austraLasia #1762
When a King visits - it gets noticed!
SIHANOUKVILLE: 15th February 2007 -- Even though we ran this story just two
days ago, obviously the Cambodian press picked up the same event, given that it
was the King who was visiting and given that a brand new enterprise like a
Hotel School was being inaugurated - so the following item offers the event
from Cambodian eyes (Prak Chan Tul from the Cambodian Daily, as it is called,
and a certain John Maloy from the same newspaper). It offers a little
more information about the new venture. In fact, based as it is on an
interview with Bro Robert Panetto, it is both informative and well-written.
Some of our Salesian Bulletins may like to pick up the story from here - photos
can be readily made available direct from Sihanoukville - Bro Roberto or Fr Al
Rodas will willingly supply them (Check the Year Book/Annuario for addresses).
Sihanoukville - King Norodom
Sihamoni presided over the opening ceremony for the Don Bosco Foundation's
hotel school Monday during his first visit to Sihanoukville since his
coronation. The King praised the efforts of the Don Bosco Foundation to help
the government develop Cambodia's human resources and offered some words of
advice for the nearly 1,000 technical school students on hand. "Please
study hard, respect the principles of the school and respect your teachers in
order to get the skills to further the future development of the country,"
King Sihamoni said.
The Don Bosco Foundation is an international Catholic
organization that provides schooling and technical training for disadvantaged
youths in 128 countries, said Father Visser, Cambodia's director for the
foundation. The new Don Bosco Hotel School opened Feb 5 to 50 students
hoping to learn the hospitality trade, said Brother Roberto Panetto, the
school's director. They join the 300 students already receiving training for
careers in, among other fields, automobile repair, electrical work, welding and
secretarial work at the Don Bosco Technical School to which the hotel school is
attached, he said.The new school will function as both a school and a hotel so
that students can get firsthand experience dealing with guests, Panetto said.
Situated in scenic hills about 2 km from the popular O'Chheuteal beach, the hotel
has 19 guestrooms whose rates will be $30 to $35 per night when it opens early
next month.
Various NGOs help the Don Bosco Foundation identify and
screen potential students from orphanages and poor families throughout the
country, Panetto said. Students receive free schooling, room and board at the
technical school. Depending on their background and language skills, students
are placed in one of four programs: front office, housekeeping, food and beverage
service or cooking, Panetto added.
To help students learn to deal with customers, the
foundation opened an Italian-style ice cream shop two weeks ago in
Sihanoukville. While not completely finished, the hotel still appeared bright
and welcoming, with an impressive swimming pool and a pleasent view. The
kitchen and food preparation areas are state of the art, and large windows were
installed to allow guests to see the students at work. After six months of
schooling, students will receive on-the-job training at hotels in
Sihanoukville, Siem Riep and Phnom Penh for one month, Panetto said. Those who
show promise will study one more year.
Twenty-years-old student Sam Bunlom said she hopes to
eventually work in the front office of a Sihanoukville resort. The daughter of
poor farmers in Takae province, she said that she is learning valuable skills
that she never could have acquired at home.
"I am happy. If I could not study here, I would have to
work in a garment factory."
Panetto said he hopes the hotel school will become a popular
spot for NGOs workers who want to contribute to educating the disadvantage
while on vacation.
Still, it is unlikely that the hotel will make enough to
cover its operating costs given that all of the students attend for free. But
Panetto said he was not too concerned about that for the time being. "For
the rest, as we always say, 'If we work for the poor, then God will help
us'," he said with a smile.
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