THE FUTURE

The emphasis of our future function will be on improving the education of the former child workers. The quality of the teaching in the state schools is invariably bad. The classes are terribly overcrowded - it is hardly surprising when realising that 100,000 primary schools alone are missing in India. Therefore it is our objective in a few years to teach the children at least up to the fifth form in our own schools.

We want to buy a plot of land in the near future in Liluah to build our first school building. The building will also serve as a surgery. Liluah is one of the poorest slum districts in Calcutta and is located directly next to a rubbish tip. Most of the children from this district work on the tip collecting rubbish endangering their health.

Another focal point is in the field of vocational training. The children will only be able to support themselves at a later date if they have also gone through a vocational training scheme after having finished school. Consequently we will continue and expand our existing cooperation with the Don Bosco organisation.

The Order has been managing vocational training centres for various trades for a number of years and will accept H.E.L.G.O.- children who have either completed their schooling or who have had to break off their schooling but have shown interest and proven aptitude in the training schemes which are being offered.