0591_FIRST SALESIAN PRESENCE IN THE GULF REGION IS IN KUWAIT

Kuwait, April 08: In response, particularly to the invitation of the local Catholic Bishop Francis Micallef and the large community of Indians settled in Kuwait, the Salesians of Don Bosco have been negotiating for an educational presence in there since June 1998. The responsibility of establishing this presence in the Gulf region was entrusted to the Province of Mumbai by the late Rector Major, Fr. Juan Vecchi who provided all the necessary financial assistance and encouragement through the Councilor for the Missions, Fr. Luciano Odorico.

Under the Sponsorship of Brigadier Mohammed Juma, the required permission for establishing a school affiliated to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), New Delhi, India, was finally obtained on 17th March, 2002. The approved name of the school is Indian English academy School. It is situated in Salmiya which has a big Indian population.

On 6th April, 2002, the gates of  Indian English Academy School opened to welcome its first batch of students. The 350 students (and their numbers are growing daily), have been admitted to the Kinder Garten and Primary section (Stds. I - VI) and are mainly expatriate children coming from the different states of India, from Pakistan, Bangladesh, the Philippines and the Arab world (Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen) and ofcourse, a few from Kuwait as well.

The two salesian pioneers, Fr. Donald Fernandez as Principal and Fr. Derrick Misquitta as administrator have got off to a good start with the assistance of a select teaching and administrative staff from India and the rest locally engaged.

As elsewhere, the reputation of Don Bosco, the Educator has spread far and wide here. Don Bosco Past Pupils from various countries are residents in Kuwait and have certainly brought credit to the Salesian method of education through the witness of their own lives and their enthusiasm to help out at this pioneering stage. The rush for Admissions is still on and expected to increase in the years ahead.