Being a group that aims towards making a difference, we, the volunteers of CSA spent some quality time with the kids at Bosco Mane, Chamrajpet, on Saturday, the 28th of July.
Bosco (Bangalore Oniyavara Seva Coota) is an NGO which has been working with the ‘Young at Risk’ in Bangalore city since 1980. It rescues and rehabilitates abandoned and orphaned children living on streets or working as labourers and those victimized to drug or child abuse and beggary. BOSCO provides the kids a quality environment where they are educated, and employed later on. It believes that every child has the right to shine like a diamond and to live life in all its fullness. Today, BOSCO has seven rehabilitation centres and six street presence locations in Bangalore.
Bosco Mane has around 50 boys who have been rescued from various work places and streets. We engaged in different games with the boys. After having being nauseated and giddied by my little adventure in the merry-go-round, and jogging around the ground determined to land a good-football-kick (though unaware of the rules and details), and finally realizing that I could not find anything to suit myself amongst the various games that were going on, I resorted to the swing. The kids outran me every single time. It was fun to play and be with the kids. Though language created a wedge between us, our spirits overrode it.
The heaven too seemed happy seeing our happiness that it started drizzling. However, it did not dampen our spirits; we resorted to the shelter of the verandah and played Passing the Ball and danced to Banana Shake, rediscovering the child within us.
On the way back to college, I could not take my mind off the kids. We had seen a parallel world which always existed without us being aware of it. Though we were returning to our world of comforts, we had lifted up those kids’ innocent hearts. As to the volunteers, the exposure seemed to be about achieving mental satisfaction and responding to our inner voices. Bosco Mane gave us proof that we are not fighting for a lost cause. When there is a will, there is a way—Bosco Mane proves so.
–Anupama John, I EPS
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