By Fr. Joaquim Fernandes, SDB and Pearl Fernandes
Mumbai : Youngsters in India had much to celebrate as the festival of Madonna 2019 took place in a wonderfully uplifting atmosphere. Nearly 2,000 youngsters from 25 junior colleges across Pune, a city in the western India state of Maharashtra, were in attendance to enjoy a packed diary of faith-based events with a particular focus on the environment. This event was organised by Don Bosco Junior College Pune and co – powered by Tolani Maritime Institute, Trinity School of Performing Arts, International Institute of Hotel Management (IIHM), Pride Globaltech Services Pvt. Ltd.,and Melwin Holidays on 21st and 22nd, September, 2019.
Father Michael Bansode, SDB rector of Don Bosco Education Complex, opened the event and unveiled the Madonna Championship Trophy, which was to be awarded to the group which made the most significant contribution on the event's thme of " Think Green, Keep it Clean".
The overall goal of this year's Madonna festival was to get the young delegates to explore new ways they could promote greater environmental awareness albeit always linked to faith. However, the event was much more than a conference on the environment, with the young delegates enjoying a host of sports and other cultural events in what was an extravaganza of fun, laughter, singing , dancing and joy.
Father Joaquim Fernandes, SDB, Former Regional Delegate BOSCOM, South Asia delivered the keynote address on the theme, while Raghunath Dhole, a well-known environmentalist known locally as ' The Tree Man', spoke about the benefits to society as a whole of tree planning, and exhorted the children to plant at least two trees. To practice what he preached he said that he had planted nearly 12 lakh sapling in his campus in Pune.
Father Bosco D'Mello, SDB, Principal of Don Bosco School and Junior College who conceptualised the Fest said ''It was a team effort to encourage youth talent and build the community to save our environment.'' He pointed out that the event was part of the Don Bosco Worldwide's vision of empowering the youth to be responsible citizens, instilling in them values and spirituality through education. " We feel inspired by the words of our patron saind: 'Education is the matter of the heart, " he siad.
During the event Father Francis Gonsalves SJ posed a significant question to staff and students: Where am I going with my life? He gave the example of Greta Thunberg, the now world-renowned Swedish child environmental activist credited with raising global awareness of the risks posed by climate change. It was her stand that has inspired students around the globe to engage in similar protests in their own communities. Together they are part of the school climate strike movement, under the name Fridays for Future.
Greta knew where she was going with her life, Fr Gonsalves said. God has created you; you too can make a difference. He urged young people to change the channel of your life. “Like the prophet Jeremiah, you are not too small to make a difference.” He quoted Jeremiah 1:5 when he said “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you; before you were born, I set you apart. I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” Other speakers included Jeevan Kumar Anand from Anandvan. This means literally ‘Forest of Joy’ and he spoke about his journey of environmental activism. He created flora and fauna through partnerships and has been a volunteer on a number of eco-projects.
He encouraged students to volunteer at his site and reduce thetime they spend on social media – “give the planet two hours you used to give to Facebook”, he said. In that time, he suggested, they should volunteer to plant trees and protect the environment. This will reduce carbon footprints and help save our environment. College students participated in various competitions like Rangoli , Mehendi , Nail art, Poster making, Face painting, Debates, Elocution, Essay writing, Group Singing, Solo singing, Solo dance, Group dance, Fashion Shows, Band, Street play, Chess, Table tennis, Football ,Basketball and Carrom tournaments, Quiz, Cooking with and without fire, saw determination and grit in achieving success.
The following Junior Colleges won the First prize at the Madonna 2019- Inter Junior College Fest event.
Anglo Urdu High School & Junior College – Carrom Singles (Boys), Don Bosco Junior College – Elocution Competition, Carrom Singles (Girls), Cooking Without Fire, Football (Boys) and Essay Writing, Loyola Junior College – Face Painting, Quiz and Debate competition, N. M. V. Junior College – Solo Dance, Chess (Girls)and Rangoli competition, Pune International Junior College – Fashion Show, S. N. B. P. Junior College, Morwadi – Chess (Boys), Football (Girls), St. Felix High School & Junior College – Cooking With Fire, St. Mira's Junior College – Poster Making, Mehendi, Basket Ball (Girls) and Street Play Competion, St. Patricks Junior College – Nail Art, St. Vincent's Junior College – Table Tennis (Boys), Symbiosis – Basket Ball (Boys), Jai Hind Junior College – Group Dance, Bishops Junior College, Camp – Group Singing, Solo Singing.
Street play, eco clubs and LED bulbs
The festival’s street play was a particularly popular activity. Sakshi Singh from St Mira’s College of Girls said: “It took us three days to produce the street play on the topic of Think Green, Keep it Clean. It was a team effort. I wrote the script and produced the play, with the students acting out the key roles. “The message was loud and clear: save our planet and protect the children, refuse plastic and stop using fire crackers which pollute the environment.”
Her group’s efforts and enthusiasm were rewarded with them winning the Madonna 2019 Championship Trophy for the best contribution at the event on its environmental theme. Swayam Ghevade, a science student from Pune International College, was excited to win the fashion award. “This is a glorious day in the life of our group. This concept has led me to respect cultural diversity and religion. Kudos to all our teachers who motivated us and trained us to showcase our personalities,’’ he said.
During his closing address, Father Donald Fernandez SDB Principal, Don Bosco High School and Junior College, Navi Mumbai encouraged the students to love Don Bosco and, in true Don Bosco style, to stay young. The event had an immediate impact on the young delegates, too, as they planned to take new ideas on being kind to the planet back to their colleges. These included a greater emphasis on recycling as well as preserving resources such as water and electricity and reducing their carbon footprints. Others commented on the practical steps they will take to protect the environment after the Fest. Student Kirthi Dominic said: “I plan to start an eco club in our college and plant more trees. I will also use my bike to travel to my college.’’ Fr Bosco D’Mello plans to make the Don Bosco School and JuniorCollege an eco-friendly campus by fixing LED bulbs and solar panels to cut carbon footprints.
