THAT YOU ARE YOUNG, IS ENOUGH FOR ME TO LOVE YOU!
Saying that dreams come true may sometime seem to be metaphorical language. Most of the times it is used to give hope either to the self or the other. It was at the age of nine when Don Bosco had this strange dream that almost sent him bananas , it made him try what seemed impossible at that epoch , what seemed to be a mere dream and unrealistic. However people laughed at him, the Father of Youth never gave up because he was convinced of the vision of the truth that he received through the Virgin Mary and he was never afraid to share it with whoever had taken great interest in the welfare of the youth.
Don Bosco realized the great potential embedded in the young people yet so dejected, neglected, objectified and left at the mercy of the streets of Turin, later Europe, Asia, America, Australia and Africa in this particular case Malawi, Lilongwe Area 23. Ideally, the young people have a special place in almost in every culture. We find in some languages sayings like “growing trees make a future forest”. However, quite a few in human history have taken a pragmatic step to come to the help of the poor young. Don Bosco’s idea of helping the poor youth spiritually and socially through education never remained in the mind as some ideas we have known might have done. It was a pragmatic idea that has been burning like fire from one person to a city, country and later to the ends of the earth.
This idea is being enhanced all over the world through Parishes, Schools and Youth Centers. Don Bosco Youth Technical Institute glooming the young in various skills and above all moral values celebrated the feast of their father and founder who loved them so dearly for the sole reason that they are young. There is no greater love than this of loving someone for the sole reason that they are, it is metaphysical in its nature. The only condition for this love is that you exist as a human being full of possibilities. Don Bosco looked for these possibilities in the young people and the rest counted as nothing. His motto “Give me souls, take away the rest” made him focus only at the metaphysical good of each young person and the accidental behavior mattered less to him.
Don Bosco lured the young with different entertainments with the end view of educating them, it is for this reason that Salesian presences are characterized by different activities that make young people flock to the premises. Therefore, any feast devoid of any sort of entertainment can not be Salesian. Don Bosco himself used to say a Salesian house without music is like a body without a Soul. The feast of Don Bosco on 29th January, 2010 was characterized by various activities like Quiz, cultural activities and games like netball, volleyball and football between staff members and the first years of the college. It ended with prize presentation at the end of all the activities. The staff as usual carried the day winning all the games.
The festivity mode continued until Sunday the 31st when Don Bosco Parish celebrated its feast day. All the out stations came and Sunday afternoon was full of activities ranging from drama, dancing and games. The feast was graced by the Member of Parliament, the Ambassador of Japan to Malawi among many others. The feast is not the end but the dream still leaves on unfolding in new frontiers.
