco.
Besides Salesian provincial of Kolkata and a host of past and present teachers, Bishop Vincent Aind of Bagdogra was a guest of honour.
“This Inaugural celebration of the golden jubilee of the foundation of the Don Bosco Past Pupils is to launch year-long programs that will benefit the society,” says Don Bosco Liluah alumni association president Mr Rajiv Tikmany who had earlier served as National President of the Don Bosco Past Pupils Association.
The Don Bosco School Liluah (DBL) established in 1938 started its alumni association in 1967 has a record of launching several socially relevant projects over the years.
In 1976 the DBL alumni started a free Night School Project for the education of the under privileged children of the locality using the same class rooms of the day school and providing the same facilities of sports and cultural activities. Today it has over 500 students studying up to class 8.
The literacy program reached out to illiterate girls with a project launched in 1991 – Adult Education Project (AEP) where girls of the locality who did not go to school could learn to read and write as well as get skill training in tailoring, beautician course, and housekeeping.
The golden jubilee celebrations started with a token gift of Rs.50,000 given to the Rector of the school as well as gifting sewing machines to four girls.
The DBL Alumni unit set a new trend in 2007 by providing Free Medical facility for the poor every Sunday in the school premises.
“Our ambitious plan to mark the golden jubilee is to set up a school by joining hands with ‘KG to PG Project’ Kolkata Salesian provincial has launched,” says Tikmani all enthusiastic about raising funds from each volunteer alumni at least Rs. 3 lakhs per classroom.
Provincial Fr Nirmol Gomes launched “KG to PG Project” to provide possibility of primary to post graduate education from exiting Don Bosco Institutions in rural areas in partnership with the alumni.
Speaking to Matters India Fr Gomes told, “So far we have been providing basic education in the districts, now it is time also to provide higher education facility like college. And we are grateful that our past pupils as socially conscious citizens have come forward to help in providing this possibility to less privileged youth.”
Fr. Provincial has two places in mind – at Krishnagar where there is a high school and urgently need a college, and in Sonada in Darjeeling where there is a College since 1938, and a school is urgently needed.
Provincial is hopeful that Alumni Associations in other Don Bosco schools in the districts at Krishnagar, Park Circus, Bandel, Siliguri and Azimganj will join hands and support his “KG to PG Project.”