DBFC Identity and Mission

The Don Bosco Foundation of Cambodia (DBFC) is a Non Profit institution of education of the Salesian Congregation of Don Bosco, composed by Salesian religious (priests, brothers and sisters), lay persons and sympathizers of the Salesian work in Cambodia. It was created to support the education of children and youth in need in Cambodia. The DBFC has its headquarters in Phnom Penh and it is both a National and an International NGO.

The name, Don Bosco, refers to the founder of the Salesians, Saint John Bosco, the Apostle of the Youth, who opted for the most poor boys and girls of his time (19th century) in Italy. The DBFC in Cambodia was founded on 24th May 1991 as a continuation of the educational works of Don Bosco around the world. Currently, the DBFC has technical schools, literacy centers, scholarship programs for poor children (Don Bosco Children Fund) and food programs for students. The DBFC has built several village schools in the country and it has many other programs, all created for assistance to the most vulnerable children.

~~History~~

Don Bosco officially arrived in Cambodia in 1991 from Thailand, a country where the Salesian presence started in 1927. Thailand had to cope with the Cambodian refugee camps on its territory. The Thai government forbade any organization other than the Thai army to come to the support of the refugees fleeing the war. In 1989 the Thai government allowed the United Nations to conduct technical education for youth in the refugee camps through the Catholic Office for Emergency Relief and Refugee (COERR). This organization delegated the project to the Jesuits from India. They, in turn, thought of the Salesians from Bangkok due to their expertise in vocational and technical education. The Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Renato Martino, knowing the work of the Salesians, was also in favour of giving the project to Don Bosco. In August 1989 the Salesians established 6 centres for technical education at the 2, 8, Sok Sann and B sites along the Thai-Cambodian border. The centres were lead by Brother Roberto Panetto and the past pupils of Don Bosco Bangkok. The machinery was provided by the Salesians from Macau to support the project in favour of the Khmer youth in the refugee camps. Within two years there were around 3,000 young participants who had gained some technical skills, but the war was nearly over in Cambodia and the people were about to be repatriated. Past pupils and the personnel kept asking the Salesians “Are you going to come with us?” >>Continue reading the entire official version of the history of Don Bosco in Cambodia.

The Vision of Don Bosco Foundation of Cambodia is to be a lead institution in the education and promotion of children and youth from poor backgrounds or at risk due to physical or moral dangers. The children and youth must have a place where they can continue their studies until they are ready to face their own future with a skill and better opportunities of employment. In such context our statement is fighting poverty through education.

The Mission of DBFC is to welcome and promote the children and youth from poor background or at risk in our centers and programs, in cooperation with the State of Cambodia and other NGOs. The children and youth will follow a process of education, promotion, protection, assistance, formation for a skill and professional attention for them and their families. All our programs belong to the Salesian Preventive System of Don Bosco that is a method that looks to the formation and education of the children and youth to be good citizens of their country, enabling them to help themselves when they have grown up.

1. To provide the children and youth with an education that is excellent and useful in our centers for their future. When they finish our programs, the past pupils will know how to do a good job and be excellent citizens with good human and civil values in society.

2. To improve the skill of all the personnel working in DBFC in a way that they are able to provide the best education and formation to the children and youth in our programs.

3. Promoting the natural talents of our personnel and students.

4. DBFC is aware of the needs of Cambodia in its development. In this way, the students are prepared to answer the growing development of their country in a skillful way.

5. Our educational programs for children and youth are always looking for quality. DBFC considers discipline an excellent way to educate the youth in good values.

6. Our programs must always answer the real social needs of the children and youth. Our programs are in permanent evaluation through evaluation, correction and planning.

7. We look always for children and youth from real poor backgrounds (street children, orphans, abandoned children, countryside youth, children from very poor families) and children and youth at risk because of social evils like child trafficking, child prostitution, drugs and so on.

8. We work together as an educational family who is concerned with the education and formation of children and youth.

Currently the symbol of the Don Bosco Foundation of Cambodia is as follows: the face of Don Bosco with technical symbols. It means our mission and vision is to provide technical education to children and youth from poor backgrounds.

The DBFC belongs to the big Salesian Family of Don Bosco in the world. We follow all the traditional educational elements of Don Bosco giving importance to the person, to the family and many other elements like cultural traditions, sports, arts, the development of natural talents and respect for country and ancestral elements of culture.

~~Further Reading~~

The work of Don Bosco began on December 8, 1841 "with a simple catechism lesson" and consequently spread in response to pressing needs and situations. At present the Salesian Family animates thousands of educative centers and undertakes apostolic initiatives of various kinds in the service of youth. It has its source in the vocation or call given by God, to Don Bosco to work for the salvation of the young.

As of 2005, the Salesians in the world totaled 16, 645 with 544 novices. The professed Salesians are 16,101 of whom 2,201 are Brothers - 2,813 are Major Seminarians - 15 Permanent Deacons - 10,963 priests and 109 bishops and prelates ( Archbishops and Cardinals). These Salesians are engaged in the following different areas of activity: Formation Centers, Oratories and Youth Centers, Academic Schools, Technical and Agricultural Schools, Vocational Guidance and Seminaries, Parishes and Missions, Social Activities, Social Communications and Provincial Services. In particular, there are 367 Technical Schools with 98,148 trainees and students; 46 Agricultural Schools with 7,384 trainees and students and 107 Adult Education Centers with 61,694 students. There are 1,325 Oratories and Youth centers with 479, 400 members and 270 Centers for Youngsters in Difficulty with 41,385 beneficiaries.

We, the Salesians of Don Bosco (SDB), form a community of the baptized. Submissive to the bidding of the Spirit we are resolved to carry out the founder's apostolic plan in a specific form of religious life: to be in the Church signs and bearers of the love of God for young people, especially those who are poor. By carrying out this mission we find our way to holiness. (Constitutions, 2)

Education and evangelization are at the centre of our mission. The pastoral-educative service that we want to carry out is directed to the integral development of the person. The first and principal beneficiaries of our mission are the young, especially the poorest of them, young workers and those preparing themselves for work, and apostolic vocations; in view of these we work amongst the common folk with special attention to lay evangelizers, family, social communication, and those not yet evangelized

Don Bosco Foundation of Cambodia, P.O. Box 47. Address: 67, Street 315 Sankat Boeng Kak 2, Khan Toul Kouk, Phnom Penh.
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