This is 29th..
Letter from Banteay Prieb
Vol. 29 Banteay Prieb 2017. September to December
Make-up
Contents
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[Letter from BP] Ms. Siya [BP Focus] 2017 Graduation [Interview] Student "Oun Chen" [BP Talk] The graduate "Dum Sok Cheat" [Photo] Water Festival [BP News] September to December [BP Information]
The most important lesson I learnt here is, to respect the teachers, other students and myself. -The Phone repairing Class, Oun Chen-
Publisher Oh-Chang Kwon S.J. Editor Yeo Reum Kim Copy Right JSC(Jesuit Service Cambodia) Banteay Prieb
In the Rain
[Letter from BP]
Goodbye Letter from Ms.Siya
Dear Friends, First of all, I would like to say thank you to the Fathers who gave me a chance to work in BP, to the teachers, staff and all the students. Especially, to my students who have lived with me in the house number 10. Thank you for everything! Thanks for your love, your taking care of me and your goodness. Thanks be to God! I remember the tears of my students. The first time they came here, they started to cry because of homesick. And the second time they cried, because they felt difficult to learn in the Sewing class. But now all of them have learned a lot from the lesson and they are doing well. Nobody tells me that she wants to go back home anymore. Although sometimes I also felt sad with some people here, and had some difficulties to look after the students, I still got joy from the students. I enjoyed the time with them when we danced (I like dancing a lot now), talked or played together. Moreover, they took care of me when I got sick.
Ms. Siya, a staff in the Outreach team, literacy teacher, and house no. 10 teacher, is going to her next step in Carmelite Monastery.
One day there was a heavy rain in BP. My students and I were playing in the rain. We were so happy under the rain. We ran and walked around BP. Some students brought shampoo and took a shower under the eaves. We laughed and screamed out. Then we went to look for fish or frogs in the pond. Some male students also came to look for fish. But we did not catch any fish. We went back home when the raindrops were getting smaller and smaller. We took a shower again in the house. Finally, I could realize that nature is very nice and beautiful, especially when it is raining. It made BP’s environment very fresh and clean. It seemed like we cannot live without water. Water gives us life. For me, it was a lovely day to enjoy the raining in BP. Time has passed! It’s a time for me to leave and say good bye to BP -this beautiful place-. I hope that this time we have had a good relationship with each other. I hope that I did not hurt anybody. If I did , please forgive me. It is because I am just a human being, but not yet a perfect one. I can see that the poor people like disabled students, have pure heart. They do not hurt anybody. Lastly, I wish for all of you in BP (the priests, brother, volunteers, teachers, staff, and students), to have a good life, to get success in your living (study or work), to be strong, brave and hopeful. May God bless you all with peace, happiness and good health. From the bottom of my heart, Ms. Khim Siya
With the students in house no. 10
Graduation 2017
[BP Focus]
December 20th was the most important day of the whole year in BP. The 128 students looked little tense because of the cold weather. There was a speech from the important personnel and awarding of diplomas from the government and JSC (Jesuit Service in Cambodia). Many officials including the governor of Kandal state (Mao Phearun), the director of JSC (Fr. Gabriel S.J.), and the director of BP (Fr. Oh-Chang Kwon S.J.) attended the event. Every class had a booth to show what they have learned this year. After lunch, there were many sport games going on. People were happy to play the games together. 3 pigs that were caught and roasted during the day were the best food among the delicious foods in dinner. Through drawing lots, the students got prizes and there was so much fun and thrill before the number was called. The performance on stage was enjoyable and the party went on until the late night. The next day, the students all went back to home. It was difficult to say goodbye to the best friends and leave from BP. They hugged and held hands to share not only the warmth but also love and friendship they had built.
The sport games
Awarding the
diplomas
Group Photo
Dinner Time
Outing
[BP Talk]
Dum Sokcheat Batch 29
Dum Sokcheat studied in the MAchine Cllass and opened a repairing-motorcycle shop in Kompongspu. His mother runs a small grocery store in the corner of the shop
Interviewer: Why did you choose to learn in the Machine Class? Sokcheat:I liked to study about the machine. Especially I wanted to learn how to fix the motors since I was a teenager because my motor had been broken many times. I wanted to know what the problem was and how to fix it.
