By THA SC

Hua Hin, Thailand, 1st September 2019 -- Before the last full day of the EAO Fund Raising Workshop (26-30 August 2019, Hua Hin, Thailand) some participants shared their views:

Why do we need to foster local fund raising?

Donations from Europe and Western countries have gradually dwindled. So it's time to look towards our locals for financial assistance. This is an opportunity to foster a sense of solidarity amongst the local people even if they consider themselves 'poor'. There is always someone more in need of help than you. The contributions of the local benefactors may not be as much as the foreign donations but as the adage goes...many drops can fill the bucket. This is the way to go on in order to continue our salesian mission. It is easier for our local donors to witness our work for the young and that will motivate them to share in this responsibility.

Fr. Arun Michael Charles, SDB, Delegation of Cambodia - THA Province

I think this is a very important initiative for our organization. We should give more importance to this. This will probably save our time, and practically the mailing process as well. The organization will be more stable if we have local fundraising.

Ms.Tserenkhand Altangerel VIE - Mongolia

International funding is greatly reduced due to changing global situations.

This is a way of making the local populace become empowered/part of the development. We are doing for their own people.

Fr. Maglasang Eugenio, SDB, FIS - Pakistan Delegation

What keeps you going in your challenging effort to sustain the Salesian mission for the poor young people in your country?

I will answer this question on 3 levels:

• First, personally I see my work as paying forward the education and formation I have received from the Salesians, especially the pioneer Salesian missionaries. Out of gratitude and memory for the untiring efforts of the Salesians who have gone ahead of me, I wish to honor them with my own contribution.
• Secondly, from the human and social point of view, there is so much to be done for poor young in our own country. In the Philippines, there are many young people who cannot afford a decent and quality education that would eventually lead them out of the cycle of poverty. The Salesian mission is primarily focused on these young people who need most support and pastoral care.
• Thirdly, God has gifted me with my Salesian priestly vocation. This vocation calls me to continuously become a “Good Shepherd” among the poor and marginalized youth. Working and journeying with poor youth deepens my fidelity to this vocation. This leads me to a deeper encounter with Jesus, the source of everything in my life.

Fr. Edwin Ulanday, SDB, FIN Province

We are facing so many difficulties and challenges while serving the young of PNG and Solomon Islands, especially with the culture in which we are living. Giving hope to the young keeps us strong in our ministry. Challenges make us go deeper in to the reality of the young; they make us understand them well, understand their culture, situation and their needs.

Fr. Srimal Silva, SDB, PGS Vice - Province

There are three reasons:

1. The young of China really needs our service. They are evidently offered opportunities to discern God’s will for them together with us, though the situation over there might be quite tough.
2. Though we must be spiritual, a spiritual person is at the same time a very down-to-earth one. We are fully aware too that without money, there will be no possible realization in our mission.
3. We don’t only help one batch of young people once for all in each of our settings. We accompany the young generation to generation. We need a sufficient stability in our mission to do it.

Bro. BOSCO TRAN Dinh Hoc Hai, SDB, China Province

What did you learn/ were inspired by during these five days?

I have learned many valuable topics. Above all, first and foremost, I can make fundraising in my province. Secondly, there are many internal resources and capabilities, it is like there are many hidden treasures in my country. We can trace it out and make benefit from it.

Fr. Leo Mang, SDB, Myanmar Vice - Province

The Fundraising Seminar further developed my passion to do my fundraising activities especially in the FIN Province . Though I fully understand that funds from international resources are already depleting for a long time, yet having been working along this line for a long time now, I should say that the local resources can really be good channels to support the works, by using new modalities and techniques that many organizations are utilizing. We shall make use of our website, social media and develop further the traditional form of solicitation.

Ms. Rona Aurea Palma, FIN Province

This is my first time to attend such a meeting at the congregational level. So, it is a good experience to come to know the reality of the Salesian Congregation worldwide. This motivates me to have the passion and the responsibility to reach the children and the young people, especially the poor and less privileged who are in need of our help.

I am so inspired and grateful with the hospitality of the THA province. I have learned and experienced that every Don Bosco house is a family, and so is the Salesian Retreat Center.

Ms. Rita Serto, PGS Vice - Province

I was very inspired to listen to the voice and thoughts of the Rector Major and Fr.Vaclav Klement, the regional councillor, sent through video clips. They always accompany us and share with us their ideas and desires through these activities. We are trying to cultivate more Fundraising skills to serve the Salesian mission; more specifically through this training - to gain additional skills to conduct the Fundraising activities in every service environment. I acknowledged that the team for fundraising is still equipping us more skills, experiences and methods to implement Fundraising activities in the locality through sharing and presentation sessions, e.g. Mission office at the service of the province, Fundraising Principles, Annual reports to build credibility, Role of Social Media or Digital fundraising, Pillars of Communication, Steps to Sustainable Fundraising, Sharing about Mission Office of the FIN, Sharing of the representative from Bolivia, Communication skills to the donor, ... Of course I can’t put down everything I’ve learned here. Everything we learned during these training sessions will definitely be a great tool for our Fundraising activity. Certainly, the knowledge we learned here will be promoted and will produce definitely many results.

Bro. Peter Phi, SDB, VIE Province

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