Share-a-pakoda stall
Azara: People in large numbers participated with great pomp and gaiety in the Community Self-Help Week in support of a social commitment project Swastyayan, organised by faculty, staff and students of social work and mass communication department, Assam Don Bosco University (ADBU).
Flagging off the weeklong event by making and selling the first pakora, Fr. (Dr) Stephen Mavely, Vice-Chancellor, ADBU, said, “This fund raising drive organised to support the educational aspirations of the poor and marginalised children of Azara, Garal and Dharapur gaon panchayats is unique and significant in the context of development in developing countries like India.” Dr Riju Sharma, Director School of Humanities and Social Sciences, ADBU, reiterated, “Making our social commitment programme self- reliant and sustainable is the primary aim of this venture. I am humbled by, and very appreciative of, the commitment and involvement of all the faculty, students and staff who are sacrificing their time and energy in this noble venture. I wish them all the best.”
The highlight of the program has been selling of pakoras, momos and other snacks by MSW students in the past one week in different parts of Guwahati. Car wash, Fun Games and Photo sessions have been the additional fund-raising attractions of the event all throughout.
“In order to give a befitting conclusion to the week-long programme, a grand Food Festival was organised in the premises of Assam Don Bosco University on the 31st January. Different activities like the car wash, games, etc. continued alongside dishing out of unique and mouth-watering cuisines of northeast India,” said Ms.Namita Ekka and Mr.Hebol Borgoary of the MSW Department. “A colourful cultural programme during the evening and the launching of the music band DB hey, in celebration of Saint John Bosco’s feast, closed the day and event,” said Ms. Hazel Wahlang.
It is worth mentioning here that, Swastyayan, meaning a fight to eradicate the ills of our societyis a social commitment project of Assam Don Bosco University; it was started in order to address the need felt by students and faculty of the ADBU to extend a helping hand to the community children around the University. The project initially focused on conducting tutorial classes for the children on the basis of their scholastic needs. In these classes, different subjects, such as, Mathematics, General Sciences, Social Sciences and English are being taught, besides providing inputs on soft skills, career guidance, personality development, etc. Computer Education Programme was another activity which was started in 2014 due to the felt need and requests coming from the community children themselves.
“In the past two remarkable years, the project has been able to support over two hundred children from the neighbouring villages and it has been successfully run with the help of over hundred students and faculty volunteers of the university,” said Fr. Nelanatt, the Pro-Vice-Chancellor. “We extend our warm and sincere invitation to one and all to partake in the events of Swastyayan and bring about change in the lives of vulnerable and marginalised children,” he added.
Assam Don Bosco University 