Mane

Vid took me to Bosco Mane........now Vid used to take classes on "Life Skills" as part of Dream a dream foundation's initiatives....

I promised her that I wudnt disrupt her class...if she took me along....actually..I dont think I have ever disrupted a class in my entire lifetime....simply coz I was always a big boring studious student :)

Vid was to conduct the class for the ten children studying in class 10.........n I was all too happy to get back to a classroom...

Buddhivantha effects

My 1st n last Kannada movie in a theatre till date has been the "REAL STAR" starrer Upendra's Buddhivantha....which was a total paisa vasool experience....I can pretty much manage the dialogues of this movie...n when I heard Raghavendra n Narendra start off with the Howdu Judgeeamma Nanavanalla dialogue....I made the mistake of telling them the Pushuk antha love bandhanthe dialogue :)

To those of u who have not watched this movie...n r seeing stars....the hero plays a conman n is accused of cheating gals....n thats when the hero defends his statements in court...telling the female judge ...that It wasnt me....

The Love wallah dialogue is actually cute....The English translation is as follows:

There was this guy who was riding a bike on a single wheel...n this gal .....like it happens in telugu n hindi movies...fell in love with the guy....

Buddhivantha apart....let me now take u back to Bosco Mane.....

Vid's topic for the day was "Goal Setting"

Age: 10-14 years

D' Souza was working in a hotel in Mangalore as a "Room Boy"....He has no family.....did not go to school...was earning to survive.....

Ganesh was working as a cleaner in a Darshini....again did not go to school...had to support himself....

The other boys were either employed in cracker factories or in railway stations....n had very little chance to study....

The only thought that came to my mind was that....these boys were all real people....who had no other choice but to earn to survive....forget about studies....they were people who had begun their lives struggling...sometimes without a roof over their heads....or otherwise....not knowing where their next meal would come from....

Age: 14 to 18 years

Most of them are in Bosco....n want to study hard....Suresh wants to work as well as study...so that he can start saving now for all the courses he has in mind....

Age: 20-25 years

D'Souza told us that he sees himself working.....but he seemed rather laid back when compared to the other children who told us inspiring stuff....made me wonder if D'Souza was just telling himself....that ...there is no use dreaming that I will be that...or I will be this....I will take life as it comes.....

Sunil wanted to open an office.....

Narendra wanted to be a software engineer...

Ganesh wanted to be in the Army....

Another boy wanted to join the police force.....

Kumar wanted to be a swimming coach....

But 1 thing they all wanted to do in common....was to give back to Bosco what Bosco had given them....

Bosco's Service

Vid took me around and explained the work that Bosco was involved in.....Bosco rescues children from the streets and sets up rehabilitation centers for them.....I am told they have booths in Magadi Road...in Majestic Railway Station and Bus Stand.....

After the children are rescued ....their roots are traced.....if they have families....they are united back....n if their family is ok with Bosco supporting the kid's education.....then the kids stay in Bosco Mane...attend school....n are supported till they earn a livelihood.....

If the parents are not supportive....the children are handed over back to the parents....

I was way too impressed with the approach that Bosco had ...coz I saw a difference in the attitudes of the boys I had interacted with....Bosco gave the children plenty of avenues other than studies...so u had Kumar...a swimming champ....or Sunil...an artist.....n all of them were people who looked determined to make the most of the present...

I will end this write-up with what the head of Bosco...told me...when Vid asked him if she could take me around the school....He said something like this..." You know these days...there are lots of young people ...who are tired sitting in front of their computers day in and day out...working...n want to make a difference....So they come to our schools...n try to help out.."....

I looked at him n smiled....that sounded way too familiar:)