3798_Cambodia experiences with the Salesian Missionary Voluntary Services

By Fr. Roel Soto, SDB

THA-Cambodia Delegate - On the 11th November for one full day the 36 Salesians - Youth Ministry and Missionary Animation Delegates - from all EAO provinces gathered in Seoul, Korea - to study together about Salesian Volunteer Services. Cambodia experience offers a deep insight into the volunteer impact in our Mission.

In our young (2014) delegation, we haven’t started yet promoting Salesian Missionary Voluntary Service (ad extra). Instead, we have started introducing volunteer service to our students and staff in the Technical School to the poor youth and children in the Oratory.

But since the beginning of our Mission in Cambodia in 1991 we have been recipients of few hundreds of Missionary Volunteers coming from many different Salesian and non-Salesian Volunteer Organizations like Salesian Missions Bonn, Cagliero Project, Salesian Lay Volunteer Program of FIN, Salesian Volunteers from Korea, Fidesco, Jesus Youth Movement, SES, etc.

We could share our experiences with the volunteers sent as our contribution to the EAO Youth Ministry and Missionary Animation Delegates meeting in Seoul, 2015:

In general young people who are too young and immature, like the newly graduates from High School (with the exception of a few) are not yet ready and fit for Salesian Missionary Volunteer Service. Many at times they are of the same age or even younger than the young people they serve. In countries like Cambodia where people are meticulous about age ascendance for them to follow and obey, hiding the real age of very young volunteers is a must for them to have ascendance. But in some cases immaturity in attitude and behavior reveals their true age and cause more problems than offer help along the way.

Older young people, like those who finished college or half way through college, or those had a few years of work experience are really a big help to the mission. They more contribute to the growth of the mission and have shown more dedication, sacrifice and effectiveness in their volunteer service. While they contribute growth and development to the mission by their professional experiences and mature outlook, they also learn and are enriched by their work and experiences. In fact, many improved also in their outlook, expectation and goal in life. Others have even strengthened their faith and have been moved to reflect on the call of God for a total life of self-giving.

Screening of young volunteers must be made intensively and at an extensive period of time. Meeting them once or twice and organizing one orientation program would not suffice to know the real intention of the volunteer applicant and give them a proper outlook, the right attitude and disposition for the mission. The tendency of some is to make the volunteer period also an ocassion for them to tour the whole country and near by countries in the Sub-Mekong region, and invite their families or friendes for the tour while on mission. Secondly, the tendency to insist to do what they used to do in their very own countries without the care and sensitivity to adjust to the culture and special situation in the mission country, and introduce new things without considering the continuity of the work they have started to organize.

Whereas volunteers who had experiences and had an experience of local volunteer work or have grown in Don Bosco setting in their respective countries would know how to act more appropriately and with respect to the Salesian ideals and to the Salesian Preventive System.

Young volunteers should be follow up individually by their respective coordinators in the country of origin. It is adviceable that the young volunteers would be given a chance to journey with a Salesian priest or brother, and not only with lay people for deeper guidance and accompaniment. Those who were followed up monthly or regularly by skype and by visit have grown more and have been more efficient in the mission. Their growth in the mission had a powerful impact in the course of their life and outlook after their mission, and upon return to their country. They continually keep in contact with us in the mission, visit us from time to time and even have gone so far giving their support and assistance to the mission in different ways. This Salesian accompaniment applies also to young people who go for short immersion and outreach projects in mission centers. Be it volunteer work or outreach project, the experiences in a new country with its people of a different culture from where they come could be trigger moments for young people to reflect deeper into their life. Having gone out from their comfort zone in their country and exposed to a very simple life could awaken a lukewarm or a timid soul to reflect deeper on a more meaningful life, or a revival of spiritual life or a quest for a deeper spiritual journey or an irresisitable call to a life-long service and offering. The presence and availability of a Salesian priest and brother for an appropriate and timely accompaniment is crucial and necessary.

Cambodia SDB delegation has 16 SDB (9 present in Cambodia) working in two canonical communities and responsible for 7 apostolic presences. At present time in the whole country we are contribution to the education of 4000+ youth with few hundreds of Khmer lay mission partners and 20+ missionary volunteers from 10+ different countries. They are inseparable part of our communities, and few of them are even main person in charge of some our important Salesian mission settings (school or technical section of some school, boarding, hostel etc) They are young lay persons, retired people or even those who are giving 20 years of their life for Don Bosco in Cambodia.