Three Wadala Shelter Residents Selected as Maharashtra Police Constables

Three young men from Shelter Don Bosco in Wadala, Mumbai, have recently been selected as constables in the Maharashtra Police force. This marks the first time in the history of the after-care home that three of its residents have been selected for the state police force together.

The selected candidates are Omkar Shinde, Shankar Jadhav, and Sunil Kharge. While Shinde and Jadhav are preparing for their careers, Kharge is currently undergoing police training in Solapur.

Shinde, now 23, arrived at the Wadala shelter in 2023. He had lost his parents during his early teens in a village in Raigad district and was placed in an orphanage with his sister. After turning 18, he left the orphanage and lived temporarily with relatives. Wanting a stable place to continue his college studies, he joined Shelter Don Bosco. Shinde credited the shelter's guidance for helping him set his goals and is now preparing for the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) administrative examinations.

Jadhav had a similar journey, having lived in an orphanage in a village in Jalgaon district. After turning 18, he found himself with no place to go. He lived in a government facility for homeless people for some time before learning about the facility in Wadala. Jadhav noted that the shelter encouraged him to study without the stress of securing food and shelter.

Shelter Don Bosco has been operated by the Salesians of Don Bosco, a Roman Catholic order of priests, since 1987. It initially served as an open shelter for street children and rag-pickers. Led by director Father Rudolf D'Souza, the child care institute later transitioned into an after-care home for young adult orphans between the ages of 18 and 24.

Father Sunil Pinto, the vice director and programme coordinator, stated that the transition was made because many care leavers faced severe economic hardship and social exclusion after being forced to leave protective children's homes at age 18.