LETTER FROM BANTEAY PRIEB
Story of Intellectual Disability Class -Parents Training Day -A Parent Interview: Chivorn's mother New Faces in BP -Jeong Hye Cecilia -Yong Guk Leo Photo Break -BP and Cambodia Craft Peace Cafe -New Menu & Products News in and around Banteay Prieb
Vol. 23 March to May, 2016 Issuer Oh-Chang, Kwon S.J. / Editor Lee Jeong Hye / Copy Right JSC, Banteay Prieb
Story of Intellectual Disability Class A Parents Training Day On March 10, the parents of the students with intellectual disabilities came to visit Banteay Prieb. A seminar was given to the parents by Phalla, the Special Education teacher. Later, the students cooked lunch by themselves for their parents, and they ate it together. The students also gave vegetables which they have cultivated to their parents.
Photos of the Parents Training day
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A special seminar was given to parents Students making food for their parents Students giving vegetables to parents
Story of Intellectual Disability Class A Parent Interview: Chivorn's mother Chivorn is a 34-year-old student who entered to the Banteay Prieb's intellectual disability class last year. His mother comes to Banteay Prieb every week to bring him home for the weekend. On May 19, we had an interview with Chivorn's mother to ask a about a few questions. Hello. Could you please introduce yourself? -My name is 'Uon Tha'. I'm from Derm Trang Village, Onlong Romeat Commune, Kandal Steung District, Kandal Province. Could you please introduce your son, Chivorn? -Yes. He had a disability from the birth. It was not from an accident. I have 4 siblings, and Chivorn is the oldest. Actually, 3 others also have the same kind of intellectual disability like Chivorn. I heard you come to Banteay Prieb to pick him up every weekend? -Yes. I come every weekend. May I ask why? -I take him home every weekend, because he needs to clean his beard and also meet his siblings. I see. Is there any change after coming to BP? -Before coming here, he used to stay at home every day. He used to get up, eat, sit, see the neighbors, and go around the house. However, After studying here, he wants to help me cook by cutting vegetables and cleaning the house. He can do something at home. Unlike before, now
he likes to wash and clean himself. Also, when he comes back home on every weekend, he mentions his Banteay Prieb friends' names like Ravi and Lihour for many times. He always talks about them, because he really likes them. What is the happiest thing for you? -When Chivorn first went to BP, I was worried if other normal (physically disabled) students here would bother him or make violence to him. But now I feel comfortable, because I know a lot about the teachers here and I see that Chivorn is getting along with friends here well. Now I know that Chivorn can cook and many other things. This makes me feel happy. When Chivorn graduates from BP next year, what do you want him to do? -In the future, I want him to live actively. I hope not that much, just cooking by himself will be enough, because I feel very happy for Chivorn now. I used to think that Chivorn could not do much, but now I do know that he can do many things. Do you have anything else to say? -I want to praise Banteay Prieb and the teachers. They have been very good and nice. Also, when Chivorn went to visit his uncle, my nephew called me and said "Chivorn is much better than before! Now he can have a conversation with us! He can ask, answer, and talk!" I'm happy that Chivorn got improved much in his communication skills. Thank you.
New Faces
at Banteay Prieb
Jeong Hye Cecilia
Lee, Jeong Hye (Cecilia) / A New Volunteer at BP
“What is your major?” This is the most difficult question for me to answer. If I just say that I major in ‘Global Education Cooperation’, people don’t understand what exactly I am studying. This study focuses on education in international development – we study the educational development in developing countries in particular. For my master’s thesis, I’ve been writing about Banteay Prieb; where I am now for volunteering. I chose Banteay Prieb without knowing that I would actually come here for a whole year! When I was in contact with Fr. Indon regarding my thesis, one day, he offered me to come and work as a volunteer at Banteay Prieb. I felt that God was inviting me to Cambodia through him. For me now, there is no other better place than here! In Banteay Prieb, I can do the field research more easily, do voluntary works for the first time in my life, and build experience utilizing the knowledge in my major. Moreover, I can share my faith journey with Jesuit fathers and brothers! Of course, there are hardships as well. Because of the heat rash and mosquito bites, my body is full of scars now. My feet turned black from dust, which wouldn’t be
washed away easily. But I found many things that I’m learning from the life here with the disabled. It might seem paradoxical to people in the outside world, but I realized that it is truly God’s grace to live with the poor and the marginalized. In Banteay Prieb, there are more chances to be kind since they live by helping one another. They also help me to be good and practice good deeds for many times, which make me feel that God’s kingdom is near us. Thus I realize that it is more of a blessing to live with the people in the lowest place, rather than to live with the rich or people who have many things to show off. I come to think, if not God, would I ever have concerned with the disabled? I had never been with them nor had cared for them. I didn’t have any volunteering experience, either. If my thesis was not about Banteay Prieb, if not my major, and if not my faith, I would have never had an opportunity to love these people. As I live in BP, I am often reminded of one verse from the Bible. “For we are his handiwork, created in Christ Jesus for the good works which God has prepared and in which we should walk.“ (2Ephesians 2, 10) I thank God for leading me to this place full of blessings and letting me love the people whom otherwise I would have never loved this much if not because of Him. Thank you!
