By SocCom INA

Don Bosco Sumba, 30 January 2025 -- Don Bosco Sumba has a new principal as of 26 January 2025. The Salesians came and started the Salesian work in Sumba Island, Eastern Part of Indonesia, on October 10, 2002. At that time, Bishop G. Kherubim Parera, SVD, bishop of the Diocese of Weetebula, Island of Sumba, invited the Salesians to develop the Budi Daya Carpentry School in Weetebula. Subsequently, the Salesians transformed this Budi Daya Carpentry School into the Don Bosco Budi Daya Training Center until today. Young people in Sumba Island were no longer interested in attending training at Budi Daya, but the presence of the Salesians became a special attraction for local young people to receive technical formation.

The Salesians in Indonesia always try to answer the needs of young people according to the current context. Therefore, the Salesian education service does not stop at the training center as a non-formal education for young people. Therefore, in 2014, the Salesians established the Don Bosco Sumba Vocational High School (SMK) and received an establishment permit from the Ministry of Education on December 7, 2015. Don Bosco Sumba Vocational High School has two favorite study programs, namely Computer Network Engineering and Electrical Installation Engineering. In 2024, a new study program was opened, namely Visual Communication Design. And recently, Don Bosco Sumba Vocational High School has 217 students.

Fr. Adhie Prinanto, SDB was the first principal of Don Bosco Sumba Vocational High School and remained in that office since its establishment in 2014. Fr. Adhie was then replaced by Br. Ignatius Satya. Br. Ignatius was replaced by Fr. Domingus Huba Telupun, and on January 20, Br. Ignatius was entrusted again by the Salesian Don Bosco Indonesia Foundation to become the new principal, replacing Fr. Domingus. The handover ceremony of Fr. Domingus as the old principal to Br. Ignatius as the new principal on 26 January was witnessed by the Superior of INA Vice Provincial, Fr. Vincentius Prastowo, chair of the Salesian Don Bosco Indonesia Foundation, Fr. Lino Belo; confrères; teachers; and students of Don Bosco Vocational High School of Sumba. Fr. Prastowo, in his speech, thanked Fr. Domingos for his more than three years of service as principal and Br. Ignatius for his willingness to continue the service of technical education to the youth in Sumba. Fr. Pras also thanked the conferences in the Don Bosco Sumba Community, the teachers who work as a team to foster the youth on Sumba Island.

Gratitude and appreciation were also given by Fr. Lino Belo as chair of the Central Foundation and Fr. Ignasius Haryanto as chair of the Sumba branch of the Foundation. Meanwhile, Fr. Domingus thanked the teaching staff and students who had become a team working together for the past three years, and he hoped that the cooperation would continue even better with Br. Ignatius as the new principal. Happy serving, Br. Ignatius Satya, SDB.

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