(ANS – New Delhi – 11 de septiembre de 2026) – The Salesian Province of Delhi won the Rector Major’s Innovative Ministry Award 2026 for its initiative, “From Brick Kilns to Bright Futures: Transforming Lives Through Education,” during REWIND 2026, the annual review of the Mission Poverty Eradication program, held at the Salesian Provincial House in New Delhi.
The award, established to recognize creative, impactful, and replicable Salesian initiatives that respond to the needs of young people and communities, focused this year on the theme of Mission Poverty Eradication. The winning Province received ₹50,000, a trophy, and a certificate.
Rector Major Fr. Fabio Attard, General Councillor for South Asia Fr. Biju Michaely Executive Director of Don Bosco Tech Society Fr. George Mathew presented the award. A panel of three Salesian judges evaluated 32 initiatives.
The Delhi Province’s winning initiative stood out for its unconventional approach to reaching children of migrant workers employed in brick kilns. Instead of relying on fixed schools, the program operates 24 decentralized education and nutrition centers at brick-kiln sites, bringing services to more than 8,000 children of transient and bonded migrant workers who are outside the formal education system.
The initiative combines education with daily hot meals, life-skills training, and child-protection services, reflecting what the Salesians describe as an “oratory in the field”—a model of pastoral presence that brings education and care directly to children living in difficult and isolated environments. Click the link to watch the video: https://youtu.be/WvCs3tPxCGE
The second prize went to the Salesian Province of Kolkata for BE CLEAN: Ministry among the Lepers. The initiative was recognized as a pioneering and challenging extension of the Salesian charism to people affected by leprosy, one of society’s most marginalized groups. Click the link to watch the video: https://youtu.be/v1OL8Ft0EWo
The Salesian Province of Dimapur received the third prize for Labour for School Fee. This initiative addresses financial barriers to education in remote tribal communities through a dignity-centered alternative to conventional school fees.
Under the program, parents contribute either a day of labor on the mission farm or agricultural produce such as rice, maize, and vegetables in exchange for one month of schooling for their children. The model removes the barrier of cash payments while keeping families actively involved and responsible for their children’s education. Click the link to watch the video: https://youtu.be/nVmAnRzsyYY
The three winning initiatives demonstrated different approaches to poverty eradication—from bringing education directly to brick-kiln communities, to accompanying people affected by leprosy, to creating alternative pathways to education for economically disadvantaged tribal families.
Source: Don Bosco South Asia