Australian participants contained two distinct elements
Phnom Penh, Cambodian, 13 July 2017 -- The first being an experience of Cambodian culture, life and history. Our young people had the wonderful opportunity to spend three nights with a host family, each family being that of a teacher from Don Bosco Technical School, and experience first-hand home and family life, and, the local food and daily customs and routines. All found it very rewarding, despite the language barriers. Cambodia has a recent history marked by tragedy and genocide from which the country is only slowly emerging, so a visit to the ‘Killing Fields’ Genocide Centre and the associated Prison Museum gave a real insight into the lived experience of most Cambodian families who lost members during the period of the rule of the Khmer Rouge (1975 – 1978). And finally the opportunity to visit parts of the ‘new’ Phnom Penh showed the resilience, determination and courage of the current people as they rebuild their lives, city and country.
The second element was an opportunity to interact directly with the Salesian Youth in Cambodia in two different programs.
Fr Charles Arun, Delegate for Youth Ministry in Cambodia, organised an opportunity for approximately 60 young animators from the various Salesian Centres in Cambodia, including a group from the Salesian Sisters centre, to gather together for a weekend camp which our Immersion group animated. It was the first such gathering in the new Delegation of Cambodia and we were privileged to provide some formation on Salesian Youth animation, games and activities, prayer and sharing. This, too, was a great opportunity for both the Cambodian Salesian Youth and the Australian Salesian Youth to share and learn from each other.
Our group also ran a one-day program of activities for all the students who attend Don Bosco Technical Centre, Phnom Penh, which included sporting, cultural, craft, music, drama activities and games. Some of the Cambodian youth who attended the Formation Camp also assisted in animating these activities. The day concluded with an exciting basketball game between the Australian Immersion participants and students of Don Bosco Tech!
Our Salesian charism and spirit certainly crosses all boundaries and cultures!
Cagliero Immersion Team 2017
Report from the Cambodia Delegation
Phnom Penh, Cambodian, 13 July 2017 -- The Cagliero Immersion Team arrived in Cambodia on 1st July, 2017 in Don Bosco Technical School, Phnom Penh, the capital city of Cambodia. The team consisted of twelve Cagliero immersionists accompanied by Fr. Bernie Graham, Cl. Tristan and Ms. Romina.
The Immersion Team was officially welcomed by Fr. Roel Soto, the rector of the Community during the Community Mass on Saturday evening. The group had two days of community work, working alongside the Khmer students of DBTS during which they cleared the canals and constructed new covers for the canals around the Soccer Field.
They spent three nights in the houses of the teachers as an immersion experience to know what it is to live in a Khmer family. The Cagliero immersion team was also tasked to organize a camp for the youth animators of Cambodia on July 7-9. The Camp brought together the youth animators from all our Salesian presences in Cambodia.
The camp highlighted five qualities necessary for a Salesian youth animator: Joy, Gratefulness, Hope, Love and Friendship. Salesian youth animators need to be joyful and radiate this joy to the young people. They need to be grateful to God for the gift of the Salesian Family and the young people whom they are working with. This in turn moves them to give hope to the youth - especially in the Cambodian context where they are many poor young people who think they have no future. And all animators activities are to be done with love and by creating a true friendship with them.
At the end, the Cagliero immersion group along with the Salesian youth animators who attended in the camp animated our students of Don Bosco Technical School, Phnom Penh for one day of July 9. The entire day was filled with activities like Dancing, Art and Crafts, Beads and Bracelets Making, Indoor and Outdoor Games and Role Play on rotation for all of our 500 students.
The Australian youngsters bring to our school a lot of joy and inspiration. And we believe, in turn they return back home also with a heart full of joyful memories to serve the others and get know beautiful cultures of Cambodia and its young people.