New Faces
at Banteay Prieb
Yong Guk Leo
Jeon, Yong Guk (Leo)/A Seminarian from Daejeon Dioces in Korea My hobby is to take pictures. Since I got a camera from my older sister three years ago, I have been hooked on pressing the shutter at any time because it was fun to capture each precious moment. I am just a beginner, even daring to say that I am an 'amateur'. But I keep pressing the shutter here in Cambodia. Unlike in Korea, there is one problem when taking pictures in Cambodia - it is very difficult to control the light! In Korea, it is easy to take pictures with the clear skies and clouds. However, in the dry season in Cambodia, the pictures seem unclear because the light is taken up by the dust floating in the air. One day, I met a priest who was also interested in taking pictures, and I told him about the difficulty of taking good pictures in Cambodia. Then, he told me, "Taking pictures with the dust in the air is capturing the reality of Cambodia too."
Now I think I know. When I look and observe, I can see that much light pass through the dust in the air and draw itself on the sky, as if the dust were its sketch book. The skies are filled with its unique colors of yellow or gray; the sunlights settles down on earth after passing through the dust. It was rather my view that was unclear and now I am getting to realize, 'Yes, this is Cambodia.' I come to think -- of the moment that an unclear thing becomes clarified. Light is and comes no matter what; light is a prerequisite for everything, both for the object and for viewing the object. Light prevails despite the dust because the Sun exists in the sky. As I am Catholic, I naturally came to think about God who made the world and created light on the first day, and also Jesus who is the light for us and became human like us. Also, since I am in Banteay Prieb now, I came to think about the BP community here. There is a prejudice that the people with disabilities are someone who always need help; but the students here have become my friends. There is a prejudice that the people with disabilities do not get a proper education; but here they have become teachers. These are the moments when the love comes from the deep recesses of the heart to reach out to somebody else. As love prevails and continues to shed light, I realize what its real essence is. This way, the pictures that I take in Cambodia, and in Banteay Prieb, are becoming clearer despite the gray dust in the air. Let's press the shutter one more time today with joy, among those different people who we meet everyday, and among all the present and past community members of Banteay Prieb that are away but can be met through this newsletter. I pray that you get touched by each beautiful moment of memory, saying 'Ah..!' for every time. Some of his pictures are shown in the next page of 'Photo Break'. Please take your time to look and enjoy! :)
Photo Break: Photos by Yong Guk
BP and Cambodia
New Menu & Products New Menu
Lassi
(yogurt-based drink with fresh fruit) -Mango Lassi -Passion Fruit Lassi -Blueberry Lassi -Pineapple Lassi
New Products
Eco Bags
News in and around Banteay Prieb April 4~5. There was an Ecology Seminar by JSC Ecology Team for Banteay Prieb students. April 9~17. Students went back home during the Khmer New Year Holidays.
March 8. On International Women's Day, all of women in Banteay Prieb went out to Thmor Roung Natural Tourism site and had fun together at the valley.
April 18. A female staff named Kung Phiroum has newly started to work at Craft Peace CafÊ. May 2. A Students’ Committee Meeting was held. May 30. Daniela Leimgruber, a new female volunteer from Jesuit Mission Switzerland, has joined the BP community. CONGRATULATIONS!
March 19. There was an Earth Hour from 8:30 to 9:30PM. The Earth Hour is globally celebrated once a year to save the electricity. Banteay Prieb joined this by turning off all the electricity during the 60-minutes, and we lit up the candles. Later, we danced all together!
March 17. There was a marriage of Mr. Sopheap, a teacher of the intellectual disability class. May he enjoy a happier life with his beloved life-partner. Congratulations! March 21. Mr. Buntaeng (teacher of phone repairing class) and Ms. Chenda (teacher of sewing class) bored a baby. Ms. Chenda is now on maternity leave. Hope they are always full of joy and happiness with a child. Congratulations! April 19. Navy (BP accountant) came back to work at BP, after the maternity leave of 3-months. Congrats on the delivery of a baby and welcome back to BP! May your family enjoy the happiness with blessings!
April 3. We went to a nearby temple to celebrate the Khmer New Year.
May 13. Sophy (staff at outreach team) got married. Many blessings to her marriage and the new life with beloved one!
Special Thanks to...
Donors from Korea: Kim Yun Jung, Ara Kim, Kim Dong Nyuk, 장기성 김익자 송순열 신정식 김건우 김금열 윤덕순 손금화 노외순 진상현 류성준 김주연 권태동 윤석열 권인순 박원식 윤민정 정은순 전광민 한희주 권은자 효주아네스 김애식 김광자 한성민 피옥경 LOVE 최경환신부 권영숙 권민선 윤영화 이동원 김병옥 조성태 서형교 윤원만 최정희 이용선 권용호 김영지 신헌진 이인숙 이수연 조귀선 염세꾼다 김경연 이인숙 77나눔회 한영희 박순희 권춘화 신순옥 최영재 유영애 (Entry by April, 2016)
Banteay Prieb, founded by the JRS(Jesuit Refugee Service) and now run by JSC(Jesuit Service Cambodia), aims to help the victims by war, landmines, polio and accidents to be independent and find dignity in themselves through vocational training and psychological support.
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