austraLasia 782
SALESIANS IN MONGOLIA CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS
WITH STREET CHILDREN
ULANBAATAR: 28th December '03 --
The small Salesian community in Mongolia, in the capital city of Ulanbaatar,
celebrated Christmas with the city's streetchildren this year. 2003 saw
the development of a project on their behalf which began in 2002 with a small
group of 10 street children. That number grew to a point where the
Salesians asked the Government for some land to provide for them - and were
granted a 60,000 square metre plot on which they erected twelve gers (a ger is
the typical large Mongolian nomad tent), along with some temporary common
rooms. They were assisted in this task by a Korean Overseas Volunteer
Group. The plant has since been connected to the twon electricity supply
and now houses some 41 very needy children.
Fr. Simon Lee, from the community, has been active in
establishing an outreach to the city's streetchildren who tend to live
underground in manholes near the hot steampipes of the city's central heating
system. Those children who live in the newly erected premises are able to
begin some small agricultural activity - vegetable and fruits - to help gain a
livelihood and some food. There has already been a small vocational
training centre established since the first arrival of the Salesians three years
ago.
In the meantime there are plans afoot to develop a new
centre further north in the country at Darchan City. The Salesians
community is eagerly awaiting reinforcements in terms of new missionaries to
help with this project.
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