Interviewer: How is your relationship with your family? And with the villages? Sokcheat:I have 6 siblings and five of them live with me and my parents in the same house now. I have a good relationship with the village people. (smile) To-a-ma-da(meaning so so, normal, in Khmer) Interviewer: How was your school life? What is the most memorable thing? Sokcheat:The most memorable thing is cooking. It was my first time to cook there because my mother and my sisters always cooked for me at home. I had to go to the market and cook every day. The most difficult work was gardening on every Saturday day. Some students did the work and some would just sit down and have a chat with others. When other students didn’t help each other, I felt unfair and difficult. The happiest time was when I played volleyball with my friends. In addition, I was just happy that I was learning how to fix motors. Interviewer: Who is the most memorable person in BP? Sokcheat: I had one or two close friends; Chum Bu ti, and Sun Sen Hai. Whenever we had problems in school we encouraged each other. And when we had something unsure in lesson we asked and helped each other. Interviewer: How was the beginning of opening the shop? What was the most difficult problem and how did you solve it? Sokcheat:I had my own plans. I needed money to buy necessary materials. My family supported a lot. Especially my mother got loans from the microfinance (people can borrow the money and pay back the interest) to run our business. The first difficulty I faced was when I needed to fix the modern motors which I didn’t know well about. I called teachers in the Machine Class to ask how to fix them and which parts should I look at. The teachers helped me a lot but I only could explain on the phone so it was difficult for them to understand the situation well. Sometimes I couldn’t find out the solution so I just sent them back. The second difficulty was that I had limited money so that I couldn’t buy the materials for exchanging in broken motors.
Interviewer: How is your shop now? What is your secret to succeed in business? Sokcheat:I can’t say that my business is really successful now because I still have a lot of materials to buy. I think I could do better if I have more materials to fix and exchange the motors. I have many customers though. In order to attract more customers I try to provide the best service for them. I talk nicely and keep good relationships with the customers. Interviewer: Let me ask to you( to one customer in the shop), what is the reason you chose to come to this motor shop? One customer: Here, I can sit down and have a chat. He is kind and friendly. Interviewer: What is your goal or dream? Sokcheat:I want to make my business bigger and bigger. Mother: I wish my child’s business goes well and he becomes more professional. Interpreter: How about having a wife or a child? Sokcheat: (Jokingly) If one good lady comes, I will not take the bill but ask her phone number. Interviewer: Is there anything you want to tell the students who will graduate in next month? Sokcheat:I would like to tell them that you should try to catch up the lesson. Please try to understand all the things you study in the class and listen to the teachers. Otherwise, you don’t get enough knowledge to run your own business. Interviewer: What does BP mean to you? Sokcheat:BP is very important not only to me but also to other people with disabilities, for giving me an opportunity to obtain the vocational training and live there. Mother: Thank you for all the donors, teachers, and staff. (to the son) Why can’t you say that? (to interviewer) He is too shy to say it. Sokcheat: (shy smile)
Oun Chen
Why did you choose to study the Electronic Class/ and Phonerepairing Class? I cannot do the hard work such as farming in the rice field, so I decided to learn something easier. After the first graduation, I met Mr. Yuth again in the community group which goes to protect Preylang(a forest in the middle of Kompongtom, Krochae, Phra Vihea, Stung thra province). He suggested me to join the phone repairing training in BP.
Phone-repairing Class
[Interview]
How did you know about BP? My uncle who knows Mr. Yuth and Mr. Klawan introduced BP to me. Then, I studied about Electronic in 2011. I opened a shop of repairing electronic devices after graduation but I didn’t get succeeded. The reasons are because; I didn’t have enough money to buy the necessary materials, and the shop was too far from the crowded place in the market, and the customers wanted to buy new ones instead of repairing the broken ones.
