austraLasia #1333
Crossing over: preview a WYD initiative from Phnom
Penh
PHNOM PENH: 20th November 2005 -- The group from Cambodia
that went to the World Youth Day in Cologne was relatively small as
groups go - the entire group was about a dozen but included some from
Thailand - however they have been very active since their return.
austraLasia has received some advance copies of an initiative that is
likely to finds its way around the globe some time in December.
It is called 'Crossing Over' and is a missionary news sheet, some text
and a number of coloured photos illustrating the text. The two
copies we have here are short descriptive pieces about youngsters who
have benefited from the presence of Don Bosco in some way or
another.
Because austraLasia goes to places where it is
difficult to download even small photographs, the photos are not
attached here. The complete item, however, can be found for the
moment on the Bosconet home page. Herewith the article,
just to give you the
flavour. And congratulations to the editors for their simple but
effective communications initiative. The English in the version below has
been tidied up a little.
The Situation of Tith Phearum:
"Tith Phearum is a 16 year old boy, small for his age. He
used to come to the Don Bosco Youth Centre to play with the other
children and to watch them studying every Sunday. Sometimes he
would drop by every afternoon for some games.
He is a special boy. He is dumb and cannot express himself in
talking but he can hear everything. That is the reason he wants
to study.
The Don Bosco Children Fund took him as a 'case study' for a
year. We had looked for a centre for special children of this
category. We had him registered as a student - a boarding student
at the Centre. We had contacted a teacher to follow and monitor
his studies regularly. To our astonishment and great pride, he
does well in his studies.
Tith Phearum comes from a very poor family. His parents work as
construction workers. His parents can hardly meet their living
means. But the parents encourage him to go and receive
education. They discourage him from becoming a child worker.
Such a boy deserves to be helped not only because he is interested in
going to school and receiving education but because he is so helpful in
the family. He does his house chores and works regularly.
Only when all is finished does he go to play at Don Bosco. It is
there that he meets friends and receives the opportunities to augment
his knowledge.
With education as our DBCF goal, we cannot but continue to support
him. He will need a monthly budget of USD 75 to cover his board,
lodging, educational materials, health services and school uniforms".
The story is simple and effective. In this case it suggests a
little help at the end, but the second trial edition of Crossing Over
is simply a story, similar, about a young girl, with no implied request
at the end. Once this series goes into full (monthly?)
production it may be of interest to Salesian Bulletin Editors.
____________________
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