3343 25th SIYV (Salesian International Young Volunteers) Program at Poipet
austraLasia #3343
KOR, 25th
SIYV (Salesian International Young Volunteers) Program at
Poipet
SEOUL:
5 January
2013
-- 40 young volunteers
and Salesian leaders
left Seoul on 4 January for Poipet, Cambodia, for the 2014
winter
volunteer team activity. The departure followed a Mass
celebrated at
the Provincial House in Seoul by Fr Vaclav Klement, General
Councillor
for Missions. The team will receive hospitality at Don Bosco
Technical
School at Poipet until 17 January. This has been the location
also on
earlier occasions for the volunteers programs being managed by
Fr
Gabriel Kang, a missionary from Korea.
This time around, participants have been lucky enough to
receive their
mission cross directly from the General Councillor, Fr
Klement, who has
been in Korea preaching the Salesians' annual retreat. "Even
though
this is quite a short program (for two weeks), you are very
lucky to
have a such special experience at the begining of the new
year. Over
these two weeks, I hope that all of you will find the young
Jesus
amongst your peers in a different culture and life
style. May
this experience be an opportunity for your faith to mature,
and be an
inspiration for some of you to chose a longer-term volunteer
experience
and indeed a life fully dedicated to following the Lord's call
to be
amongst and help the poor", Fr Klement urged the young
volunteers in
his homily.
This 25th SIYV team involves 40 people, 36 young volunteers
(27 male
and 9 female), 3 SDBs (Overall Director: Fr Michael Chang,
Director: Fr
Paul Choi, Assistant: Bro Stephen Kim) and a lay collaborator
Ms
Eusebia Kim, who works in the mission office in Seoul.
One female participant, Elizabeth Lee (16 years old, in 2nd
Year High
School, Gyeongju city), from the east-south part of the
country,
doesn't hide her expectations of the different experience
ahead and
telling us why she wants to join this two week program of
living with
local young people in Cambodia. "Four years ago, my elder
sister was
part of this program. My mum was very satisfied because after
that, a
significant change took place in my sister's life; she became
much more
positive. Both of them strongly advised me to take it up but I
myself
was interested in joining this program despite having to
accept the
lack of comforts and leaving home."
Most of the participants, as is the case for young Elizabeth,
have been
recommended by someone who has already had an experience of
SIYV, a
venture now in place for more than 10 years, and proving a
success in
contribute to both human maturity and growth in the faith of
the young
participants. "We might give very little help to local needs
in two
weeks with a small effort, but the real purpose and goal of
this
program is encountering other people sincerely, as we are
brothers and
sisters together despite our different background, language,
culture,
everything," says Bro. Kim who has several SIYV experiences
already,
under his belt.
We trust that the 25th SIYV program will be achieved safely
and well,
and that its members grow in global citizenship according to
the
program's intentions.
