BIS #5075 FIRST YAR COORDINATORS MEETING OF MUMBAI PROVINCE

by Annie Cardoz and Janifer Fernandes

MUMBAI, MAR 15, 2017: The Young at Risk (YaR) coordinators meeting was held on March 10 from 10.30 to 12.30 pm, with almost 10 YaR coordinators from different parts of the Mumbai province in attendance at Tej Prasarini hall, Matunga with the theme, 'We connect, We share'.

Father Gregory D'Almeida, the YaR commission coordinator of Mumbai province, welcomed the coordinators and introduced the YaR Balprafulta program officer, Janifer Fernandes.  He stated why YaR was initiated in the province and the need for better collaboration and coordination among the different YaR centres. 

All the coordinators shared their project works, activities, concerns and experiences in their respective centres. It gave an insight into the different YaR connected works conducted at their centres. Father Stephen Rodrigues, the ex-vice provincial of the Mumbai region shared light on the issues of the young at risk.

Fernandes then demonstrated the YaR works of Don Bosco National YaR Forum, Delhi and the services offered by the YaR office at Matunga and the future plans of the centre. She also gave a brief description of the works accomplished in the five months since its commencement in October 2016.

Annie Cardoz, project officer of Umeed project, prison ministry, conducted an interactive session on the use of social media for YaR to strengthen the connection between the coordinators and to reach out to a wider audience. 

Furthermore, Father D'Almeida also introduced the upcoming national level events, seminars, meetings, workshops and gave details of the national plan for the year 2017. It was also decided that a meeting should be held once in three months with the Mumbai YaR coordinators to discuss the YaR works in their corresponding centres and create plan of action. It was agreed that a Whatsapp group and Facebook group would boost inter- coordinator networking.