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DBYAC-ENNORE, August 15-17, 2025:The Salesians of Chennai Province, the Youth Ministry Delegation, and Deepagam–Don Bosco Catechetical Center organized the third Kalaivazhi Iraimozhi Camp on August 15 to 17, 2025, at Don Bosco Youth Animation Center, Ennore, to catechize youth with folk arts by inviting young people who participated in the KVIM Tirupattur Camp held in May 2025. This event was supported by AICUF guides from Loyola College, Chennai.

Three days have passed by—days full of vigorous and buoyant youngsters (adolescents and youth) from poor and rural parishes in the otherwise hushed environment of the Don Bosco Youth Animation Center at Ennore with its far side shore of the Bay of Bengal. Chennai Metropolitan indeed preserves its distant past in the Ennore vicinity.

Deepagam organized the second instance of Kalaivazhi Iraimozhi 2025 at Ennore. Exactly fifty youngsters from Veeralur (4), Polur (13), Maranodai (5), Pavunjur (6), Vyasarpadi (13), Thirukazhukundram (7), and Tirupattur (2) parishes were sent by their parish priests for this camp. The Vyasarpadi (Chennai) children came from the oratory managed by a past pupil of the Chennai Salesians.

The Salesian Community at the Don Bosco Youth Animation Center (DBYAC), Ennore, gave a hearty welcome and provided a wholesome and hospitable ambience for building-up the conscience and right outlook towards the cultural, moral, and faith dimensions.

The programs were structured around two trainings: 1) Street Play and 2) Folk Dances (namely Lezim, Karagam, Oyil, Kummi, and Saatai). AICUF animators conscientized the youngsters with orientation on social analysis, history of street play, body language, script writing, dialogue modulation, voice practices, and game training.

The hospitality rendered by the community has been reflected in the participating youth, who have a contagious spirit of fervor for a cause of justice and fellowship. The presence of the community and accompaniment also has given impetus to our youngsters to be in solidarity with others, thus giving new insights into our youth ministry.

Program Outcomes
Young people who are trained in KVIM exhibited fervor, confidence, and openness towards others, the Church, and the society. They will be involved in the cultural events of the parish as folk art performers and nodes of social catechesis. Moreover, Deepagam is planning to conduct a Catechetical Folk Arts Program in the Salesian parishes with our trained young people through the KVIM project.

About KVIM25 Program
The program vision is making Christ known through folk arts in the young people’s lives. This being the objective of the ‘Education to Faith’ dimension of youth ministry, we work to facilitate the active presence of our young people in the parishes and institutional communities through folk arts catechesis. The three-day training-cum-pedagogical process streamlined the process of inculcating the socio-cultural awareness and contextualization of faith among the budding and future parishioners.

About AICUF
The All India Catholic University Federation (AICUF) is an organization of Catholic university students. The AICUF’s vision is “to sensitize students towards those at the margins and involve ourselves in the struggle for their basic rights by equipping ourselves physically, intellectually, and spiritually while networking with NGOs and peoples’ movements.” AICUF Mission: “We are born in an 'Unjust Society,' and we are determined not to leave it as we have found it!”

Anushya from Vyasarpadi (second-year college student)
Anushya: “This is my second time at KVIM25 (the first was in Tirupattur), which was very joyful. I came here to Ennore to learn more. I didn't know about Street Plays. I now know more or less about street plays. I am playing a main character in the street play. I am happy that I will be performing before three hundred people. Like this, we will be performing in many places.”

Coordinator: "What aspects of the training program made changes to you?"

Anushya: “I was very shy to speak before others. I was asked to come before and shout aloud for others to hear. Now, I am confident that I will be the first to act in the street play. I have acquired self-confidence and leadership skills.”

Bhuvaneshwaran, Vyasarpadi (16 years old)
Bhuvaneshwaran: “I already participated in the first camp. We expected the same kind of experience of the camp here too. We got double-triple the amount of experiences here at Ennore. We learned about street plays. Masters who were with us helped whenever we made mistakes. We doubted whether we truly knew how to act. Masters proved that we too can act (in street play).”

Coordinator: “What are the developments in yourself?”
Bhuvaneshwaran: “I started to feel that I too am an actor.”

Coordinator: “When you perform, people appreciate, celebrate, and applaud you, what do you feel about it?”
Bhuvaneshwaran: “I don't know what to say. I feel strange about it. It is a kind of joy. But feeling is different.

Coordinator: “Do you feel that you are a leader to yourself?”
Bhuvaneshwaran: “Yes. I can feel it. The camp made me realize it.”

Coordinator: “What is your future plan?”
Bhuvaneshwaran: “With the complete training of the masters, I will learn to write stories and form groups like Kalaivazhi Iraimozhi.”

Coordinator: “Please introduce yourself, who you are, and how many years you have been in the Street Play.”

Ranjit Roy: “Vanakkam. My name is Ranjit Roy. I studied B.Sc. Chemistry at St. Joseph’s College, Trichy. For three years I served as an AICUF full-timer. Now, I am an AICUF animator at the state level. Our senior students have introduced and taught us the street play. We gradually acquired training skill in it. This training program is very different. Here, there are lots of children. We experienced and enjoyed the pranks and became young ourselves. We see these children as pearls for tomorrow, as stars of hope in our eyes. Their curiosities, faith-related orientations, learning social issues, and new experiences… in all, we are getting strong hope for better social justice and responsibility.”

Coordinator: “Usually, youth tend to go astray due to various circumstances. In your experience, those involved in street play (and social conscientization), do they go astray due to bad influences for the youth?”

Ranjit Roy: “Not just street play, any art will give a sense of confidence. That’s the specialty of the art. Particularly street play affects acting skill, voice maturity, and so on; it manifests all leadership talents. Street play actors exhibit strong leadership skills. Voice and body language are their plus points. That’s street plays’ impact for the youth.”

Coordinator: “Why Arnold, along with a college education, are you determined to get involved in the social issues through street plays—unlike your fellow students who seek entertainment?”
Arnold: “Greetings to all! From the college days, after performing street plays, we have a passion towards the society. So many things are happening, and we can’t raise questions against it. We are using street plays as weapons. We reach people in simple ways in their own language(s); we speak politics and cinema… Cinema is only an echo. It has no real life, no real meaning in it. It is for money and other matters. Whereas, street play draws the participating youth towards itself. It gives impetus for the youth to raise their voices for the society. It serves as a platform for the society. Youth must express their positive anger towards the society through street play.”