Mother Yvonne Reungoat visits officially to the Salesian sister in Cambodia

Bishop Olivier and Mother Yvonne

Good evening Mother Yvonne, what is the message you bring in your visit to Cambodia?

Certainly a message of hope because our presence in Cambodia, is a presence in the education, and working for the education is to have hope. It means working in order to build for today but also for tomorrow. In a world where sometimes hope is lacking, my joy is to support all people in Cambodia, to believe in its future ans especially through the education of children and youth.

We often hear about the problems that the Cambodian women face today like domestic violence, labor and sexual exploitation. What are the answers of the Salesian Sisters for the Cambodian woman?

The Salesian Sisters try to welcome a number of those young woman who are in familial conflicts and social difficulties, in order to give them the possibility to live in a serene and filial atmosphere.

First, to find again their own energies, to be ready to become the woman of that future we hope, to be able to get their own family and success in their life.

Another aspect is the development of their professional formation. In fact, to give a formation to young woman, is to give her the possibility to work and earn their own resources, to live with dignity, to win the respect with one another and to build their own family. At the same time, they receive a training in human values and spiritual values, so they will find a meaning in life.

Through the formation we give to the young woman, we also reach the family, because the woman has an influence in it. Even if it is not socially recognized but in fact, by her action, by her presence especially for the children education, she has a very important influence.

The Province of the Salesian Sisters includes Myanmar and Cambodia. Why have you elected Cambodia as the headquarters of the Province?

The election of Phnom Penh as the headquarters is related with the beginning of the Salesian presence in the area, but also because it is easier to work in Cambodia. The educational activities we are doing since many years now, give us a good hope for the future development. From this reason, the seat of the Province here, is a great solution.

Bishop Emile, Bishop olivier and Sister Yvonne are waitching the show from Salesian Donbosco girl in Phnom Penh

What are the prospective for future vocations for the Salesian Sisters in Asia?

The prospective for the future vocation in Asia depends of the countries. There are some countries that already have plenty of Salesian vocations, for example Vietnam, India, East Timor, Indonesia, Philippine, South Korea, Myanmar, but Cambodia because its history needs more time. We already have the first Cambodian Salesian Sister and others young ladies are in formation.

So, we have the hope that the Salesian charisma would find in the Sisters a favorable way and then they would be able to discover and become educators of the youth.

So, the prospective for the future vocations in Asia is a prospect of hope and commitment, because we realize that the Don Bosco charisma joins the children and youth in all the Asian cultures. It is also a challenge because it supposes to accompany them. Therefore, the charisma is really integrated inside the culture. By this way, the young Asian vocations are able to translate it in their life the spirit of Don Bosco.

By Fr. Albeiro Rodas and Fabien Bourgeois, Salesian Communication Center of Cambodia, 2010