Cambodia Salesian Delegation Newsletter Easter 2020 & Khmer New Year 2564

Kingdom of Cambodia, April 14, 2020 Dear Confreres, young people,

teachers,

friends

and

Peace.

For the past months the whole world has been engulfed in fear of contamination, suffering, isolation and death.

Everyone needed courage and strength to face, bear and overcome the pandemic we are facing. Many people have shown us the way:    

With Love front liners and volunteers have faced all fears to be faithful to their commitment to help and save lives.

With Hope victims have borne everything to keep on fighting to live and survive.

With Joy survivors have overcome all their pains, struggles and even death.

With Faith people have prayed for protection and healing from this pandemic, and for those who passed away.

Within our capacity and means as a Cambodian Delegation, we too have resolutely followed our decisions during this pandemic: In solidarity with others we have cooperated with the national government in its measures for protection from Covid19 by proper hygiene, social distancing, closure of our schools, suspension of work and public religious services for our staff and faithful to observe family and community quarantine.

As a shepherd takes care of His sheep we have disseminated information and have followed up our staff, students and Children Fund beneficiaries through email/phone. Others have continued classes via online.

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As responsible stewards we have maximized the use of our assets, like sewing machines by producing cloth face masks for emergency, our land and farm by planting more vegetables, taking care of our farm animals, and reserving our rice hunger supplies for food in the coming months (3-6months) and for any other emergency assistance to our staff, students and those who would be in need.

Unmindful of it in reality, we all have gone through the struggles and pains of protecting and saving life, like Jesus.

The world has shared in Christ's sufferings, isolation and death. With love, hope, joy and faith we too, like Jesus, will see the dawn and rise to a new life.

May the Easter painting in the Pinardi Chapel remind us of our spirituality of the Resurrected Jesus. May we give witness to and share a Life filled with optimism and hope in a relevant and meaningful manner to the people around us during this pandemic time.

Happy Easter to All. With love and prayers,

Fr. Roel Soto, SDB Delegate of Cambodia HAPPY EASTER from Don Bosco Sihanoukville Cambodia!

We are all sharing an experience that we would never ever have imagined. This year we have been living the time of Lent intensively, without needing any exhortations as we used to listen in the past.

Among other prayers, we Salesians every month have what Don Bosco used to call “the practice of the happy death�. It consists of 3 hours of reflection, with a homily, examination of conscience and confession. We prepare ourselves as if it was the last confession of our lives.

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By calculating all the hours spent in this Coronavirus crisis, we will no longer need to do this practice of piety for the rest of our lives. That is the point, as I am already thinking of how to refund myself for the difficult time spent with anxieties and worries for me and for others during this pandemic. How our lives will change if we survive this pandemic? Will we return to our routine life as before?

Will we make a change by continuing together the "awareness of fragility and temporariness" in this world by looking up to higher ideals? We will choose the latter. "Life is of no use if it is not served" Pope Francisco reminds us.

Without doubt, this pandemic has united the world in a unique objective. Many important things have become the less important. Wars have become meaningless, as they have always been, but now even more because the virus will manage to destroy all quarrels! The enemy has become the common one, and against the virus now the whole world!

Unfortunately, history confirms that men never learn enough from the lessons of the past. When difficulties are over, he returns to "Like before, more than before" not referring to the famous song “Like before� of the 60s. Looking to statistics that count by thousands of coronavirus infections and deaths, it struck me how the number of cases and deaths from other diseases is considerably higher than that of covid19. It’s enough to consider the 21,000 children and adults dying of hunger every day, for whom the world as a whole has never mobilized for.

Men continues with their forms of favoritism thinking to practice "justice". Now as the coronavirus has hit wealthy countries too, all super powers are working around the clock to fight the disease.

My Easter wishes are for the resurrection of values in our hearts, so that we give priority to the poor, the little ones, those incapable of being noticed or heard, those who may not even have the courage to knock on our doors.

I rejoice in knowing that many retired doctors and nurses have returned to work voluntarily... many of them have given their lives and will live Easter in Heaven! They are the martyrs of our time!

Thanks to all those who always have the poor at their table, to those who always have a dish ready for the poor as part of their own family.

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May the risen Lord bring hope, serenity and health to all the people who are suffering for the pandemic.

Br. Roberto Panetto, SDB Don Bosco Sihanoukville HAPPY EASTER Dear Confreres, Easter is a time to rejoice! God reminds us that He gave us His Son to die for our sins. He died so that we could one day have a home with Him in heaven because He loves us all. We have been going through tremendous difficulty, both in our country and around the world, due to Covid-19 or Coronavirus. Yet, let me remind you today that Easter is NOT CANCELED! Indeed, we may celebrate the Resurrection a bit differently this year than we ever have. Still, I believe because Jesus rose from the grave, we have tremendous hope for today, tomorrow, and all eternity!

WISHING YOU AND HAPPY AND GLORIOUS EASTER!

Fr. Eugene Xalxo SDB Don Bosco Technical School

For donations.

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ADVANCED BANK OF ASIA LIMITED No. 148, Preah Sihanouk Blvd., Phnom Penh, Cambodia A/C Name: DON BOSCO FOUNDATION OF CAMBODIA A/C Nr. 000275856 SWIFT ABAAKHPP

Happy Easter from Don Bosco Kep Sister Juanita and some of our teachers, are doing masks to be ready for any given emergency, although the situation in Cambodia seem rather positive in comparison with other countries.

Salesians, teachers, students are taking seriously the global recommendations such as social distance, washing hands, wearing masks in public and promoting enough information, especially for rural families.

In Don Bosco Kep, 320 students of the Technical School, continue lessons from home, profiting the fact that most Cambodian youth, even the poorer, poses cell phones and access to the Internet. Teachers, some of them from their own home, send the lessons through different platforms. In this way, the first semester is already at its end.

Social workers of the Don Bosco Children Fund are following the conditions of the child members of the funding program and sharing useful information to their families. The Cambodian government is also leading online education to guarantee that 5|Pag e

children and youth do not lost time in their academic programs.

Social workers are reminding and assisting children at home to follow the programs sent online.

Online education is a way to defend the rights of education of children and youth, while it helps them to stay at home during this difficult time of pandemic. Don Bosco has all conditions to lead online education and reach the houses of the students.

Look on Facebook for these hashtags and watch the videos of our teachers and students talking about our online courses and asking support for our school. Thanks for sharing đ&#x;˜…đ&#x;™? #HelpDonBoscoKep #DonBoscoKepOnlineEducation #DonBoscoStayAtHome #StayAtHome

In the middle of this time of taste for all, we got always good news. The Social Communication Department won the first prize of the Asia Wei Luy Short Video Contest.

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Checking body temperature of every person that stays at Don Bosco Kep campus.

In the middle of darkness, Don Bosco keeps bright, because he got the light of Jesus Christ.

Thanks for your help, Happy Easter 2020 and Happy Khmer New Year 2564!

Fr. Ly Samnang Don Bosco Kep

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We pray for the soul of our dearest Don Bosco Sihanoukville past pupil Khean Pirum, who passed away. We even could not attend his funeral due to the pandemic. May His Soul Rest in Peace and Don Bosco welcomes him at the heavens.

Welcome back to Fr. Roel, who attended the General Chapter 28 in Turin, Italy. He invited officially the Rector Major to visit Cambodia next May 24, 2021, during the 30rd Anniversary of Don Bosco in Cambodia.

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