Preylang? Can you tell us more about preylang and the community group which protect s the forest? (JSC ecology team also works in Preylang for planting trees and catching the illegal loggers) My hometown is 3 km far way from Preylang in Kompong tom province. There is a youth group in my village which voluntarily protects Preylang from illegal logging and to plant trees there. I worked there for 5 years. We collect money to buy gasoline for motors. We go deep inside of the forest by motors and stay there more or less 15 days. We bring some repairing tools so when motors are broken we can fix them and go again. Before we enter the forest, we always offer and pray to the spirit of Preylang. There is no house to sleep and food is not enough. It is always raining and sometimes it is flooded. The elephants live in the some deep parts of Preylang. They are so smart that they notice people are coming and break the bridge we made to cross the river. Personally I know about Chut Wutty(Cambodian environmentalist). I and my friends worked with him. He always brought a camera on a hand and a gun on the other hand. His life was threatened by many powerful people but he was never afraid of them and he never stopped working for ecology. One day in my village, he stopped a company which destroyed the forest. The armed workers wanted to hurt him right away. The village people surrounded Chut Wutty and protected him until he could leave that area with the car. Nevertheless, five months later, he was killed. That day he was with two foreign journalists and they were nearby suspected area where the woods were cut illegally for making drugs. A military serviced man shot him and he was also shot by someone else. Wasn’t it difficult to work in Preylang with a disability? It is not easy but I love the forest and I wanted to keep the trees for the next generations. They need trees for building houses and cooking etc. It is difficult to catch the illegal loggers, especially when the village people are involved. Some local people allow or help the loggers to cut the woods for money and we can’t catch the same village people. Therefore, we ask the ministry of the environment to catch them instead. If we go to stop one place in Preylang, they appear and cut the woods in another place
Oun Chen is the second child among 9 siblings. He worked in the rice field with his family before he came to BP
What is the most memorable event in BP? The happiest moment is when the students play games together, dance, and have some programs like last week (they had 3-day programs for celebrating water festival). The most difficult thing is my lack of knowledge. While studying in the Phone-repairing Class, I need to know some English words in order to use the computer programs. However, my English is worse than other students. I worry so much about the lesson that sometimes I can’t sleep at night. I am confident of fixing the cell phones but using the computer programs such as g-mail, or app store is still difficult. You got the first prize of the singing contest in BP during the water festival. Do you like singing? Yes of course. I feel happy when I am singing. When I listen to the sound of music, or there are any kinds of joyful programs going on, I feel excited and I want to sing. Music makes me feel like I'm with my parents; so comfortable and happy. I used to attend other singing contests and got prizes such as a television, some money, and a phone. (smile) How did you feel when you got the prize? And don’t you feel nervous when you sing in front of many people in such contests? When I got the prize, I felt normal. I didn’t feel anything more special than the others. I do feel nervous when I sing in the contests. My hands are shaking and my heart is beating fast. However, I try to control myself. If I see many people listening to me in front, it increases more tensions so I look at one spot in a far distance and try to imagine that there are only me and the musician. What is different between the time you studied in the Electronic Class(2011) and now? When I studied about electronic devices, I was afraid to be shocked by the electricity. However, there is no fear of such thing in the phone repairing Class. More ever, learning about the phone repairing is easier than it seemed. About the daily lives, it is much easier than before because I alreay had experiences. There are some changes. In 2011, there was no Special Education Class, or no selling coffee. In addition, the students were not allowed to smoke in BP. They smoke everywhere nowadays. Only one month is left until the graduation. How do you feel now? I am happy that it will end soon. I can open the workshop then. Before I finish studying, I want to repeat some parts of lessons where I am not sure about. I want to know all lessons well. (A small lizard fell off from the ceiling. The interviewer was surprised but Chen seemed to be more surprised; screaming and stepping back. ) (Laughing) Are you afraid of lizards? Lizards are something never can be missing in Cambodian lives. Moreover, wouldn’t you meet more scary animals in Preylang? Yeah, I fear of animals including the lizards. That’s why whenever I go to Preylang, I am always careful; looking around if there are snakes or other animals, wearing thick pants and sleeping with the soldiers who have the gun. Whenever I hear the walking sound of the elephants, I ask the soldier “(if they are) near or far?”
He says that he fear of many things. However, he never stop doing what he wants to do even though he fears.
