HAPPY CHRISTMAS FROM CAMBODIA

Hopes for DON BOSCO POIPET and the existing Salesian work

Br. Roberto Panetto SDB

POIPET: 20th December -- It is just 7.00 in the morning at a place called Poi Pet in Cambodia near Thailand’s border.  A big group of people come crowding on to a gate, which was closed for the whole night.  Among the crowd, one can see many handicapped people without legs. They ride three wheeled cycles by rotating the handles. Some of them are being pushed and helped by very small boys or girls. On the whole, men and women in the crowd are poorly dressed, especially the small children.

Around 7.30 a.m. the gates are opened and one can see ‘ a sea of people ’ crossing the border and rushing to the market in the Thailand area. This is a market allowing one to buy or sell anything and everything! Around 8.00 a.m. one can see the velocity with which these people return to Cambodia, bringing along with them all the purchased goods. It costs just $1for all the goods together with their owner to come back to Cambodia by hiring a cart pulled by very small children between10-15 years of age.

There are others who want to save money on renting a cart. So, they carry the goods either in baskets on their heads and some have a bamboo placed on their shoulder. On either side of this bamboo, they hang the plastic bags with the goods the owners want them to carry. The main people who do this type of hard work are, again, small children.

One can also see grown-up blind men and women, who carry heavy loads on their heads or back, but they are guided by very small children.  A small girl has a towel, called ‘ Kroma’ tied around her neck, she carries her small brother or sister and at the same time, she is carrying  a big umbrella to give shade and shelter to the many tourists and visitors. Some children carry along with them also a hand fan to cool the heat of  tourists on their way to Ankor Wat.  Most of these children are “used” by their own parents to earn money!

These and other interesting and captivating scenes one can see all around!

But, it is enough to raise your eyes to see the beautiful gardens, fences and mighty buildings which remind you of a most sophisticated city - it is almost ‘a Paradise here on Earth.’ These are the Casinos -‘ Cambodian Star Vegas’, where thousands of people from Thailand come to Cambodia to spend their money. These Casinos are forbidden in Thailand!   The Casino area is as a city within the poorest Cambodia area where the children are made to lose their childhood!  One has only to imagine the many types of problems, which might arise in such a situation!  Every method is used to make quick money and the ones who become the victims are these small children, boys and girls, who have little chance to go to school. These children are denied the joy and happiness of a normal childhood. They are exploited and exposed to all sorts of crimes and social disorders.

It is 75 years since the Salesians have been present in Thailand-Cambodia region, and it is our vision and mission to do something for these small children of the streets of Poipet, in order to mark this ‘75 years of Salesian presence’.

We have already bought a property of 3 hectors of land and on this land we hope to construct some buildings to house 120 children and for this on coming Christmas 2002, we are going to start with 20 small boys who will be the very first children to stay in this Children Home that will be called “DON BOSCO POIPET”.

In this coming Christmas, we hope to share the Joy, Peace and Love, which the Child Jesus gives to all of us…Jesus too was one without a home, driven outside his native land…not a place to be born…yes…. we hope to be their Father and Mother!

Bruno and Catalina, a young couple, will be the pioneers of this new presence, after them many will follow and we hope to give many and many small children a place to live, a school to study and learn, a trade to learn and work. The young girls will be taught to be Tourist-guides, Secretaries, Waiters in the many hotels, Sewing, Sculpture & Art and Horticulture etc. The young boys will be taught to learn Automotive, Electro Mechanics, and Welding skills.  This is our dream for Poipet! The realization of this dream will take time, a lot of Personnel and money.

Of course, you can be sure that we are not going to give less attention to the many activities in the other places.

* DON BOSCO PHNOM PENH:  There are the Mechanical -Welding, Automotive, Electrical, Electronics and Printing with 444 Students of which 35 are girls. Of the total number 310 are Orphans and 110 are Boarders.

* DON BOSCO SIHANOUKVILLE: There are the Mechanics - Welding, Automotive, Electrical, Secretarial, and Sewing with 280 students, of which 78 are girls.  Of the total 280, only 98 are Orphans and 20 in newly begun Boarding.

* BATTAMBANG: This place is 300 k.m. North of Phnom Penh. There we have the two Literacy Centers, catering to 200 children, most of them come from the unhealthy Brick Factories.

* We have 3 SEWING CENTERS:  

• KEP: is a place in the Province of Kampot, 160 k.m South of Phnom Penh
• TA PRUM is 30 k.m. from Sihanoukville ( 230 k.m. South of Phnom Penh)
• BATTAMBANG, is 300 k.m North of Phnom Penh

In all the above centers, we educate altogether 80 young girls - learning Sewing, Basic Education and a daily midday meal is given to of them.

NEWS FROM THE ‘DON BOSCO CHILDREN FUND ’ ( DBCF )

The total number of children helped to go to School by the Distant Adoption Project - 3965.

From 2001 onwards, we have begun to assist the children whose parents are affected with AIDS. At present, we are helping 360 children. There are two full time field workers who visit and assist these children to go to School and their parents with medicine for AIDS.

This year we have built 2 New Schools.

* The School at ANLONG KANGAN has 10 Classrooms, Office and Toilets. The School has at present 600 Students. This School was built in a newly constituted village, outside the periphery of Phnom Penh. This village, on a land belonging to the Government, has more than 4000 families whose houses were all burnt out because of a big fire.

* Yet another School was built at PREIK PHNEU on the bank of Tonle Sap River. This School has 6 Classrooms, Office and Toilets for 300 children.

All these Schools are a gift of the Benefactors. The furnishing of each classroom cost $5000.

May I take this opportunity to express my sincere thanks and appreciation for your generosity.

Your love and concern for the poor youth of Cambodia is wonderful and praise worthy.

Once gain, wishing you all A MERRY CHRISTMAS and A PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR 2003,

Yours affectionately,

Bro. Roberto Panetto,