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Salesian Province of St Joseph, Hyderabad, 21 to 25 January, 2020: Rev. Bro 
Giampietro Pettenon SDB, Mission Procure of Missioni Don Bosco, Turin, Italy along with Mr Pietro Canavesio & Mrs. Margherita, Mr Luca Barbarito & Mrs Francesca who the benefactors and Mrs Monica Cibrario & Mrs Enza Piscitelli staff of the organization visited the Salesian Province of St. Joseph, Hyderabad to learn about the various social outreach programmemes, institutions, schools and orphanages operated by the Province from 21st to 25th of January, 2020. Rev. Fr Thathireddy Vijaya Bhaskar SDB, Provincial, Salesian Province of St. Joseph, Hyderabad and Fr Bellamkonda Sudhakar SDB, Executive Director of Planning and Development Office of the province accompanied them in their visit to various communities in the province.
Missioni Don Bosco has been one of the major long term benefactors for the Province providing financial support for scholarships of poor children over the past few decades. Recently, the organization sponsored the education of hundreds of poor children in our Province who are now enrolled in schools.
The Provincial Council and various Rectors and religious of several Salesian communities prepared a itenary of cultural events, programmes and engagements with students, staff, orphans, youth and scholarship beneficiaries who have benefitted from the various charitable works and outreach works supported by Missioni Don Bosco and their partners.
Day 1: Don Bosco Human Resource Development Center, Gagillapur
On the first day of their arrival in India, Rev. Bro Giampietro and his travel companions were warmly welcomed by Salesians and staff at the Provincial House. The Provincial Council along with Fr Sarath Parri, Assistant Executive Director of Bosco Seva Kendra travelled with the guests to Don Bosco Human Resource Development Center (DBHRDC), Gagillapur, at 1.30 pm from the Provincial house. The purpose of this visit was to show how the Province in its mission with the charism of the congregation is educating and rehabilitating poor youth in the city of Hyderabad and the rest of the region.
Don Bosco Human Resource Development (DBHRDC) was established in 2010, to provide skill training and job skills to poor youth in the city and region. Over the past couple of years, the centre has trained more than 1200 (average of 120 youth per year) poor youth with close to 100% job placement rate. The Centre provides training in hospitality, tailoring, plumbing, electricals, electronics, AC refrigeration, cell phone repair, solar panel installation and diagnostics. The vast majority of students are from poor rural villages.
Bro Giampietro and the visitors interacted with students at the centre and were warmly welcomed by the entire community. Visitors were glad to see the various activities and work being undertaken in the center as well as meeting students studying at the centre who were rehabilitated through orphanages and safe homes operated by the Province and some who were referred to us by our religious congregations who also operate orphanages and safe homes.
In the evening visitors went to Golconda Fort for the light and show programme.
Day 2: Don Bosco Navajeevan, Visakhapatnam
On the second day of the visit, Fr Thathireddy Vijaya Bhaskar SDB the Provincial, Fr Bellamkonda Sudhakar, travelled with the guests to Don Bosco Navajeevan (DBNJ), Visakhapatnam to witness various outreach activities and programmes being undertaken by the Salesians in Visakhapatnam, the largest city in the state of Andhra Pradesh and home to one of the largest ports on Eastern India.
The Salesians and the Province own and operate four campuses that serve orphaned and poor youth in the city, three campuses that serve as orphanages or ‘Navajeevan’ centres and one campus that serve as a training centre for skill development for poor youth and education for very poor children. During the visit three alumni who have benefitted from our education sponsorship gave testimonies on how the Salesians helped them and how they were transformed by their outreach. They were grateful to Missioni Don Bosco, Turin. Among three, one of them working in IT company earning INR 15,000- per month, the second, working as a teacher in one of the schools in the city earn about INR 8,000 per month and third one still pursuing education in the university.
The visitors were glad to see that the Beech Blossoms Bridge School operated by the Salesians 
in the city have helped educated 1,500 children and place them into government schools over the past 12 years. They were very supportive of plans to demolish one of the Navajeevan center and replace it with a new facility that can grow to the outreach of the centre from 30 orphans to 100 in an integrated campus for staff, children, volunteers and Salesians. They were glad to see how the people were working with various communities in the city making a positive contribution for the welfare of society, including a visit to the fourth campus where hundreds of young people receive short term skill training courses and education of tribal children.
Bro Giampietro during his message asked boys, girls and youth and remarked that Don Bosco would be happy because mission started by Don Bosco continues to carry out this part of the world. He congratulated Salesians, Staff for their hard work to accompany them every day. He has asked the children to pray for the benefactors through whose support mission of Don Bosco carried in world. He also told that they should help other children who need such support someday.
Day 3: Don Bosco Industrial Technical Institute (ITI), Guntur; Migrant Bridge School by
Navajeevan Bala Bhavan at AIIMS, Mangalagiri; Don Bosco Schools, Mangalagiri
On the third day, the guests travelled to St Michael’s Boys’ Home, Guntur, the first mission in the Province which started in 1964 and a home to one of the oldest technical schools in the region. Don Bosco Industrial Technical Institute, Guntur.
