Excellence in sports and study mark the month of April at Victory House
April was a relaxed month at Victory House. The exams were finished and done with and the boys were enjoying their summer vacation. The boys from Shekinah House and the cottages too joined up at the VH and so it felt like a big, happy and comfortable family.
The Parents Staff Meeting was held at the Victory House library building and after the meet 35 of our boys left to be with their parents for a few weeks of summer vacations. Most of them will return at reopening towards the end of May. The prefects at VH assisted the staff in setting the venue of the meeting and also ensured that everything went as per plan. The boys from Laurel Cottage as well as the ones living at Colshaw & Harvest Cottage all moved to Victory House. Shekinah House and Laurel Cottage were both under repairs and renovations. All this led to a celebration and the birthdays of six boys was celebrated amid great cheer and a fantastic atmosphere. Good food was prepared and lots of soft drinks and singing ensured that the staff and children had a pleasant time.
Our boys have done well in their studies. The results have been declared both of the formal schools and the non formal school. We are happy to say that almost all of our boys have moved to the next class. Ten of our boys have also answered their tenth and twelfth standard Board examinations and we are sure they will fare very well as they have put in a lot of effort preparing for their exams. We hope to see them in college this coming academic year. On the sports front our boys have done extremely well. All the boys went for a two day sports and cultural camp at Peddem and four of them won prizes outshining many who came from all over Goa. Muttu, Babu Kale, James and Munna won the most valuable player in soft ball, dancing football and cricket respectively.
All staff went on a one day enrichment seminar to Candolim. Our new cook Basavraj too joined them. Johnny came by and gave a few pointers on effective management of Home. Francis was invited to a special seminar on wormi-culture programme at the St. Xavier’s College. We believe this is the solution to garbage disposal at our Homes and Shelters and the experimental project which was started at House of Kathleen is working superbly. We have now decided to go ahead and build wormi-culture pits at the other Homes as well.
A year has gone by and many of us are wondering where it has gone. Everyday is a day different from the other. Everyday is a challenge and it is relished. Children touch the lives of staff as much as the other way around. It is such a good feeling to see these young boys growing into mature teenagers and wanting to do something to change the circumstances of their lives and community. It gives particular satisfaction that we have been instrumental in changing lives for the better and we hope that Victory House will go from strength to strength in building lives for our nation.