(ANS – Kep) – The Salesians of Don Bosco in Cambodia have opened the 4th centre dedicated to young women from poor communities, this time in the campus of the Don Bosco Vocational Center at the Kep National Park, southern Cambodia: it’s the “Banteay Srei Hostel - Piet de Visser House”. Its name describes the value of the house (Banteay Srei, the name of a National monument and means “Citadel of women”) and pays homage to the Dutch benefactor who had permission to build it.
The house can host about 70 young women while they attend the two years studies in any technical section in Don Bosco such as secretarial, hotel skills, tailoring, English and computers. It was dedicated to Mr Piet de Visser, the Dutch creator of the Foundation for Cambodia, an organization that has supported the educational projects of Don Bosco for more than 20 years.
The official opening took place last Wednesday 7th November in a ceremony at which the governor of Kep Province, H.E. Ken Satha presided, with a group of officials representing different departments such as education, labour, police, military and others. Also present Mr Piet de Visser, Fr John Visser, the country representative of the Don Bosco Foundation of Cambodia and Fr Albeiro Rodas, the director of the newest Don Bosco technical centre in the country, represented the Salesian team.
Fr John Visser thanked the support of Mr Piet de Visser to grant a dignified place where young women can stay to dedicate their time to their studies while in Don Bosco. Mr Piet de Visser, for his part, admired the work done and the commitment of the Salesians of Don Bosco to the education of the poorest. Fr Rodas, who has led the construction since October 2011, said that to build a school is a work of commitment by everybody, including the government, the private sector and donors, to do the best for young people, and that Don Bosco Kep should grow in harmony with the National Park, but also open a space where young people find a place for their education.
The governor of Kep Province, H.E. Ken Satha, gave a moving speech to the community First he thanked the Salesians of Don Bosco for deciding to open an educational project in Kep. “The youth and people of Kep feel honoured to have a Don Bosco school in this territory, the smallest Cambodian province, a beautiful place”. He mentioned also that Kep and Kampot were a scene of violence under the Khmer Rouge guerrillas more than two decades ago. “It is a great sign of love, hope, that Don Bosco opens a school in this place that was under terror some decades ago” he said to the students, teachers, volunteers and guests, who attended the opening. He underlined also the use of Cambodian traditional names for the buildings inside the campus: “You call this hostels for the girls Banteay Srei... The Banteay Srei temple is one of the most appreciated of our Cambodian history. Let this hostel be a real fortress for our young women... to educate a woman is always a great investment, and is to guarantee a good future for our nation” he said.
The Banteay Srei Hostel or Piet de Visser House in Kep is the fourth project dedicated to young women while they study in Don Bosco. The technical schools in Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville and the Childrens Centre in Poipet also have similar houses to guarantee the privacy and concentration of young women to enjoy the Don Bosco technical programs as young men do.
The Centre of Professional Training in Kep City, with the new girls’ boarding school, is actually dependent on the Salesian house in Sihanoukville and offers courses is still at the experimental stage. The official inauguration of the house is planned for March 2013.
Published 14/11/2012