Don Bosco Industrial Technical Institute is the oldest technical school in the Province providing certified technical training in electricals, electronics, motor mechanics, fitter and skill development in industrial printing. Around 200 students are currently residing at the centre and come from marginalized families. The Rector of the community, Fr Medabalimi Balaswamy, other Salesians, staff and students warmly welcomed our guests in Indian tradition, where they toured and interacted with all the staff. Bro Giampietro was particularly happy to see the amount of workflow being undertaken at the printing press and at the Industrial Training Institute.
The students of ITI put up a short programme to honour the guests. Bro Giampietro was 
happy to see many young people trained professionally. While giving the message, he thanked the community, staff and students for the beautiful programme and told that these trainings are very close to the heart of Don Bosco as he himself was involved training the youth who were unemployed and gave them new life and that is what I see today here at Guntur. He also said, “As you learn your trades learn to obey your parents, teachers and also pray for the people who are helping you”. Mr Pietro gave a short message and told that he was proud to be a past pupil of Don Bosco at Turin and he said not only he studied at Turin but even his children were also past pupils of the Don Bosco at Turin.
While travelling from Guntur to Mangalagiri the guests had stopped at Migrant mission
started by Navajeevan Bala Bhavan, Vijayawada. It was started in collaboration with the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). Navajeevan Bala Bhavan, Vijayawada initiated the work for migrant workers in and around Vijayawada. Fr Ratna Neelam, Director of Navajeevan Bala Bhavan (NJBB) along with Mr Anto explained the mission carried out among the migrant workers. Fr Ratna Neelam told that this ministry began only about two month ago and that there are about 41 boys and girls who are below the age 15yrs. There are also other children who are still working in the workplace. At the moment they are facing hardest challenges working for them. The builders and contractors do not cooperate with the Salesisans. Fr Ratna Neelam also explained various works carried out by NJBB along with 135 staff along with four Salesians. Bro Giampietro and friends went around the place to see the living conditions of the children and families. Fr Ratna Neelam said that they are planning to start another 20 such centres in and around Vijayawada.
Don Bosco School, Mangalagiri, the second school established in the Province in 1974 and is 
now part of a proposal to provide a standard education that can have a positive impact on the community and the Province for decades to come. Don Bosco School, Mangalagiri is situated within the city limits of the proposed capital cities of Andhra Pradesh. The School is ten minutes away from AIIMS (All India Institute for Medical Science), a new campus providing state of the art medical training and service to people across the region. We have two schools in the same campus. Again, the guests were welcomed traditionally with a well-prepared cultural programme. There are more than 15 students in both schools.
After the programme, everyone assembled 200+ children from 5 communities who are supported by Missioni Don Bosco for the education of the children. We had sponsored children from Don Bosco Mission, Ongole, Bosco Ashram, Ponnur, Don Bosco Mission, P T Parru, Assumption Church, Pezzonipet and Don Bosco Premnivas, Mangalagiri. The total number of students supported are 321 children in 10 of our communities. It was pleasant to see smiles on the faces of these children who are receiving sponsorship for their education. Bro Giampietro and guests, interacted with these children. We call this a moment of blessing and happiness. Many children came forward and thanked Brother for the support. They are accompanied by the local Salesians and staff who are following up children at the local communities.
Bro Giampietro talked about the importance of receiving a good education, praying for people and working together as a community. Our guests and Fr Provincial were glad to see the enthusiasm and energy with all the children present on this occasion.
Day 4: Don Bosco School, Wyra
Don Bosco School, Wyra serves a region that is poor and rural. Missioni Don Bosco helped the
Province and the School construction, a new basketball court and the community. The School at present has around 300+ students who are receiving an education for the first time in a generation. During this visit, the Provincial and Bro Giampietro inaugurated a new RO system for the school with a 1000 ltrs water capacity. Bro Giampietro talked about the importance of praying for the benefactors and that education is a means to encourage and support others as well as helping them. Fr Wilson, the Rector of the community and Fr Pradeep, the Principal organized a short cultural programme for the visitors after this event. The programme concluded with the guests returning to Hyderabad.
Conclusion
On the final day of their stay in India, there was a meeting with Bro Giampietro Pettenon SDB, Luca Barbarito & Francesca, Pietro Canavesio & Margherita, Monica Cibrario and Enza Piscitelli along with Fr Fr Thathireddy Vijaya Bhaskar SDB, Provincial, Fr Thomas Santiagu SDB, Vice Provincial, Fr Jose Androth SDB, Economer and Fr Bellamkonda Sudhakar SDB, Planning and Development Office Executive Director. It was a good interaction and stock taking of things of our visit. It was also a moment to prioritize our plans and programmes.
Bro Giampietro was glad to see the spirit and charism of St John Bosco alive in the Province. He talked about the importance of having a strong religious life. He stated that the Province was living out the mission in keeping with the wishes of Rector Major in Turin, Italy of being in service to the youth and poor. He expressed that the Province must work towards financial self-sustainability, teaching values and ethics through its school network and be committed to its mission as a religious congregation. He proposed four areas to be focussed for Salesians are food, education, water and the welfare of women.
