October_December_2022_DON_BOSCO_CHILDREN_FUND_CAMBODIA_2022

“Helping Children to keep in the track of their DREAM” Objectives of the newsletter To share life and activities to KNOW each other better To inform each other to GROW together

Don Bosco Children Fund Sihanoukville Don Bosco Children Fund Sihanoukville Sihanoukville: From 10 to 13 of October 2022, 65 staff members of the technical and hotel schools, had a seminar on the Strenna 2023 of Fr. Ángel Fernández Artime. The session was conducted by Fr. Them Nguyen. SDB. The Strenna focused on the theme of lay mission partners and their contribution to the Salesian Mission.

On 11th November, the community celebrated the birthday of Fr. Eugene Xalxo, rector of Sihanoukville.

Through his role as the school animator, he is the face of Don Bosco to many young people. It was a great day of celebration and fun.

During Christmas Season and New Year, our children decorate the school.

A time to celebrate love, joy, and happiness. A time to demonstrate solidarity and companionship.

Don Bosco Children Fund Battambang On 27th1October we were so happy to meet our children at Preannil again! We haven't seen them for a long time as the village, on the outskirts of Battambang, was inaccessible during the rainy season. We went to the house of Sreyreth to encourage the group of 13 students about their upcoming exams and wish them luck!

On 3rd November, delicacies for all and birthday gift for Sreymeas thanks to a sponsor! Potato chips, fruit wafers and nutty chocolate balls for 27 children in Pursat province. While the children were feasting, we gave a pep talk to the parents. We shared about the importance of education, future plans and the help of the Don Bosco Children's Fund in this. Explaining parents that only with the support of many kindhearted people, Don Bosco Children Fund Cambodia is able to help over 1,500 children each month! On behalf of students, parents and Don Bosco Children Fund team, thank you dear benefactors for your generous sponsorship!

30th November – Graduation Day & End of school year celebration at Don Bosco Andaung Chenh. A festive morning with performances by students, speech of the local Education Department delegate and graduation ceremony kindergarten, grade 6, 9, and 12.

1st December – Leakena lives in Chroub, a rural village a two hour's drive by car from Battambang city. Next school year, starting January 2023, she will go to grade 9. Thanks to sponsors she now has decent transportation; a beautiful shiny purple bicycle!

Don Bosco Children Fund Poipet Since October, the DBCF of Poipet is in full swing. In October we had few days of holidays to celebrate the Pchum Ben Festival, to recall our ancestors and pay them homage. During this festival, many of our students and team visit the temple to pray for our ancestors. We have been busy preparing for the end of the academic year. At the moment, we are on vacations. However, a lot is happening. We are enrolling new students and we are also doing maintenance work in the school.

In this month, 93 of our students from grade 10, 11 and 12 went to do the national exam in Banteay Chhma. It was a tough experience. Public schools were used as places to sleep and we also had to cook our own food. It is a great experience of dedication and our students managed to do it well… though we are waiting for results.

This academic year has been a good one, because we have a 12th grade student, Miss Raksmey, that won the national exam being the third of the entire province. At the same time, in the English-speaking competition in Banteay Meanchey province, out of 400 participants, three of our students reached the second last round. We hope that they do well.

On 14th Oct, the school celebrated gratitude day. It was a day filled with dances and songs. The highlight of the day was the school band that performed 3 songs. The students have been learning to play music instruments from the month of May and they have done very well. Their music masters are Br. Dara and Br. Habi.

From 24 to 29 of October, the students did their final exams for the year. All students were well prepared.

Exams give us an insight into the academic life of our students. The exams are conducted according to the government standards. We pray and hope that all our students pass with flying color.

Between the end of October and beginning of November, Fr. Michael Gaikwad, along with teachers Veasna and Sophea, visited our students in Kampung Thom, Siem Reap, Bantey Meanchey, Odor Meanchey and Preah Vihear. It was a happy experience, to see the students and meet their families. However, the visit helped us see the poor condition in which our students live and how they have to struggle to make ends meet.

Here we can see some technical activities in our Don Bosco Poipet, with teachers and students working together to reach a level of formation and skill training for a better future.

05 December: Thanks to Mr. Hun Ly Haing (electrical student of the 8th generation) and his wife Mrs. Ngoy Srey Hay and their beloved son and daughter, who brought good gifts for our youth and children. They donated 2 bags of 50 kg of rice, a traffic control panel, 24 packs bottles of water, 3 boxes of noodles, 1 container of snacks, 1 bottle of oil, 24 packs of soft drinks and 6 packs of soy sauce.

