It was at that time that a social worker from the Salesian NGO "Don Bosco Ashalayam" saw Sanjoy begging in the streets and started talking to him. Sanjoy accepted the social worker's invitation and he was sent to school. From that moment on, he no longer had to worry about finding food, a place to sleep, or someone who was interested in him. It was the beginning of a new life for Sanjoy, the beginning of a new future.
"Don Bosco Ashalayam has offered me a life that goes beyond my dreams. I never imagined that a street boy like me could study in the United States. I feel so happy," says Sanjoy today.
He studied hard and got good grades. He completed all his courses and studied electronics. Don Bosco Ashalayam helped him continue his studies and now, at 22, he has won a scholarship for Chicago's DuPage College.
To take children off the streets, Don Bosco Ashalayam offers vocational training and recreational activities where minors, far removed from the daily challenges of street life, can give a fresh start to their lives; via educational activities and games, the children also receive important lessons in terms of personal hygiene and sexual health, self-esteem, fears and substance abuse.
By attending these activities, many street children and teens decide to stay at the Don Bosco Ashalayam centers, to study and change their lives entirely; indeed, what happened to Sanjoy.
