austraLasia #1844

Classes take place under a tree, with help from Brother Sun

SIHANOUKVILLE: 14th May 2007 -- Open-air education (when it doesn't rain) is the solution adopted by Don Bosco at Sihanoukville for youngsters who can no longer attend normal schooling since their families were removed from the land they had occupied.
    The 'Under-the-tree' school began on 11th May in response to the needs of younger children who now cannot walk the long distances they would need to walk to attend school at Mittapheap where they once were.  Since April 20th, their families were forced off the land they were occupying due to legal issues.  This simply put around 100 families on the street with nowhere to go.  The older children are able to walk to Mittapheap Pagoda to attend school, but the younger ones find the more than 5 kilometre walk too much in the heat.  Most of the children have attended the Don Bosco compound anyway on Sundays, for English and Khmer classes, and then for recreation.  Now they will be offered temporary classes to fill in for what they have missed for nearly a month, but they will need to do so under the trees at the compound.  Volunteers from the Don Bosco Brother Sun Youth Centre will help out with the teaching.  The classes will be held in late afternoons, after normal school finishes.
    The Don Bosco Communications Department is asking the community in Sihanoukville for support with a number of items needed for this emergency schooling - notebooks, stationery, and food.
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