Photo: Salesian Institute, Cape Town

For several years, Salesian Cooperator and Shrigley Old Boy, Bernard O'Neill, helped at the Salesian Institute in Cape Town. This short story was inspired by his experience, and reminds us that Don Bosco's mission to the young is still being carried out every day, all over the world.

Joseph woke up feeling the 'South-Eastern' wind on his exposed face. His eyes tried to focus in the bright sunlight on the sight to which he opened his eyes every morning: Table Mountain.

He was still feeling the effects of last night's strenuous knock-about with six of the other street children, who lived with him under the elevated motorway that leads to nowhere, on the streets of Cape Town, South Africa.

He had slept in his only set of clothes, on his cardboard bed, with a thin old quilted cover he'd found in a waste bin on the Strand a few months ago. He couldn't remember the last time he had a wash; the only water that touched his face was rain.

He begrudgingly rose, checked to make sure his Shoprite shopping trolley was still there, and then rolled up his cover, folded the cardboard and put them both in the trolley. Wow, he thought, the sun is hot today! Then he heard the Noon Gun, fired over the city each day at mid-day. No wonder, the sun is at its hottest now, he thought, and there is not a cloud in the sky!

Joseph made his way to the centre of the city, and noticed there was no one about, the streets were deserted. Then he heard the sounds of church music and bells ringing. What was going on?

A car pulled up and the driver asked where he was going. 'Near the railway station in Riebeek Street,' he answered.

The stranger told him there were no trains today, "It's Christmas Day," he said.

Joseph panicked. What was he going to do? He begged for food and money near the station, which was used normally by thousands of people each day.

The stranger saw the panic in his eyes and asked if he wanted to come with him for a meal. Joseph was very apprehensive; he had heard stories of other boys who had accepted lifts from strangers and had never been seen again! But then he thought, this stranger looks okay - but it was the rumbling in his stomach that said "Yes".

It was only a short drive before the car pulled up outside a large building with a massive playground.

"I'm Fr Peter," said the stranger, 'What's your name?"

"Joseph," he replied.

'Okay, Joseph' Fr Peter said, 'follow me.'

Joseph entered the building and followed him up two flights of stairs to a room with several beds in it.

"Right, before we eat, let's see what other clothes we have for you, and while I sort them out, you can go through that door and have a shower," Fr Peter told him.

Joseph looked blank!

"Come on, I'll show you how it works." And Fr Peter did.

"You can leave your clothes over there, and here's a towel and some soap. I'll leave some clean clothes on this bed, and when you've finished, you can put them on.'

When Fr Peter returned, Joseph was looking like a different boy, and very smart in the clothes he had left for him.

"Let's go and get something to eat,' said Fr Peter, and Joseph followed him down the stairs to a big room with about twenty other boys and six or seven adults.

They found Joseph an empty chair at one of the tables. The other boys were all talking loudly, and then they noticed the stranger amongst them.

"What's your name?" several of the boys asked at the same time.

"Joseph," he replied, not knowing which of them to look at first. Then they all spoke at once again, giving him their names. Fr Peter came over and asked if he was all right. "Yes," he said, "but where's the food?" All the other boys laughed.

"Okay," said Fr Peter, "but let's say Grace first," and all the boys joined in.

After the prayer, Fr Peter introduced Joseph to everyone and wished them all a happy Christmas, celebrating the birth of Christ Jesus. "Let's enjoy our meal together, and there will be some surprises later," he said.

Poor Joseph had never seen anything like it! Soup, followed by turkey, chicken, potatoes, cauliflower, sprouts and carrots, then pudding and custard and cheese and biscuits - all washed down with plenty of lemonade. He ate like a horse and felt like a pig!

All the time while he was eating, he was talking to the other boys at his table. He found out that, like him, they had also lived on the streets before they were brought into this place called the Salesian Institute.

"Who are these people?" he asked Francis, the boy next to him.

'Fr Peter and the others are Salesians of Don Bosco.'

"What? who is that?" asked Joseph.

"Don't worry about that now," replied Francis, "You will find out in time. Just enjoy Christmas and thank Jesus that Fr Peter brought you to this place."

The characters in this story are fictitious, but the events illustrate the great work Salesians are doing in Cape Town and elsewhere, bringing street children into a safe environment where they are educated and taught life skills and career skills, and where many of them experience kindness and feel the love of God for the first time.

Bernard O'Neill

Visit the Salesian Institute website