2nd December, the beginning of the new academic year. We had a school assembly to introduce the team and the students. Fr. Mark welcomed the students and we began a new great year of learning and fun.

To welcome the new students, there was a friendly football tournament on 4th Dec. This was just to get students into the Football World Cup fever. We will soon have a tournament for all the sections of the school.

Don Bosco Kep Children Fund Sun Children & Children Fund in Kep Thanks to Kindermission work, which has been supporting the Sun Children Scholarship Program since 2016 and many other benefactors, we have been able to continue our service to more than 50 teenagers in our student residence in Kep Province. This year, the assistants of the children have attended a regular training in Child protection and safety.

The Sun Children Program includes also 20 indigenous teenagers of the Jarai People in Ratanakiri and it is also linked to the Don Bosco Children Fund with children Nucleus in Udong Meanchey, Kampong Cham (a brick factory), Chreng Jarai Village in Ratanakiri, three children nucleus in Kampot (Chumkiri, Kos Sla and Banteay Meas) And two children nucleus in Kep Province (the salt field of Angkol and at Don Bosco campus.) The team of DBCF in Kep is made by Sr. Juanita Navel (general supervisor), Sr. Milagros Ramírez (BA Children Education), Miss Sokhun Nget (coordinator), Mr. Sopheaktra Mom (office secretary and webmaster), Mr. Vatanak Khem (boys assistant) and Miss Amra Nheb (girls assistant). There are also other members of the Kep academic community involved in the work, education and protection of the children in campus and in the nucleus: The cooks, guards, technical teachers invited to provide vocational introductions to the children, the driver and the administration of Don Bosco Kep.

Painting

Sport

Computing & English

Agriculture

Traditional dancing

Meeting Parents

Children at public school

Cooking Lesson

Children’s parents gets fund for their daughter

Jarai Children in Ratanakiri

Home visit in Kampong trach

Home visitation in Koh Sla

On 21th October 2022 Mr. Pheng Phanith our student was selected to participate in the, "Outstanding Student Competition," from Chakriya Vong primary school, Kep Province.

On 21th, October. We welcomed Mr. Christopher Graeme, Vice President of Laurelton Diamond (Cambodia) Co. Ltd for Support Bring 5 tons of rice, 100 sticks of fish sauce, 100 sticks of soy sauce, 100 cans of noodles, 100 cans of canned fish, 180 cans of towels to give to fathers, brothers, sisters, teachers, staff and students studying at Don Bosco Technical School. 05 people received scholarships from the company for 2 years.

24 October 2022 Program for welcome back and celebrated birthday Fr. Samnang after his vacation three month. From DBCF Kep province.

1st November 2022 We welcomed Mr. Gerard Van Hal, the Hatrans Funds, who supports our school since 2004.

Other activities: Carmelites’ General Superior On 4th November2022, we have the honorable visit of the Mother Superior of the Carmelite Sisters of Kep, Sr. Juana Ángeles Zárate Celedón. It was an opportunity to thank the Carmelites for their loyal commitment to the Mission at Don Bosco Kep and at the Cambodian Catholic Church, especially for the education, care and protection of Cambodian children.

At the moment we have three sisters at Don Bosco Kep: Sr. Juanita Navel and Sr. María Ramona Gutiérrez from Mexico and Sr. Milagros Ramírez from Peru since 2016.

21 November 2022 Teachers’ Workshop at Don Bosco Technical School, Kep Province by Mr. Pov Tola, Director of Don Bosco Development Office of Cambodia

On 11/12 December, 2022 The Grade 12 students from Sun Children Kep successfully completed the Bac II exam in two days.

This year, there are 6 children who have successfully completed 12th grade and they’re continuing their study as a technical skill at Don Bosco Kep for another two years more.

1. Bun Chantha 4. Phoun Seyha 2. Nheb Rai 5.Nget Tomly 3. Set Sreyleab 6. Pheng Nak

Receiving new children On 15th November, 2022 in this new school year, Don Bosco Kep children fund receiving new children to stay inside the school, most of them are poor, cannot afford to continue their education, their school far from home, and no transportation.etc.

