by BIS Correspondent
MUMBAI, DEC 11, 2015: Don Bosco Balprafulta in collaboration with Railway Children – an international children's charity - organised a day-long workshop entitled 'After Care for 18+' for non-government 
organisations (NGO), government organisations (GO) and youth at risk (YaR) centres of Mumbai region at the Don Bosco provincial house in Matunga on January 8.
The objective of the workshop was to create a platform to share information and knowledge on 'After Care' and to prepare an action plan that could be beneficial to youth who move out of the institution.
Dr Asha Mukundan, Tata Institue of Social Sciences faculty member, Nitin Maske, DWCW member of Mumbai region, Father Xavier Devadas from Don Bosco Karjat, Tyagarajan, Director of Vinamay Trust and others from Prerna and Prayas organisations were the resource persons for the workshop.
Dr Mukundan spoke on the need to reflect, share, revisit and review available programmes in order to strengthen the strategic functioning across different NGO's and GO's. Maske then spoke on the different government schemes and programmes related to after-care.
Father Devadas and Tyaagarajan shared their holistic and successful models of after-care programmes in order to empower the marginalised youth. Father Vinod Mascarenhas, provincial secretary, summed up what was discussed in the course of the talks and helped formulate a way forward for after-care programmes.
The outcome of this workshop proved to be practical and useful. The suggestions put forth were aimed at reviving the CCVC group, conducting similar workshops on after care on a regular basis and the need to prepare a directory of information related to aftercare programmes.
The other suggestions included the need to prepare modules for life-coping skills and to ensure its implementation in children's homes before they turn 18. The need to prepare youth for their careers, marriage and job counselling was also highlighted. Father Gregory Almeida, Director of Don Bosco Balprafulta presented the vote of thanks.