India: Salesians build 500 low-cost houses for slum dwellers

The Don Bosco Development Society (DBDOC), the social development wing of the Salesian Province of Calcutta, West Bengal, eastern India, has built 500 low-cost houses for slum dwellers over the last six years.

On April 5, Archbishop Thomas D’Souza of Calcutta blessed and presented the 40 keys of newly constructed homes to needy families in a ceremony in Kapali Bagan, Tangra, Kolkata. 

Community members and representatives of the DBDOC attended the occasion.

D’Souza lauded the committed efforts of DBDOC and Salesians for their yeoman service for the poor. 

He underscored the impact of long-term projects in transforming lives and offering hope to vulnerable families in Kolkata.

Founded in 1997, DBDOC is committed to improving poor areas by addressing poverty, ignorance, and malnutrition. This low-cost housing project offers a respectable living space for families living in the difficult circumstances of the Kapali Bagan slum.

Located in the Tangra district of Kolkata, Kapali Bagan is home to many residents who are living precariously along a drainage canal. On the canal banks, residents frequently live under homemade shelters of bamboo poles and plastic sheeting. The area is also known for its proximity to dumping sites, where many residents scavenge for recyclables.

During his time as Secretary of the Kolkata Provincial, Father Mathew George, former assistant professor at Salesian College Sonada and Siliguri, launched the low-cost housing program. 

The DBDS started on this project six years ago, knowing the urgent need for safe and permanent homes for the slum dwellers, who often migrate from other parts of the West Bengal State or the country.

These affordable homes give people a much-needed, safe, and respectable place to live, a key move toward a better quality of life.