Alive MARIANIST CULTURE, FAITH AND ... - The Marianists

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waste management programs, it is unable to keep up with the vast amount of waste produced by its enormous population. Ragpickers make a living by sifting through trash for bottles, plastic, metal parts, glass, cardboard, “Respect and care for old clothing — anything recyclable that a people as human beings, broker will pay them these are some of the greatest to collect. Their work gifts we could ever give is often illegal. It is one of the lowest another person.” and most demeaning — Marianist Father Joe Lackner jobs in India. Whole families in northern India are caught up in ragpicking for lack of other means of income. Poor, uneducated and illiterate, it is the only way they survive. But it has a high price. Disease, exposure to toxic waste and 18 Call 1.800.348.4732 poor hygiene are just some of the problems. Alcoholism, drug abuse and malnutrition also exact a toll. “For children, it is especially dangerous,” says Brother Alex. “In Ranchi, it’s not unusual to find a child fighting with a wild dog over scraps of food. Often the child gets injured and must be taken to the hospital,” he says. Even more devastating than health issues is the toll it takes on a person’s self-esteem. Says one woman who has been ragpicking most of her life, “A ragpicker is not respected. We work in filth … We smell of dirt. Nobody from society likes us … They call us dirty — even worse than garbage itself.” With a population that is 80 percent Hindu, India is steeped in Hindu traditions. The caste system and stratification Children of a Marianist REDS play school in Bangalore, India
In Their Words The boys from the Marianist Deepahalli Skills Training Centre tell their stories. Deepahalli Skills Training Centre, near Bangalore, was established by the Marianists in 1998 to provide an environment away from street life where ragpickers and runaways could get training or attend public school. Because many of the boys are addicted to cigarettes, drugs and alcohol, it also provides a muchneeded “safehouse” for those going through withdrawal as well as nutritional food, hygiene and regular health care exams. There are five Marianist brothers in the Deepahalli community, most of Marianist Brother Arokia Doss, REDS program director at Deepahalli, whom work at the with boys enrolled in the Skills Training Centre Centre, along with six staff members. The Centre provides training in welding, carpentry, lathe work, tailoring, electronics, plumbing, air conditioning and refrigeration. The students also receive instruction in math, English, science, history, local languages and social and moral values. The majority of boys are between 13 and 18, orphaned or from single parent households. Many are not capable of or interested in attending school, but are able to learn a trade. There are 62 boys at the Centre, but that number will increase to 120 this year because of a new residential facility recently built by the Marianists. Since its inception, the Centre has trained nearly 450 students. Marianist Brother Arokia Doss, REDS program director at Deepahalli, admits that the work is tough, but also very Boys at Deepahalli learn tailoring or rewarding. “Many of the other trades. boys have attention problems. They are not able to focus on anything for long. We try to care for them like a father would care. They look to us for love and respect. “I especially love being with them, just hanging out together. Once you do that, they really open up,“ he says. “They are very matter-of-fact about what has happened to them — very revealing.” Here are two stories from the boys of Deepahalli: G. Antony, age 13 “Both of my parents were alcoholics. They used to beat each other. They also beat me and my younger brother and sister. We ran away from home after my mother died,” he says. “She tied a rope to a crossbeam and hung herself. We were all at home when it happened. “Because no one in my family was taking G. Antony care of us, I began ragpicking. I saved enough money to run away to Bangalore with my brother and sister. We lived in a cemetery.” Antony was found by the Deepahalli staff through a cousin. His siblings are now in other youth hostels. His greatest wish is to get a job and save enough money so that he and his brother and sister may one day be together, get married and have their own homes. V. Srinivasa, age 14 “I was addicted to drugs and not interested in school. My mother began to beat me. I stayed away from home and began sleeping on the roadsides. I sold popcorn to earn money,” he says. V. Srinivasa “I tried to quit drugs, but each time I failed. One day my mother died along the roadside after drinking too much. I never went back home after that. I met a friend name Akhbar. He didn’t have any legs, so I would carry him on my back and we would go begging.“ Srinivasa was picked up by the police in Bangalore and taken to a REDS night shelter and later to Deepahalli. He has been drug-free for six months and has quit smoking, both feats he is very proud of. His hope is to graduate in two years from Deepahalli, find his sister who is living in another youth hostel, and make a home where he can take care of her. www.marianist.com/supportus 19
Page 1 and 2: Alive MARIANIST CULTURE, FAITH AND
Page 3 and 4: Brother Stephen Glodek, S.M. Provin
Page 5 and 6: Top row: Erin Anderson, Leslie Cebu
Page 7 and 8: Sharing a meal: Chris Nieport, Davi
Page 9 and 10: Marianist Brother Charles Johnson,
Page 11 and 12: Father Oscar Vasquez (left) at his
Page 13 and 14: Marianist Brother Steve OʼNeil ask
Page 15 and 16: Hope is inseparable from faith Bria
Page 17 and 18: Hope gets us through life’s trage
Page 19: when simply getting starving kids o
Page 23 and 24: Marianist Brother Xavier Raj help g
Page 25 and 26: Province Celebrates Professions in
Page 27 and 28: Come Alive In her book, The Soul of

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