From left to right Ms. Meriem Kellou, Schneider Social Responsibility Manager of East Asia and Japan, Fr. Roel Soto, Don Bosco Country Representative, Mr. Ang Koon San, Schneider Country General Manager in Cambodia and Ms. Celeste Messina, Schneider VP of Executive Development Program.

By Fr. Albeiro Rodas, SDB

Phnom Penh, Cambodia, 7 July 2017 -- The Cambodian branch of Schneider Electric, the French multinational corporation that specializes in energy management, made official the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding with the Don Bosco Foundation of Cambodia, about providing electrical training rooms and a solar water pump system to the technical school of Phnom Penh: a first step. Then the Corporation intends to do the same in the electrical departments of Poipet, Sihanoukville, Battambang and Kep, according to the agreement.

Mr. Ang Koon San, Schneider Electric country manager in Cambodia.

 

Fr. Roel Soto, Don Bosco Cambodia’s country representative, and Mr. Ang Koon San, Schneider’s country general manager for Cambodia, confirmed the agreement on 7th of July in a ceremony at Don Bosco Phnom Penh with the assistance of the educative and pastoral community and representatives for the multinational. 

Schneider Electric develops connected technologies and offers solutions to manage energy and processes that should be safe, reliable, efficient and sustainable, according to its Cambodian local website. This support to the technical educative projects of Don Bosco Cambodia, makes a meaningful contribution to the updating of the electrical curriculum, equipment and vision of the school for the improvement of teachers and students. The project introduces the Don Bosco academic community to sustainable energy with the solar powered water pump in a garden fish pond.

Sustainable energy is becoming a strong option for a country like Cambodia that depends a lot from importing power from neighboring countries, making it expensive and out of the reach of many impoverished rural areas. Training Don Bosco electrical students in this arena will make a great contribution to the Cambodian development. At the same time, the support of corporations such as Schneider to the Don Bosco educative projects, will guarantee the commitment of the Salesians for the most vulnerable children and youth.  

Through its foundation, Schneider Electric aims to build sustainable communities through energy knowledge and leadership. The foundation’s goal is to contribute to the energy-related development of people and societies through education, innovation, awareness-raising and vocational training. This contribution is made anywhere in the world, as long the company has a presence.

Schneider Electric shares the same aim as Don Bosco Foundation of Cambodia: to develop people and societies through education and skills training in view of empowering people to support themselves, said Fr. Roel Soto.

Father Roel recalls an electrical past pupil that opened his own electrical enterprise service at his home after he finished studies in Don Bosco. ¨With his motorbike he and his partners would go from house to house doing electrical repairs,¨ he said during his speech at the program with Schneider Electric on 7th of July. After 5 years, his small enterprise grew to a company outsourcing electrical works in constructions. In this successful story, the Don Bosco foundation training played a definitive role, allowing young people from impoverished rural areas to break the circles of poverty.   

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Students of the Electrical Section of Don Bosco Technical School Phnom Penh with Fr. Roel Soto, the Schneider Electric Cambodia leaders and teachers.