JSC Newsletter_vol05_Eng

Jesuit Service Cambodia

Issue 05

JSC NEWSLETTER jscambodia.org | 2017 January to April

Jesuit Service Cambodia Jesuit Service Cambodia (JSC) is an international nongovernment organization (NGO) run by Jesuit Mission in Cambodia. We have been working in education, infrastructure development, health, and wheelchair since the beginning. The activities of JSC are divided into the Rural program - Metta Karuna - and the Special program. The Special program consists of Banteay Prieb, RDAS program, Ecology program, Ear clinic, Publishing Project, and Light of Mercy Home.

Fields of JSC JSC are present in 8 places: Phnom Penh, Kampong Thom, Siem Reap, Battambang, Banteay Meanchey, and in the bordering provinces of Kampong Speu, Kampong Chnang and Kandal. Banteay Prieb, the vocational school for People with disability is located in Kandal district. Mekong Wheelchair and the office of Rural Development project which works with Farmer Solidarity and Khmer women Association in local communities are within Banteay Prieb compound.

Banteay Prieb Homecoming Day On 31st of March, annual homecoming day was held in Banteay Prieb, the technical school for disabilities. 59 graduates have come to visit Banteay Prieb after a long interval from their graduation. They shared their time with students of Banteay Prieb for the whole day. The opening ceremony has announced the official opening of the day in the early morning after having breakfast together. In the morning session, Panh Chanda, JSC staff, gave a lecture about ecology to realize the seriousness of environmental pollution. Directly after the lecture, we started out in acting for the environment as picking up the trash around the school.

After this, students spread out to each classroom—agriculture, electronics, mechanics, sewing, phone repairing, make-up, and intellectual disabilities—which they belong to, in order to have sharing time with the graduates. During the sharing time, graduates talked their own experiences in the society as a worker with disability over with the students. In the late afternoon, all students gathered and set a stage for question and answer in a free atmosphere. After all the prepared programs are ended, all people including students, graduates, and all faculty members had a dinner party with dancing.

Publisher Indon Oh | Editor Gyoulee Choi

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Jesuit Service Cambodia

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Interviews of Banteay Prieb Students

Sophanna (age of 22, Agriculture class)

Veasna (age of 24, Electronics class)

Q. How did you get to know about Banteay Prieb??

A. 2 years before, a Banteay Prieb teacher visited my hometown for outreaching. At that time, I was working in a drinking water plant. Because of the teacher, I got to know about Banteay Prieb, the technical school for disabilities. After that, when the teacher visited my hometown once more, he suggested me to be a student of Banteay Prieb.

Q.How did you get to know about Banteay Prieb?

A. One day, I was on a bus in my hometown. And suddenly someone has talked to me who was studying at Banteay Prieb. He explained me of Banteay Prieb and asked me to go there for studying.

Thus, I gave him my phone number, and after, I could get a call from the school.

Q. What factor had served as a momentum to come to Banteay Prieb?

A. Simply, I wanted to study on Agriculture, and I thought Banteay Prieb could be the best place for me to satisfy my eager to learn.

Q. You have been living in Banteay Prieb for three months already, how do you feel of the living and studying in BP? A. When I came to Banteay Prieb, I thought I am losing one year to work and earn money. So, I was feeling sad. The school, Banteay Prieb, was not a important factor for me. However, as I learn many things from Banteay Prieb, I have confidence that I would earn more money compare to past. I feel much happier than when I worked in the factory.

Q. How did you feel about Homecoming Day? What was the most memorable moment for you?

A. Homecoming Day was generally an interesting and helpful experience. The most memorable time during the day was the sharing. The alumni who have experiences of studying and working in real field shared their own stories. It was good opportunity for me to learn success and failure in indirect experience. For me, the alumni were just like teachers. They provided stimulus to me to learn more in eager.

Q. What factor had served as a momentum to come to Banteay Prieb?

A. I was working in an electricity shop. Even though I was working there, I have no idea about the electricities. Thus, I really wanted to learn in Electronics, and Banteay Prieb comes to me as an oppotunity, Q. You have been living in Banteay Prieb for three months already, how do you feel of the living and studying in BP? A. I am an introverted person. Thus, when I first came to Banteay Prieb, I had some difficulties in getting along with strangers. However, now I really enjoy being with people. On the other hand, one thing that I am happy with is to going forward day by day by learning. My enthusiasm towards learning is getting fulfilled, so I am happy.

Q. How did you fell about Homecoming Day? What was the most memorable moment for you?

A. Listening to the experiences was so much helpful for me. Actually, studying in Electronics is not so easy for me, but I could be consoled by the alumni’s sharing who had similar difficulties with me. The most memorable thing on the Homecoming Day was the evening party. In my hometown, I could not dance because everyone else is having different appearance from mine, which made me embraced to receive attention. But I could dance without any disturbance, because all the students are in similar appearance.

