03. COIMBATORE – DBAI

St. John Bosco; (1991) 2008: Coimbatore

VISION

Coimbatore Don Bosco Anbu Illam aims at creating Child Friendly Society where

• All the children without any discrimination of gender, caste, religion, language, and economic background enjoy equality and freedom
• Live with their own family, kith and kin with love, care & protection, joy & respect
• A situation prevails where they live fully with their social responsibility and rich culture and learn to be contented
• All the caring community groups, allied systems are conscious of creating such a society and they will ensure such society.

MISSION

To achieve the above said vision Coimbatore Don Bosco Anbu illam will

• Make Government and Allied systems accountable towards children and their cause and ensure child-centeredness in all their undertakings
• Ensure the implementation of laws and schemes exclusively for children and their rights and welfare
• Have meaningful network with other NGOs, networks and GOs for lobbying and advocacy and bring policy level changes
• Reach out and offer children at risk and their parents support services especially alternative care services for their integral development
• Create a model Coimbatore Children Township where children’s parliament, children’s corporation, children’s police station, children’s court etc will function effectively to prevent violation against child-friendliness.

HISTORY

• On 24.05.2013, Fr. Ryan David took over as director.
• On 24.05.2011, Fr. Xavier took over as director of Don Bosco anbuillam from Fr. Santhanam who had become the economer of the province.
• On 24.05. 2008, Fr. Santhanam took over as director of Don Bosco Anbu Illam from Jayaraj.  In this period the house at vellakinar for the street children was started.
• On 24.05. 2007, Fr. Jayaraj took over as director of Don Bosco Anbu Illam from Fr. John Dharman
• 09.2007 – “Coimbatore Santhippu” a documentary film made by Don Bosco Anbu Illam children was released.
• 9th June 2007 – Fr. Amala Joseph, was the Director of Don Bosco Anbu Illam from the year 1997 to 2000, met with an accident and passed away  in the US.
• 05.2007 – Fr. Santhanam was transferred and Fr. John Dharman took up once again as the Director of DBAI after his two years of higher studies in Italy.
• 02.2006 Centenary celebrations of the presence of Don Bosco in India was held at Tanjore – Don Bosco.
• 1,2 April 2006 – Conclusion of Tsunami relief and rehabilitation work at KK district.
• 07.2005 – Don Bosco Anbu Illam was given “Fit Institution” certificate by the Government.  
• 26, 27.12.2004 – Tsunami Strikes Tamil Nadu. Our team of four members left for Velankanni for Tsunami relief works.
• 09.2003 – New vocational training center was blessed and inaugurated.
• 05.2002 –Fr. John Dharman sdb was transferred and Fr. Santhanam took charge as new Director of DBAI.
• The Tenth Annual Day of DBAI was celebrated for three days (27,28,29th July 2001) : 1st day – An exhibition was organized on the International Year of the Volunteers, more than 5,000 children and people visited. 2nd day was the 10th Anniversary celebrations. On that day i.e. on the 28th July the official website of Don Bosco Anbu Illam  – kovaidonbosco.org was   launched. And 29th the third day was a thanksgiving day.
• Two shops were opened at the ukkadam Bus Station Commercial Complex, for the purpose of selling goods manufactured by our boys and women’s groups of DBAI. The shop is named as “Kovai Makkal Angadi”
• On 7th September 2000 , a new Vocational Training Center building was inaugurated in G.M.Nagar in the land (20 cents ) given by Rt.Rev.Dr.Ambrose , the Bishop of Coimbatore.
• Augustine , a well wisher of DBAI , donated 10 cents of his land which is adjacent to DBAI ,during the month of August 2000 for the purpose of a play ground.
• On 11th December 1999 CHILDLINE-1098, free emergency phone service for the children in difficulty was launched . Anbu Illam plays a key role in implementing this project in Coimbatore.
• Amala Joseph on his return from Rome took up as the new Director of Don Bosco Anbu Illam.
• On 29th January 1999 with the help of Rev. Fr. Guezou a land (42 cents, of which 15 cents are given freely) was bought at Iswarya Nager, Pollachi.

DON BOSCO NEST ( Don Bosco Nilayam for Education and Social Transformation), a Vocational Training Centre for working children, was inaugurated at Tirupur in a rented building on 28th November 1999. This project is supported by TDH.

Coimbatore DBAI was made as the sub project of Don Bosco Anbu Illam, Chennai, which extended support for the revival of this project at Coimbatore.

With the arrival for Fr. Anand as the Director on 25th May 1995, this house became a full-fledged one with number of other qualified staff and collaborators.Government Scheme for the welfare of street and working children was started on 1st March 1996.Two old sheds were also demolished . Rev. Fr. Guezou and his friends who were instrumental in buying this land came forward to sponsor a new shelter home for the children. The new building (Ground floor ) was inaugurated by him on 28th August ’96. The first floor of the shelter home was opened on 7th July ’97.

Mr.L. Vincent Sundararaj, Bro. Arockiaraj and Mr. Xavier from Don Bosco Anbu Illam , Chennai, who took up the work in November 1994. They were the main hands in reviving this work for the street children at Coimbatore. The Salesians at Don Bosco Anbu Illam , Chennai monitored this work . The work for the street children flourished and the number of children increased tremendously. Rag pickers welfare project through the Municipal Corporation of Coimbatore was started on 16th March 1995, as a major rehabilitation programme for the boys.

As a memorial to the 150th year of Don Bosco’s Ordination and of his apostolate for vagrant youth, a shelter home for the street and working children of Coimbatore City was inaugurated by Rev . Fr. Francis Guezou SDB , in the presence of Fr. Vincent Durairaj SDB the then Provincial of Chennai Province on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary in December, 1991.

MAJOR ACTIVITIES

DON BOSCO ANBU ILLAM– consists of various rehabilitation programmes. There are 46 boys at the shelter home and 16 boys at the open shelter home. The Extension centre at Vellakinar has 18 boys. There are 13 Boys at the after-care centre. The reception unit has so far received around 430 children and has handed them over to their parents. There are altogether 34 staff getting involved in AnbuIllam activities for the empowerment of children at risk. 

The community reaches out to the neighbouring villages and slums through community based programmes. There are 4 evening tuition centre with 110 children. There are 6 Eco clubs and children parliament units with 120 children. Efforts are taken to organize the youth. There are 3 youth groups with 35 registered members.

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