Myitkyina Vocation Training Center (2)
Myitkyina, Myanma, 20 May 2018 -- Our small and dynamic community of Myitkyina is happy to share with the worldwide Salesian Family about the progress of our trainees. Already 500+ young men and women (18-25 years of age) graduate during past 11 years from our Don Bosco Training Center. Fr. Victor and two Salesian Brothers – Ambrose and Dominic, are involved in the 24/7 joyful assistance of our newcomers. And all three Salesians are happy to welcome soon one more priest who will make this community more consistent.
Another batch of new students for the incoming school year 2018-2019, that commence on June 5th is already with us for the orientation, while still the second year trainees attend to their OJT (On-Job-Training), most of them still from Don Bosco VTC boarding house. Majority of the newly enrolled Bosconians are Kachin people, but there are also some Nagas, Chinh, Kaya, Shan and other ethnic group trainees.
As every year majority of the students are born Catholics, only few other Christian denomination and one Buddhist. But we experience again and again the same feeling of Don Bosco with Bartolomeo Garelli in Turin (1841). During the first Eucharist we realized again, that many of our newcomer even don’t know, how to make the sign of the Cross, what is their baptism name or if they were ever accepted for their first Holy Communion. As every year a patient journey during this orientation period started. First three weeks are dedicated to ‘prayer school’ where by osmosis our new students learn how to pray the Rosary, how to participate in the Eucharist, how to say the daily prayers in Kachin, Burmese or English.
For the rest of these days there are daily chores in the large farm (preparing for the rain season), afternoon sports (kickball, football and volleyball) with prayer lesson and orientation sessions.
During last school year 2017-2018 the VTC facilities witness different improvements – two new open air workshops for were built, 10 laptops were purchased for the new PC section, due to the large number of students, some corridors were changed into study hall or bedroom.
Believing in the worldwide Salesian solidarity, the Myitkyina Don Bosco community continues to dream about new community building (timber-block construction) and new study hall for the second year (OJT) students, necessary water tank, repair of the roofing and new equipment in all six sections of the VTC (carpentry, electricity, automotive, welding, cell phone repair, tailoring and beautician).
We are happy to receive any help through the provincial economer MYM Fr. Leo Mang! Kap kun!
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