Anbhagam's Beginnings with Director John Bosco
At the age of 8, John Bosco lost his father. Living in a rural area with a family of six and supported only by his mother, the family ate once daily, often only eating the meals provided at the school they attended. Bosco began working after higher secondary school, when a priest took note of him and assisted him in getting into college at Loyola University in Chennai. Bosco then continued with Teacher Training upon graduating with his B.A.
At Loyola, Bosco noted some homeless children living underneath a platform at the university campus. When the monsoons came, the children slept in the water. The children, aged six and three, told Bosco they had no family, no food, and no home. When the eldest asked if Bosco would give them some work so that they may make money, Bosco took them to the dormitory and spoke to the hostel warden and head priest. The authorities allowed the children to stay in the hostel.
This experience, however, raised serious questions. In his experiences with rural India there were no homeless children-- the community took care in providing shelter and a “home” to the children. However, in Chennai, an urban “developing” city, homeless and abandoned children were everywhere.
While in college, Bosco began volunteering with a child labor NGO and the Loyola College NSS (National Service Scheme). He worked from 9AM-3PM at college, then spent his evening in the slums for three years. In these experiences, he began questioning how people could prevent children from entering labor when they were without a home or family to care for them. Bosco continued working for a child labor organization for eleven years. Developing some of his own solutions out of these experiences, Anbhagam was born.
The Beginning of Anbhagam
Anbhagam, or “Love Home,” started in September 21st, 2005 with twenty child laborers on Rich St. in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
Richie St. is a popular business and service district. Many of the children in this area do not attend school, and instead take small jobs in the local shops. This includes selling “black tickets” to the local cinema, holding small jobs in mechanic shops and radio shops, as well as working in clothing shops for export of clothing. After the children were done working, they often played in the streets. School was not a possibility for these children-- if they did not go to work, then “my family and I will go hungry.”
Anbhagam first began with small evening education programs for child laborers who worked during the day. Recognizing the role these children currently played in their family economy, Anbhagam provided evening classes for children after they had completed their work. As shops closed at 6PM, Anbhagam courses began at 7PM.
To build partnerships with different communities, Anbhagam first begins by meeting the children and their families and asking about their particular situation. Many families expressed that they would put their children into school but do not have the financial means to do so. Initially, Anbhagam assisted with school fees and placed these students into corporation and government schools, while also providing the funds for uniforms, notebooks and educational materials. In the first group from Richie St., 13 children remained in school and only 7 dropped out. However, all 20 continued to come to evening classes.
Present Day Activities
Since beginning in 2005, Anbhagam is presently working in five different communities across Chennai. Most centers close as a result of relocation or development programs that result in the movement of families to new areas outside of Chennai.
Past Anbhagam Centers:
1) Richie St.
2) Kottopuram
3) Pumping Station
4) Doordharshan Salai
5) Pambu Nagar
Present Anbhagam Centers:
6) V.V.K Koyele Street (60 students)
7) M.G. Nagar Boys Center (61 students) and Girls Center (33 students)
8) Ambedkar Nagar (51 students)
9) Vengatapuram (72 students)
10) Little Mount (13 students)
Anbhagam currently provides various programmings beyond the daily tuition classes. Trainings on health, wellness, awareness and empowerment take place in the slum itself, a hotel or training center. Transportation for students by car is arranged when available to make the opportunity available and accessible to more students.
Through its services, trainings and programs, Anbhagam currently serves over 360 children in Chennai.