Would you join the protecting group of Preylang again when you open the workshop after the graduation? Yes. If my house and the shop are close to Preylang I will join. It is really difficult but happy to go into Preylang and protect it. Sometimes we dance in the forest. What is your next goal or dream? I want to open the cell phone repairing workshop. I don’t know where to open it yet but I would like open it nearby BP or near my aunt’s house because many factories are there and many workers will come. What does BP mean to you? BP is very meaningful to me. Here I learnt and got a lot of knowledge. The most important thing I learnt here is to respect teachers, the students, and especially myself.
[Photo]
Water Festival
(Nov. 2-4)
Banteay Prieb NEWS
Banteay Prieb, founded by the JRS(Jesuit Refugee Service) and now run by JSC(Jesuit Service Cambodia), aims to help the disabled to be independent and to find dignity in themselves through vocational training and the community life.
Sep. 15th-25th. Pchumber Holidays. The students, the teachers and the staff left to their home or the holiday resorts.
Contact us at:
Post Address: P.O BOX 880, Phnom Penh, Cambodia Phone: +855 12949710 e-mail Address: banteayprieb@gmail.com Website: facebook.com/banteayprieb facebook.com/craftpeacecafe www.youtube.com/user/banteayprieb
Oct. 17th. The 21th death anniversary of br. Richie Fernando S.J. who passed away to save other people from the hand grenade explosion. His family members, other Jesuits, staff, and the people who remember him came to join the memorial ceremony. Nov.2nd-4th. Um Dduk Holidays(Water Festival). There was an event in BP for 3 days; playing games, dancing, eating E-em-bok(sweet fried rice with coconut and young rice) and on the last day, they had a sing-a-song contest Nov. 8th-11th. JSC(Jesuit Service Cambodia) annual workshop was held in Kampongsaom. 7 staff attended from BP. Nov. 17th. Maryknoll Organization visited BP to hold a seminar about HIV(Human Immunodeficiency Virus). Nov. 24th. A seminar about Human rights of people with disabilities was held by the government in BP. Dec.7th. 120 Students and teachers were invited to an event to celebrate the International Day of Disabled People ,which is held by the government in Phnom Pehn Dec.20th. The graduation of the batch 30. The article is on p.3 * The students will go back home after the graduation. The new ones will come and study in January.
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Individual Donors (Sep.-Dec.):강경임 고부자 고순덕 고운용 고전숙 구본찬 김금열 김광자 김덕순 김동환 김병옥 김숙애 김영모 김영미 김영숙 김옥희 김유선 김익무 김익우 김인현 김정란 김정임 김주연 김주월 김지영 김테레시나 김한솔 김현옥 김홍순 권기영 권민선 권복순 권송자 권영규 권오규 권오창 권용호 권은자 권인경 권인순 권정근 권정숙 권정철 권춘미 남미조 남명자 노희철 뉴욕 CLC 회원들 도미자 데레사 하더웨이 무기영 문승희 박경숙 박서령 박순희 박승훈&박레지나 박세린 박용걸 &박완다 박원식 박종칠 박주완 박재인 박재진 박효진 배성숙 서강체험단 6기 서명순 서은선 서형교 손금화 송경희 송진기 심경숙 신금옥 신선자 신숙희 신정식 오미란 온해정 우화목 & 우건옥 여승현 염순이 윤덕순 윤석렬 윤영옥 윤원만 윤원태 윤정희 윤지홍 이기백 이귀자 이동원 이수연 이수형 이숙자 이순덕 이순옥 이윤성 이윤정 이은경 이은철 이인혁 이인숙 이원임 이증옥 이재원 이한양 임대옥 임용성 임이택 임창률 왕병욱 예원수 장경희 장서규 장성옥 장원희 장춘길 전복희 조성태 조옥희 정선희 조창권 정규산 정옥희 정은순 정은정 정정숙 정현순 정현주 정현희 진상현 천상영 최경환 신부 최난희 최동원 최동화 최양순 최영준 최윤자 최은자 최은희 최정희 편경현 피옥경 한금숙 한성민 한영희 한정숙 한향숙 한희주 허수경 허윤정 홍정미 황원희 황정숙 Kathy Kang Visited Donors (Sep.-Dec.): 주 루시아, 김동택, Lisa & Agnes, 수원여대 학생들, St. Ignatius College students 오인돈 신부 부모님 및 부모님 친구분들 홍성학
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