(ANS - Rome) - "We are not just engineers, or bricklayers, or carpenters  ... We are 'Don Bosco', we are Salesians! We do not want only to rebuild schools, homes and classrooms. We have made this clear to the Nepalese government authorities, school principals and local education officials ... we will build schools, but we also want to be involved in the training of teachers." So said Fr George Menamparampil, head of "Bosconet", the Salesian Mission Office in New Delhi, during his short visit to Rome, as part of a European tour to tell benefactors what has been done so far and what the plans are for the future.

by Gian Francesco Romano

The Salesians in Nepal are looking beyond the mere survival of the population and the physical reconstruction of the environment, or even the specific interests of the Congregation. They take a long range view of the benefits to be offered to the local people, particularly young people.

Fr Menamparampil says: "It is estimated that because of the earthquakes 4,200 schools have collapsed or have been seriously damaged. We plan to be able to reconstruct or restore somewhere between thirty and sixty of them in the space of a year, starting next October when the Monsoon season is over.  They will not be Salesian schools because we would not have enough staff. But we want to take care of teacher training: training teachers not to use corporal punishment, and how to be the best teachers, how to build a relationship with the students, how to motivate them, and how to be more motivated themselves, because in Nepal teachers do not enjoy a high social status."

The destruction caused by the earthquake can become an opportunity to rebuild society, starting with the young. "We intend to carry out training courses directly with students in our centres or in other schools. It is not about teaching catechism, because the students are all Hindus, but about transmitting values. These are human values before being Christian values. We will do courses in social skills: sex education that at present is not being given to young people by anyone; gender education, to affirm the equal dignity of men and women; Media education, not to be slaves of advertising messages ... and also specific courses, for example, how to prepare for examinations or how to study better."

Meanwhile, however, the physical work continues.  Eighty young people are currently undergoing training in order to achieve the reconstruction of the schools within a year. "For three months they receive theoretical training at our schools, then continue for another three months with field training and in all that time they are guaranteed food and accommodation. Over the next six months they will be divided into teams and will work on the rebuilding, and will be paid for their work. Then they will be able to find new jobs in different companies," says Fr Menamparampil.

He believes that the reconstruction and the recovery of the country can be done in a short space of time.  "We could do it all in three or four years, if everything is managed in the best possible way."

Published 17/07/2015