TVET Don Bosco Salabalath - Battambang

By Ms Sopheak

Battambang, Cambodia -- On 18 October, in Don Bosco Salabalath (Battambang, Cambodia) the whole assembly of 46 trainees and their teachers and instructors were happy to welcome the new students for their two year course (welding, agro-mechanics, automotive and electricity).

One of the teachers - Mr Chou Sokly - was asked by a visitor: what makes you happy here in Don Bosco? And he surprised all with an unexpectedly joyful and emotional, even tearful response: "I'm happy here because we feel like we are in a family here; we are like siblings to each other. We are helping our disadvantaged youth with professional education to stand up in society."

Almost 20 years ago in 1999-2000 a small Don Bosco literacy centre opened in Salabalath, with the assistance of the Don Bosco Children Fund of Cambodia. Only a few kilometers from here is the FMA Sisters house and Vocation training center in Battambang City and also another Don Bosco (Academic) School in Andaugh Chenh where the small SDB community is based. Thousands of children have received their basics in education thanks to Don Bosco.

Reshaping the Salesian presences in Cambodia means focusing on the essential and possible, according the needs of poor young people. After almost 20 years the Salabalath Don Bosco school with a few hundred students was phased out and we focused on vocational training through agro-technical education.

The well-established adjacent farm focused not only on rice and animal production, but is specialized in seeds. There are four lay mission partners in charge of the main sectors - PDO, Don Bosco Children Fund, Vocation training centre and Farm. We are proud to strengthen the self-sustainability of our centre with hard work in production in the shops as well on the farm.

Our wish is that Don Bosco TVET in Salabalth - Battambang continues with renewed energy on its journey, with quality agrotechnical vocational training for many more young people in need.

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