Bosco Seva Kendra

Bosco Seva Kendra (BSK) is the Development office of the Salesian Province of St. Joseph, Hyderabad (INH). BSK is a non-profit, non-political, and non-religious body registered under the Andhra Pradesh (Telangana Areas) Public Societies Registration Act, 1350 Fasli (Act 1 of 1350F) and is committed to the integral and holistic development of people and is rooted in the charism of Don Bosco in the church and society. It is situated in Kismatpur on Himayatsagar Road in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India.

Salesians of Don Bosco commenced their services in Andhra Pradesh in 1964 at Guntur with a technical school and press entrusted to them by the diocese of Guntur. Today it has 30 institutions rendering our service throughout Andhra Pradesh.

History

Bosco Seva Kendra was launched by the Province of St.Joseph, Hyderabad, soon establishment after its erection in 1992 and officially registered on February 11th, 1993.

BSK with its motto “TOUCHING LIVES FOR BETTER FUTURE” intends to work with professional competence and collaborate with public and private donor agencies, trusts and foundations, to provide logistic and professional support to the various initiatives of Don Bosco Institutions and offices in Andhra Pradesh.

For the past 13 years BSK has implemented several developmental programmes towards the benefit of the most disadvantaged children and youth through the different Salesian communities. BSK also organizes women and has various programmes for their development and empowerment to build a better life for themselves and for their families. BSK thus hopes to contribute towards change.

Vision

The Province envisions Bosco Seva Kendra as a developmental organization that will contribute towards the emancipation and empowerment of the rural poor of Andhra Pradesh by assisting them with the formation of sustainable, needs-based, participative projects with effective implementation, monitoring and evaluation based on christian principles.

Mission

BSK hopes to achieve its vision by guiding communities to formulate sustainable, needs-based and participative projects and to act as liaison between funding agencies and communities.

Activities

  • Community-based development programmes for poverty eradication, long-term sustainable development, skills training and empowerment of women and communities
  • Regular school enrollment of all children, giving priority to continuing education, re-enrollment of dropouts, and non-formal education for working children
  • Eradication of bonded and child labour
  • Rehabilitation of street and working children, as well as dropouts
  • Vocational training for children and youth
  • Career guidance and job placement services
  • Camps and training programmes for children, youth, social workers and staff
  • Health care programmes for women and children
  • Lobbying and liaison with departments and governments
  • Formation and organization of self help groups for women
  • Micro credit financing
  • Free legal aid
  • Raising awareness through street theatre, puppetry and folk arts
  • Networking with other NGO's
  • NGO's training

Ongoing and Completed Programmes

  • Making clean water and sanitation available to the poor tsunami victims living in 12 villages of the Prakasam District, Andhra Pradesh, with assistance from Bonn, Germany
  • Creating a tsunami education programme (Starting of Anuragam Bridge Badi in 40 villages of Nellore, Prakasam, Krishna and East Godavari Districts) with the participation of Salesian Missions and Jugend Dritte Welt Dritte Welt, 1, Bonn, Germany.
  • Medical camps in East Godavari District, medical insurance programme at Kothapatnam, and Vetapalam mandals of Prakasam district
  • Career guidance and job placement cells (DHISHA) at Hyderabad and Vijayawada through MISEREOR, Germany
  • PROGRAMME PROJECT with the support of DMOS-COMIDE, Belgium, an international agency, to reach out to 5 community based organizations, 5 technical institutions and 3 career guidance and job-placement centers

Development Commission

The Development Commission consists of the following members:

  • Fr. Noel Maddhichetty, President (Provincial)
  • Fr. Bellamkonda Sudhakar, Commission Delegate, Executive Director, Secretary
  • Fr. Thekkekara Antony, Member
  • Fr. Thomas Pallithanam, Member
  • Fr. Salibindla Bala Showry, Member
  • Fr. T.V.Thomas, Member
  • Fr. M.S.Michael, Member
Further reading