S

t Andrew’s College,

Bandra, in collaboration

with the Diocesan

Youth Centre (DYC) and

SPICE, Bandra, organised

Awesummer 2019 for the

youth at St Andrew’s College

premises. Conceptualised by

Fr Magi Murzello, Principal, St

Andrew’s School, Bandra, this

unique programme offered

the Mumbai suburban youth

an opportunity to discover the

hidden facets of their personalities

and enhance their skill sets. Held

across multiple Bandra venues,

the courses ranged from fun-filled

Social Ballroom Dancing and

Baking to creative Graphic Design

and World of Poetry to the off-beat

Mystery Writing and Handwriting

Analysis to Personality Development

and Better Communication. Kept to

a duration of either 10 or 20 hours,

each course’s content was designed

to give the youth a fair idea of the

subject without boring them with an

excess of information.

The core team encountered an

ally in Bishop Barthol Barretto, who

galvanised his army of Small Christian

Communities’ Co-ordinators to

take this programme to the youth in

their respective areas. Deacon Ivan

Fernandes reached out to yet more

youth via Careers Hangout and the

Quo Vadis retreats. The team definitely

did not anticipate the enthusiasm and

go-getter attitude that the youngsters

would display. An incessantly ringing

phone, a queue at the registration desk

as parents and youth patiently awaited

their turn, pleas to the faculty to

“organise just one more batch, please!”

or “take this last student only”, the

regret of the Awesummer co-ordinator

as she turned yet another student

away from a “house full” course — all

became hallmarks in the lives of the

team members.

This contagion even infected the

faculty members who thought nothing

of walking the extra mile for their

enthusiastic and grateful

students. Two-hour long

classes ran to 2.5 hours

as parents worried over

their wards’ whereabouts.

Feedback forms were filled

with comments of “Sir Eric/

Sir Abhishek/Cordelia is

just the best!”, “Chef Allan/

Christine ma’am taught us

little tricks to remember

our stuff” and “They made

us realise just how simple

dance/graphic design/baking is.”

The 17 Awesummer 2019 courses

touched the minds and hearts of over

300 youth across the city. This was

evident at the graduation ceremony

held on 30 May 2019 at St Andrew’s

High School grounds. The gratitude,

respect and admiration of the youth for

their teachers was too evident to notice

as they huddled around them to talk

and click photographs. Ably assisted

by the Women’s Cell of St Andrew’s

Parish, the successful Awesummer

2019 came to a close on 30 May, well

on time for the students to begin yet

another academic year, refreshed with

the beautiful memories of all that they

experienced at the youth event par

excellence.

— Anjali Heredia Gracias

events

Jazz Funk Dance

Mystery Writing

Youth Entrepreneurship and

Leadership Development

Programme