ST. JOSEPH BOYS’ HOME - KATPADI
The Technical Institute
The scope of this institution is to cater to the needs of school dropouts by training them in some suitable trade and helping them get a job. In the process they are also helped to become good Christians and honest citizens. This is done through Catechism class for each class four times a week, good morning talks thrice a week and First Friday mass once a month. The Technical Institute offers very relevant trades for poor youth, like carpentry, tailoring, welding, two-wheeler auto mechanics, electricians and the playing of band instruments. Of these, carpentry and welding are formal trades, while the rest are non-formal.
The Carpentry and Cabinet-Making Course is a three-year training programme with 62 boys. After the completion of the training period, they obtain the Tamil Nadu State Government Certificates. A set of tools is also given to all the students. From this year, they are also taught wood carving and wood turning. Their technical proficiency in the fine points of wood carving and wood turning enables them to secure good jobs and earn their livelihood. There is much enthusiasm among the students to learn this for they realize that this is a very beneficial additional training.
There is also an increasing demand for good tailors. This year, 18 boys were admitted to the two-year Tailoring course. After the completion of their training, they are given a sewing machine each to help them start a career of their own. This comes as a big boon for the school drop-outs. From this year on, the students appeared as private candidates for the government exams and obtained a diploma certificate in tailoring.
There are 9 boys this year in the Welding Course, who will receive the NCVT I.T.I. certificate at the end of the course. This Government of India Certificate gets them a good job in industrial establishments. This year, new machines like MIG and TIG welding and sheet-bending machines were added, giving a further boost to the training.
The non-formal Electrician and Plumbing Trade was started since there is an incessant demand for skilled electricians. Eighteen boys are trained in this course every year. The two-wheeler Auto Mechanics Course enables the boys to learn how to service and repair two-wheelers. At the end of their training, the students are also given the opportunity to obtain a driving licence for light vehicles. There are 5 boys this year in this course.
The Don Bosco Institute of Brass Band began to bear fruit from 1989, when the first batch of students were absorbed into the prestigious “Border Security Force” (B.S.F.) of the Government of India. To date, 150 of our Brass Band students are already inducted into the B.S.F. permanently. This has been an excellent avenue for the poor boys to enter into the Government Services.
There are 41 staff and workers employed in the training and instructing of the above-mentioned courses, including the domestic workers. Most of the technical staff members are dedicated and hardworking past-pupils, fully involved in imparting their respective trades.
St. Joseph’s Boys’ Home
There are about 96 boys in the boarding. They are given good spiritual and cultural formation through the daily, weekly and monthly programmes organized for them. The boys pay nominal boarding fees and the poorer among them are given scholarships or fee-concessions. There is a healthy and joyful atmosphere prevalent among them. The Rector meets them in groups on a regular basis. The house also provides the boarders with opportunities to form themselves into honest and responsible young Catholic men in society. Daily mass, Morning and Night Prayer with Rosary and goodnight talk, monthly recollection and confession are regularly held.
Past Pupils’ Unit
The Past Pupils’ Unit in this house is functioning effectively. There are 250 life members and 9 executive members. The latter meet once a month under the guidance of the Rector. The Past Pupils’ Day is held on the Sunday that precedes the Feast of St. Joseph. Monthly meetings are well attended, as the executive members are workers in this house. Concrete lines of actions are decided upon and executed. The Unit also helps poor pupils who want to repeat the exams in the subjects they have failed. Job placements are also done by many of the past pupils.
Self Help Groups
This is a new venture started last year in this house. The response is quite good. Within a year 8 groups have been formed. The Self-Help groups are given Christian and Gospel values. Interested in uplifting themselves economically, they have started saving schemes and run small-scale industries, namely, candle-making, greeting cards, muffler-knitting, and push-cart mobile vegetable vending. They also help in the running of two night-study centers. Many people profit by the schemes offered by these groups.
CFCA and Night Study Centres
This is yet another group which is not only helped by the benefactors, but also urged to share whatever they can with others. There are 26 children helped by this project. With the help of the CFCA, the house is running 2 night study centers: one in the house itself and one in the neighbourhood, at Thiruvalluvar Nagar. There are about 80 children who frequent these centres. There are also 2 centres run by the Self-Help Groups in Thiruvalluvar Nagar, where there about 60 children. There are 4 teachers in these centres. Among the 140 children, there are only about 20 Catholic children and 30
CSI children, while the majority is Hindu.
Daily and Sunday Oratories
The house runs five Sunday Oratories namely, Sakthi Nagar Oratory, Thiruvalluvar Nagar Oratory, Parai Medu Oratory, Kulathu Medu Oratory and House Oratory under the guidance of the Salesians and with the help of the 3rd year Carpentry Students. They go out every Sunday immediately after lunch at 1.00 p.m. and return to the community for the rosary at 5.00 p.m. On the fourth Sunday of every month, all the oratory boys and girls gather in the house for a short cultural cum animation programme. Around 250 children, from the five centres participate. Besides games and singing, moral values through classes, talks and various programmes are also imparted.
Prison Services
This year, under the guidance and initiative of Fr. Vincent Mariapragasam, SDB, this ministry with the young convicts in the Government Special Home was started. The present student-tailors, with their instructors, go to the Special Home to teach the inmates knitting and to make mufflers. The finished products are then sold and the money given to the young convicts concerned. According to their aptitudes and interests, there is a move towards teaching them some of the other trades available in the Institute. The Community also goes to go the Protection Home in Vellore to teach the same skills to the girls there. These are entry-points which the house has begun to initiate contact with the young convicts, and to make them realize that they can better their life, with the help of friends outside.
Vazhikaatti
This is yet another apostolate started this year to give career guidance and job-placement for the youth. The facility was transferred from Don Bosco, Gandhi Nagar, to this place. Through the job-placement cell, many government schools and village groups are contacted to facilitate employment, to eradicate poverty and to instill a sense of dignit
