Don Bosco Cambodia
The Don Bosco Foundation of Cambodia (DBFC, in
History
The genesis of DBFC started in the Khmer Refugee Camps along the Thai-Cambodian border in the early 80's after the 1979's Vietnamese invasion of the Khmer Rouge Cambodian Regime. The full control of the Khmer refugee camps was taken by the Thai Army that did not allow other foreign organizations to come into the camps for any kind of humanitarian activities. In this issue UN insisted to the Thai government to allow foreign organizations to attend the needs of the Khmer refugees. In 1989 Thailand agreed that the UN could send humanitarian help to refugees and among this was education to children and youth. UN asked the Catholic Church through the Catholic Office for Emergency Relief and Refugees. At its time, the Catholic Church asked the Salesians of Don Bosco in Bangkok to do something in technical education for Cambodian girls and boys of the refugee camps.
The Thai Salesians visited the camps allowed by the Thai Army and opened technical centers among the tension of battles in the area. When the war was over and Cambodia had a more independent government, many Cambodian families from the refugee camps returned to their country and the Don Bosco technical centers were necessary anymore. The experience in the camps attracted the attention of the Royal Government of Cambodia that sent a delegation to Thailand to study the works and ways of education of the Salesians of Don Bosco in that country. In this way, the Salesians were invited in 1991 to settle in Cambodia and open educational works for a country completely destroyed by war.
The government put under the custody of the Salesians an orphanage and provided land in what is today the
Development
As an NGO, the DBFC is a project with assignment agreement to the Cambodia Ministries.[2] Its primary purpose is to provide basic education and appropriate technical training to orphaned and marginalized youth that are poor and have no sources of support. These children will be prepared for the job market and for future integration in the society. The new situation of today's Cambodia challenges the Salesian priests, brothers and lay educators to find new initiatives. As a result of poverty, many children were denied access to basic education and therefore, to professional and technical education. Therefore, since 1991 the Don Bosco Foundation of Cambodia has evolved into a new style of salesian presence.
Under a grant from July 1995 to December 2001, USAID/Cambodia has provided support to establish and help with the operation costs of four Salesian Vocational Training Schools in Cambodia. During these six and a half years, the Salesians have trained more than 1500 youth. These young people have mastered new knowledge and skills as well as developed attitudes suitable for the dynamic and changing workplace. Presently 1378 students undergo education in basic employable skills required by industries attracted by the new social and economic programs and strategies of Cambodia. The Technical Schools and Training Centers in Phnom Penh, Sihanoukville, Battambang and Poipet are still in the process of expanding and developing. The improving of human resources through guided and structured learning activities, provide students with practical know-how and skills by the use of developing training plans, curricula/modules, and/or methods used in the actual training activities.
The local job market demand for Don Bosco Technical School graduates is very encouraging with almost 100% of the yearly trainees finding employment even before their graduation. However, DBFC must strive to secure good jobs and improve employment position through supervised learning method while in school environment with three competitive plus skills factors: Computer, Internet Access and Agriculture/Farming in order to practice appropriate work concepts and skills in improving their training tasks. Don Bosco has also contributed to the technical education in Cambodia by providing translations of technical books into Khmer Language and publishing them.
As a direct result of poverty many children were denied access to primary and secondary education, the Don Bosco Foundation of Cambodia offers scholarships to enable these children to go to school and receive education under the Don Bosco Children Fund.
To meet the needs of children living and working in Bricks Factories in Battambang, Don Bosco Literacy Center has two literacy centers to educate 210 children through an intensive three-year curriculum after which they are reintegrated into government formal high school curriculum.
In response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Cambodia, around 450 AIDS orphans and/or children living in AIDS affected families are offered support in order to access to education and health care.
In addition to helping members from the poorest elements of a society, the Salesians have always had a special concern for homeless youth, orphans and young people in difficulties. The Don Bosco Literacy and Skills Training Center Project to support street children and disadvantaged youth in Poipet (border town with Thailand) is a strategy to fight social evil, promote basic education, and improve the life chances of the children and disadvantaged youth.
It is a traditional element in Don Bosco Presences to have a place for more informal education through the Salesian
References
- ISBN 2-9513524-0-9, Statistics of education, page 143.
- ^ Cfr. Description of Agreements Between the Don Bosco Foundation of Cambodia and the Royal Government of Cambodia[permanent dead link], DBFC, link retrieved on March 25, 2013.