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Jesuit Service Cambodia

Issue 05

Light of Mercy Home

Lights of Mercy Home, Easter Party Prepared by Disabled Children 30th of April, Sunday of the third week of Easter, many people were invited to Light of Mercy Home. For celebrating the resurrection of Jesus, children in Light of Mercy Home have prepared a party. They prepared some recreational games like ‘looking for easter eggs’, ‘hitting the pots (as picture shown in the bottom), also they prepared some performances such as monkey dance, Cambodian traditional blessing dance, and sign language song. Through this party, volunteers, neighbors, and children and staffs of Light of Mercy Home could get together and have a fun.

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Light of Mercy Home in Phnom Penh provides Children with Disability a home and a center where they can get an education and live together. Children with Disability learn to live together as a community within a nurturing environment with the care of staff in order to gain confidence.

This means that disability is a part of their identity and not a punishment as they share similar experiences and feelings with each other. We provide them formal education and training for life skills to overcome their disabilities, and encourage individual talents and interests through extra- curriculum such as extra classes in music, dancing, computer skills and simple craft skills. Through the care and activities provided, LMH aims to prepare them to lead an independent life, to develop artistic values and other useful life skills. Currently, 4 intellectual disabilities, 9 blinds, 14 deaf, and 6 vulnerable children are staying together in LMH.

(top left) Monkey dance by boys (bottom left) Cambodian traditional dance, blessing dance by girls (right) Cambodian game called ‘hitting the pots’ as blind

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JSC News from January to April 2017

Banteay Prieb, Start of the new semester January 10th, Banteay Prieb was full of new students who com from every region of Cambodia. They had opening ceremony in following day.

Kindergarten Teachers Training On the 3rd of February 2017, six kindergarten teachers from the X a v i e r J e s u i t S c h o o l p ro j e c t participated, for the first time, in a training session at Chamnaom Church, organized by the Salesian S i s t e r s an d t h e B a t t am b an g Prefecture. In the training session, teachers learned the child-led play which is in need of the psychological development of children. The participation of our XJS teachers in this program was sponsored by Joy

Inter-religious Dialogue, 27th Dammayietra From 17th of March until 20th of M a rc h , F r . I n g u n K an g s . j . participated in the Dammayietra: the peace walks by Cambodian Buddhist monks. All the participants took time to convey the peaceful message and the importance of environment by marching.

Scout Camp in Xavier Jesuit School On Saturday the 21st of January, the cub-scout pack gathered for an overnight camp at the school campus. Mr. Yom Yeat, the local leader, prepared an active program for the 32 cub scouts with the other 12 leaders. The program included games, preparing masks of favorite animals, a camp-fire and a project to make extra road-signs to guide traffic across the local village roads.

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Coordinators Meeting at Headquarter March 10th, all coordinators from each project and region have gathered at Phnom Penh. They had time to evaluate all the projects on going. As following, they discussed how JSC should develop with those in need of correction.

Parents meeting in Dei Lo and Pphnom Bak Kindergarten On the 2nd and 3rd of March 2017, two new coordinators of the Primary and Kindergarten classes at Dey Lo and Phnom Bak led their first parents’ meeting. It is much more effective for children's education that both teachers and parents support for their education .

Ecology Team, Prey Lang Forest Patrol From April 23 to 27, our JSC Ecology Program team joined the forest community of Kbal Khla (tiger’s head) in their patrol of the Prey Lang forest. All in all, we were 24 people, using 20 motorcycles, going through narrow paths in the protected area of Prey Lang searching for illegal activity. At the end of the 5 days we were able to confiscate 3 chainsaws and send out 5 groups from the forest. We were also able to ordain several trees, to pray for them, and leave a sign that hopefully potential illegal loggers will respect.

The Roof Goes on the Multipurpose Hall at Xavier Jesuit School After a long wait, the builders began to place the metal sheets on the roof of the multi-purpose hall on the 12th of March 2017 before the rainy season begins.

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Support Us Bank: ACLEDA Bank Plc Address: #61, Preah Monivong Blvd, Sankat, Srah Chork, Khan Daun Penh, Phnom Penh, Cambodia (+855 2388 4444) Account: Saving account Swift code: ACLBKHPP Chips UID: 415637 Name: Jesuit Service Cambodia Account No.: 0001-20-296380-2-99

Xavier Jesuit School Contact Homepage: jesuitschoolcam.org E-mail: jesuit.school.cambodia@gmail.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/xavier.jesuit.school.cambodia Phone: +855 078 405 092

Contact U Homepage: www.jscambodia.org Facebook: www.facebook.com/jesuitservicecambodia E-mail: commjsc123@gmail.com Address: #377, Kok Khleang, Phnom Penh Thmey, Phnom Penh, Cambodia (PO box: #880) Phone: (+855) 12 366 917

Photo: Children attending music class at Dei Lo Kindergarten

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