25 January 2020 was a day of celebrations and joy for the Don Bosco School Bablad at Kalaburagi. The day marked the blessing and inauguration of the newly constructed school building, feast of St. John Bosco and the fourth school annual day celebration. The newly constructed building was blessed by the most Rev. Robert Miranda- Bishop of Kalaburagi and inaugurated by Fr. Joyce Thonikuzhiyil, SDB, Provincial- Salesian Province of Bangalore. The presence of Ms. Ursula Fischer- Project Manager, Don Bosco Mission Bonne, Germany, was an immense pleasure and a gesture of their continued support to BREADS. The other dignitaries who graced the occasion included Fr. Jose Koyickal- Vice Provincial, Fr. Payyamthadathil George- Economer, Fr. Joy Nedumparambil- Executive Director- BREADS, Fr. Pulinilkumkalayil Jaimon- Principal, Don Bosco School Bablad, Fr. Saji Anachalil- Director DB PYaR, Kalaburagi and Ms. Stella Varghese- KAS.
The Don Bosco Society began its activities for the marginalised, depressed and vulnerable children in Kalaburagi district because of the miserable status of children. Since then, through its advocacy, grassroot interventions and dialogues with the district and state governments, it has contributed to the community’s development and the upliftment of the children, women and youth. In continuation of the work for the poor and the marginalised and to extend the services to more deserving children, Don Bosco Society opened its second residential rehabilitation centre for the young at risk on 8 December 2013 at Bablad village (6 km from the Kalaburagi city bus stand), with the sole objective of providing quality education to the child labourers, school dropouts and other vulnerable children from the district. Further, an English medium school was started at Bablad on 1 June, 2016 to combat the issues of child exploitation, school dropouts, child labour, child marriage etc., through quality education and community awareness. At present, the school offers special remedial education to 60 school dropouts and child labourers and preschool education to 88 children. The newly-constructed school building will thus surely take forward the battle between education and child rights violations to end the miserable conditions of children from the district. On the occasion of the blessing, the most Rev. Fr. Robert Miranda appreciated Don Bosco for the enormous services, efforts and development works being carried out in the district for the upliftment of the most downtrodden, especially the children. He promised his continuous support to carry forward the mission of Don Bosco towards the unreached. The celebrations were brightened by the cultural extravaganza of the students titled- ‘The Touch’. Children performed various cultural programmes and events as part of the fourth school annual day.
