SAMARVANI, SILVASSA BETHESDA BOYS HOME, GUJARAT
Silvassa is a growing town in Western India, located close to the Daman Ganga River. It was primarily a tribal area, which has in the last decade progressed to being an industrial hub. It has a floating population of about 200,000 people due to its commercial nature. The socio-economic condition of tribal have worsened in last few years due to rather exploitative forest policies of the Government leading to deforestation, and non-development of the tribal pockets. Health care in silvassa is a main concern.
Gujarat as a state has been wrought with communal tension in the past. Moreover, child labour is prevalent in the diamond industry in Gujarat. Apart from this industry, child labourers are found engaged right from tea stalls to hazardous industries like crackers manufacturing units, agate industries, among others. Though government claims to have opened one school per village in Gujarat, thousands of children belonging to migrating communities, fishing communities and salt pan workers are out of mainstream education due to lack of access to schools. These children are potential child labourers and are vulnerable to exploitation and at times to sexual abuse.
The house parents of the home in Silvassa are Pastor Santos Thomas and Lata, who moved from Kerala in the south to Silvassa in the North of India to serve God. They have two children. A lot of boys were being abandoned by their families, who were unable to look after them. Responding to the need Pastor Santosh and Lata welcomed these boys and the Home came into being.
This home provides shelter for 15 boys from ages 8-15 years old, who have been rescued from destitute situations. As well as receiving food, clothing, schooling and loving care the boys are engaged in a Foundations for Life training program. Over a period of three years this provides the boys with skills usually gained in a home environment including hygiene and toileting, eating and manners, responding to care, communication and social skills, self esteem, regular sleeping patterns and overcoming violent and aggressive behaviour. The home in Silvassa consists of a bedroom with bunk beds, a dining area cum study hall, kitchen and 2 bathrooms. The boys attend a government school which is the local language gujarati. Due to the lack of space in the home they play a lot of indoor games. Once a week they are taken to a park a couple of miles away where they like to play cricket, football etc. They love music and some of the boys play the local instruments of the state. They all have different dreams on what they want to become. It varies from being a bus driver, engineer, policemen,doctor and a pastor.
Dilip Bharath Sing is an 11 year old boy who currently lives at the home. His parents died when he was very young. His elder brother took care of him for a while, but once his brother got married he did not want Dilip anymore and kicked him out of home. He wandered on the streets with nowhere to go and no food to eat. Some kind people found him and brought him to Silvassa Bethesda Boys home. He is a little slow in speech, but with a lot of love and support from the home he has been able to go to school. Now he is studying at the local school in grade 5.
The names and ages of the children
- Sanjay Champak Bhai - 12yrs
- Akshay Champak Bhai - 14 yrs
- Ashish Kumar - 14 yrs
- AvinashLaxmanVasava - 15 yrs
- Vipul Kumar Amar Singh - 13 yrs
- Pradeep Kumar - 14 yrs
- Minesh Veer Singh - 14 yrs
- Amit Kumar - 13 yrs
- DilipBharath Singh - 11 yrs
- NiteshKantilal - 14 yrs
- Anil Chandu - 16 yrs
- Piyush - 13 yrs
- Hemant Jana Bhai - 16 yrs
- PankajKunesh - 9 yrs
- Rahul Kumar Gamit - 13 yrs
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