Presentation plastic cycling We Thank you to Ms. Yuli, Project Manager for Plastic Waste and Recycling at Marine Conservation Cambodia (MCC) for providing an exciting opportunity to visit Don Bosco and engage with children on plastic waste issues in Cambodia and how to reduce coastal aggregation.

Volunteers

By December 2022 we have two volunteers at Don Bosco Kep:

Engineer Antonio García Miralles from Spain, working in Belgium, came for six weeks to assist the electrical department.

Young volunteer from Kindermissionwerk Annika Wernesbach of Germany to assist the Don Bosco Children Fund.

Kep Development Projects In November 2021 the Cambodian government gave green light to the Kep Development Project that includes the construction of a 4 kms beach at the southwestern side of the Kep Peninsula, touching Don Bosco. They filled the coast from Crab Market to the border of the Mangrove Forest. At the side of Don Bosco, they filled 100 meters into the sea. The negotiations with Don Bosco Foundation of Cambodia were positive, providing the rights of Don Bosco to the piece of land that was formerly seacoast, building the western fence, rebuilding the southern fence and other construction actions. The project intends to make Kep Province an eco-tourist destination. We are following how it will develop and it can also mean opportunities of sustainability for Don Bosco such as the need of technical skilful personnel, the offering of spaces for meetings and other things.

EUROPE THIRD WORLD ASSOCIATION (ETWA)

Anneke Westerhof and Frans Schuurmans

Gerard van Hal - Hatrans

Don Bosco Children Fund Phnom Penh

Between 14th to 17th October, we visited our students in Baraylech, Peamsdey and Kontuy Vey and Tang Kork. These are places that come under the jurisdiction of Don Bosco Children Fund in Phonm Penh.

We met with the students and checked on them. Some of the students were in vacation and some were in school. We met with them and they wrote the Christmas letters. The children were happy and thankful to the benefactors who help them to go to school

8th Nov to 12 Nov and 21st to 25th November we met with the students who are living and studying at Kontuy Vey, and Duem Russ and Basith. The visit gives us an insight into the lives of our students, we learnt that they were doing well, especially in their monthly tests that happen at school. It was nice to know that some of them excel in their studies.

.

12th to 16th Nov a similar activity was done with the volunteers and students from Andoung Chross, Deumkor and Sotip & Dondom.

The students here from 4 different government schools. The intervention of Don Bosco Children Fund and our benefactors has really helped these students. They each have a story to share and they all are happy in their schools. We met the students and helped them to write the thank you letters to all the benefactors.

In the first week of December between 5th – 8th Dec, we met with the students from Kuntuy Vey, some of them study in the government school of Matasass. We have our teacher volunteer Mrs. Pich Nary, she is in constant touch with us and updates us about the progress of the students. Her selfless service is what helps us to have a better rapport with the students in Kuntuy Vey.

In the first week of December between 5th – 8th Dec our staff Mr. Sophearun visited families in Chom Chao and Vealsbao. Many of the students in this place are HIV patients. They seem to be in good health, however, they have to be educated that they cannot stop their medication. We hope and pray that these students can do well in their studies and continue to have good health.

The children and educative community of Don Bosco Poipet says a farewell to Fr. John Visser, who transfers to Don Bosco Phnom Penh.

Birthday of Br. Roberto Panetto in Sihanoukville On 15th December the Salesians of Sihanoukville and children and youth, celebrated the birthday of Br. Roberto. He is the country representative for the Don Bosco Foundation of Cambodia related to the Don Bosco Children Fund and one of the founders of the Salesian Mission in Cambodia, since the refugee camps in Thailand in 1988.

Happy Birthday Brother and Keep in your good work for the Cambodian children.

"AS THE YEAST IN TODAY'S HUMAN FAMILY. The lay dimension in the family of Don Bosco."

The Strenna is an inspiration to our Mission that the Rector Major of the Salesians gives every year to all communities in the world. For 2023, the Rector Mayor chose this inspiration to underline the importance of lay people in our Missions. This is the Khmer adaptation and we can see Don Bosco and his mother Margarita in a home atmosphere with the children and youth. Like this we work and live and it is thanks also to our lay people like teachers, assistants, social workers, etc.

In the name of all our children, young people, teachers, social workers, assistants, Salesians, Carmelite sisters, volunteers, benefactors and friends of Don Bosco Children Fund of Cambodia…

We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2023 full of Graces and Love.

Thanks for supporting children and youth in Cambodia through Don Bosco.