by Father Richard Burkhao
AURANGABAD, JANUARY 29, 2019: Over 300 children from 17 villages participated in Bal Melawa - a children’s gathering, to honour Saint Don Bosco at the community of Don Bosco, Waluj on January 27.
The villages are part of a village education programme being undertaken by the Salesians. Buses were organised to pick up and drop the children, who arrived in Waluj at 9 am. The programme began at 9:30 am with a short prayer service conducted by Father Pratap Damor, the in-charge of Don Bosco, Waluj.
Dr. Dnyaneshwar Patil Nill, the Sarpanj (Village head) of Naigaon, Bakwal Nagar, Jogeshwari, and Kamlapur, was the chief guest for the programme. While addressing the gathering, Dr. Nill congratulated and appreciated the Don Bosco institution for its wonderful initiative, not just for the programme but for its vision and mission for the rural areas.
Following breakfast, fun-filled fete games were organised by the youth group of St. Alphonsa Church, under the guidance of Father Richard Burkhao, the administrator of Don Bosco, Waluj. A varied and colourful cultural programme was then put up by the children from each village.
The event concluded at 5:30 pm, after which the children were dropped to their respective houses. Many children said that they had a wonderful time and wished it could be organised once again. “I have never seen such well-organised programme for the village children,” Dilip Loankar, the Principal of a school from Padampur village, present at the event, said.
The villages are part of a village education programme being undertaken by the Salesians. Buses were organised to pick up and drop the children, who arrived in Waluj at 9 am. The programme began at 9:30 am with a short prayer service conducted by Father Pratap Damor, the in-charge of Don Bosco, Waluj.
Dr. Dnyaneshwar Patil Nill, the Sarpanj (Village head) of Naigaon, Bakwal Nagar, Jogeshwari, and Kamlapur, was the chief guest for the programme. While addressing the gathering, Dr. Nill congratulated and appreciated the Don Bosco institution for its wonderful initiative, not just for the programme but for its vision and mission for the rural areas.
Following breakfast, fun-filled fete games were organised by the youth group of St. Alphonsa Church, under the guidance of Father Richard Burkhao, the administrator of Don Bosco, Waluj. A varied and colourful cultural programme was then put up by the children from each village.
The event concluded at 5:30 pm, after which the children were dropped to their respective houses. Many children said that they had a wonderful time and wished it could be organised once again. “I have never seen such well-organised programme for the village children,” Dilip Loankar, the Principal of a school from Padampur village, present at the event, said.