austraLasia 782
SALESIANS IN MONGOLIA CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS WITH STREET CHILDREN
ULANBAATAR: 28th December '03 -- The small Salesian community in Mongolia, in the capital city of Ulanbaatar, celebrated Christmas with the city's streetchildren this year. 2003 saw the development of a project on their behalf which began in 2002 with a small group of 10 street children. That number grew to a point where the Salesians asked the Government for some land to provide for them - and were granted a 60,000 square metre plot on which they erected twelve gers (a ger is the typical large Mongolian nomad tent), along with some temporary common rooms. They were assisted in this task by a Korean Overseas Volunteer Group. The plant has since been connected to the twon electricity supply and now houses some 41 very needy children.
Fr. Simon Lee, from the community, has been active in establishing an outreach to the city's streetchildren who tend to live underground in manholes near the hot steampipes of the city's central heating system. Those children who live in the newly erected premises are able to begin some small agricultural activity - vegetable and fruits - to help gain a livelihood and some food. There has already been a small vocational training centre established since the first arrival of the Salesians three years ago.
In the meantime there are plans afoot to develop a new centre further north in the country at Darchan City. The Salesians community is eagerly awaiting reinforcements in terms of new missionaries to help with this project.
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