Background

Don Bosco officially arrived in Cambodia in 1991 from Thailand, a country where the Salesian presence started in 1927. Thailand had to cope with the Cambodian refugee camps on its territory. The Thai government forbade any organization other than the Thai army to come to the support of the refugees fleeing the war. In 1989 the Thai government allowed the United Nations to conduct technical education for youth in the refugee camps through the Catholic Office for Emergency Relief and Refugee (COERR). This organization delegated the project to the Jesuits from India. They, in turn, thought of the Salesians from Bangkok due to their expertise in vocational and technical education. The Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Renato Martino, knowing the work of the Salesians, was also in favour of giving the project to Don Bosco. In August 1989 the Salesians established 6 centres for technical education at the 2, 8, Sok Sann and B sites along the Thai-Cambodian border. The centres were lead by Brother Roberto Panetto and the past pupils of Don Bosco Bangkok. The machinery was provided by the Salesians from Macau to support the project in favour of the Khmer youth in the refugee camps. Within two years there were around 3,000 young participants who had gained some technical skills, but the war was nearly over in Cambodia and the people were about to be repatriated. Past pupils and the personnel kept asking the Salesians “Are you going to come with us?” In 1990 the Salesians presented a proposal to the Ministry of Education to open a Technical School in Phnom Penh. The project was welcome in a post-war period of reconstruction. In January 1991 the government suggested that the school must be official, but the Salesians spoke to them about the Salesian Preventive System of education. In April two officials from the Ministry of Education paid a visit to the Salesian works in Thailand and gained a favourable impression of the style of education. That visit was definitive for receiving the final approval and sympathy of the Cambodian government and they approved the Technical School project in May of that same year. The historic arrival date for Don Bosco in Cambodia is marked as May 24, 1991 when two Salesians, Brother Roberto Panetto and Father Valter Brigolin, came to live in Phnom Penh. May 24 is also the Solemnity of Mary Help of Christians, a Marian devotion so dear to Don Bosco and to the Salesians. The land for the technical school was bought in what is today the New Phnom Penh District (Phnom Penh Thmey) – at that time a rice-growing-field territory. The government entrusted to the Salesians the orphanage of Preik Phneu, 11 kms to the north of Phnom Penh. It was a contract between Don Bosco and the Ministry of Social Affairs. The first instructors were Thai past pupils of Don Bosco Bangkok until the first Khmer instructors could take over the instruction. On January 31, 1994, His Royal Prince Norodom Ronnariddh, First Prime Minister, officially opened the Don Bosco Technical School in the New Phnom Penh District. On May 24, 1996 His Excellency, Second Minister Samdec Hun Sen presided at the ceremony of the completion of the Don Bosco Technical School-Phnom Penh. Father Juan Edmundo Vecchi, the 8 th successor of Don Bosco, came to Cambodia on October 7, 1997. His presence was a very important moment of encouragement. His message focused on building up the educative community and the Salesian Preventive System. In January 1992 the Salesians opened the program Don Bosco Children Fund (DBCF) of Cambodia to encourage children to complete their elementary education. Also the Don Bosco Foundation of Cambodia guaranteed support for this project. The governors of Battambang and Sihanoukville asked the Salesians to do similar projects in their provinces and donated the land (Battambang on January 4, 1993 and Sihanoukville on April 4, 1993). The Don Bosco Children Fund supports children in fourteen provinces and three cities of Cambodia, builds up elementary school buildings in poor villages in coordination with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports and runs Literacy Centers in Kep, Poipet and Battambang for out-of-school children and youth. The Literacy Centers in Battambang where brick factories are keeping the children to work as child labourers, offer children intensive elementary schooling. Aundung Chenh and Salabalat Literay Centers are attended by about 200 children. On October 24, 1992, Cambodia saw the arrival of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, here known also as the Salesian Sisters. Their presence in Cambodia was very welcome as they provide hopes for many poor and abandoned girls in a country where more than half of the total population are female and where women are victims of violence, abuse and human trafficking. In 1993 the sisters opened their Don Bosco Vocation Training Centrefor Girls at Tuek Thla, Phnom Penh. In February 1995 they opened the Don Bosco Vocational Training Centre for Girls in Tuol Kork. In 2002 they have their Vocational Training Centre in Battambang. The sisters have led programs of vocational skills such as sewing, kitchen and food management, secretarial, literacy centre and other academic subjects for Cambodian girls with dedication and commitment. Don Bosco, the Apostle of Youth, died on 31 st January 1888, leaving behind 773 Salesians, 393 Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, the lay branch of Salesian Co-operators, an Association of Past Pupils as well works in nine countries in Europe and America during that time. Nowadays the “Salesian Family” is found in 128 countries with 402,500 members which include priests, brothers, sisters, lay co-operators, benefactors and past pupils at the service of the education of the young: “ We, the Salesians of Don Bosco, are an international organization of men and women dedicated full time to the service of young people, especially those who are poorer and disadvantaged. Wherever we work, ‘ ” Youth Resource Development ’ through education and evangelization is the focus of all our concern – because we believe that our total dedication to the young is our best gift to humanity.

Mission

We envision a communion of communities of SDBs, lay mission partners, youth and children, growing and working together for the total development of the young, and enriching the culture for a new civilization of love. Therefore, we commit ourselves: As SDBs, to be like Saint John Bosco, a friend, father and teacher of the youth. As LMPs, to be leaders, facilitators and educators. As children and youth, to be good sons and daughters of Saint John Bosco.