Salesian Institute for Holistic Advancement of the Rural and the Marginalized

The Salesian Province of Chennai identified Thiruvannamalai as a significant area of Salesian mission. The mission aimed at integral formation of the rural and the marginalized youth to work towards participatory village development initiatives, in order to give a new orientation to the upliftment process of the sub-altern groups with a special preference to SCs/STs. On 24th May 2003, Rev. Fr. Edwin Vasanthan SDB was appointed to begin a new presence in view of coordinating the activities specifically focused on the welfare and the empowerment of the marginalized people, namely the SC/STs of this region.

The new center was christened as SIHARAM (Salesian Institute for Holistic Advancement of the Rural and the Marginalized Finally, the blessing and inauguration of the new building Don Bosco SIHARAM was held on 17th January 2007 in the august presence of the Bishop of Vellore, Most Rev. Dr. SoundararajuPeriyanayagam SDB, DD, and the Salesian Provincial of Chennai, Rev. Fr. Stanislaus Swamikannu SDB. On the 29th of January 2007 the Salesians shifted their mission to the new place Don Bosco SIHARAM at Adaiyur.

The Salesian mission at Adaiyur has taken several twists and turns in adopting itself to the new situational needs of the marginalized youth and catering to their growth, by way of (empowerment programmes (3E-Professional Spoken English Course, Evening Study Centres for children) and establishing a state-of-the-art infrastructure (Garment Production Unit) to provide skill training and job placement Vazhikatti for rural youth and women in a short span of time to address their social and financial and spiritual needs.