austraLasia
#1844
Classes take place under a
tree, with help from Brother Sun
SIHANOUKVILLE: 14th May 2007 -- Open-air education (when it doesn't rain) is the
solution adopted by Don Bosco at Sihanoukville for youngsters who can no longer
attend normal schooling since their families were removed from the land they had
occupied.
The 'Under-the-tree' school began on 11th May in
response to the needs of younger children who now cannot walk the long distances
they would need to walk to attend school at Mittapheap where they once
were. Since April 20th, their families were forced off the land they were
occupying due to legal issues. This simply put around 100 families on the
street with nowhere to go. The older children are able to walk to
Mittapheap Pagoda to attend school, but the younger ones find the more than 5
kilometre walk too much in the heat. Most of the children have attended
the Don Bosco compound anyway on Sundays, for English and Khmer classes, and
then for recreation. Now they will be offered temporary classes to fill in
for what they have missed for nearly a month, but they will need to do so under
the trees at the compound. Volunteers from the Don Bosco Brother Sun Youth
Centre will help out with the teaching. The classes will be held in late
afternoons, after normal school finishes.
The Don Bosco
Communications Department is asking the community in Sihanoukville for support
with a number of items needed for this emergency schooling - notebooks,
stationery, and food.
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