ASIA/CAMBODIA - Salesians open new Home for orphans and street children near the border with Thailand an area of poverty and criminality

Wednesday, 16 November 2005

Phnom Phen (Fides Service) - To give concrete help and promote education in an area of poverty and marginalisation the Salesians Fathers in Cambodia have opened a new Home for orphans and street children in Poipet, province of Banteay Meanchey close to the border with Thailand, an area notorious for trafficking of minors, extreme poverty and criminal gangs.
The Home for children who suffer from poverty and abuse will also provide schooling and professional training. It has a large library, important for instruction. Don Bosco Children’s Home was opened on 7 November in the presence of local authorities, Salesian Fathers and many children. According to ANS Salesian bulletin the build was built with funds from Dutch benefactors..
There is widespread illiteracy in Cambodia: a consequence of the Khmer Rossi regime (1975 - 1979), which destroyed schools and books and killed teachers to make way for a ‘new society’ and left the national poor and weak.
One main objective of the Don Bosco Children Foundation supported by the Don Bosco Cambodia Foundation is to overcome illiteracy in the poorest parts of the country. The spread of the phenomenon of child workers, poverty and scarcity of schools produced many young adults with a little education. In addition there is the plague of prostitution of minors. Don Bosco Cambodia Foundation offers a home and instruction to enable children to re-enter state schools .
The province of Banteay Meanchey has the lowest number of schools and the highest poverty rate. 76% of women and 65% of men in this province did not even go to primary school and the rate is even higher in Poipet. Salesians a social workers collect children from all over the area to offer basic education and help them return to school. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 16/11/2005 righe 28 parole 294)


Share: