austraLasia #1762
When a King visits - it gets noticed!
SIHANOUKVILLE: 15th February 2007 -- Even though we ran this story just two days ago, obviously the Cambodian press picked up the same event, given that it was the King who was visiting and given that a brand new enterprise like a Hotel School was being inaugurated - so the following item offers the event from Cambodian eyes (Prak Chan Tul from the Cambodian Daily, as it is called, and a certain John Maloy from the same newspaper). It offers a little more information about the new venture. In fact, based as it is on an interview with Bro Robert Panetto, it is both informative and well-written. Some of our Salesian Bulletins may like to pick up the story from here - photos can be readily made available direct from Sihanoukville - Bro Roberto or Fr Al Rodas will willingly supply them (Check the Year Book/Annuario for addresses).
Sihanoukville - King Norodom Sihamoni presided over the opening ceremony for the Don Bosco Foundation's hotel school Monday during his first visit to Sihanoukville since his coronation. The King praised the efforts of the Don Bosco Foundation to help the government develop Cambodia's human resources and offered some words of advice for the nearly 1,000 technical school students on hand. "Please study hard, respect the principles of the school and respect your teachers in order to get the skills to further the future development of the country," King Sihamoni said.
The Don Bosco Foundation is an international Catholic organization that provides schooling and technical training for disadvantaged youths in 128 countries, said Father Visser, Cambodia's director for the foundation. The new Don Bosco Hotel School opened Feb 5 to 50 students hoping to learn the hospitality trade, said Brother Roberto Panetto, the school's director. They join the 300 students already receiving training for careers in, among other fields, automobile repair, electrical work, welding and secretarial work at the Don Bosco Technical School to which the hotel school is attached, he said.The new school will function as both a school and a hotel so that students can get firsthand experience dealing with guests, Panetto said. Situated in scenic hills about 2 km from the popular O'Chheuteal beach, the hotel has 19 guestrooms whose rates will be $30 to $35 per night when it opens early next month.
Various NGOs help the Don Bosco Foundation identify and screen potential students from orphanages and poor families throughout the country, Panetto said. Students receive free schooling, room and board at the technical school. Depending on their background and language skills, students are placed in one of four programs: front office, housekeeping, food and beverage service or cooking, Panetto added.
To help students learn to deal with customers, the foundation opened an Italian-style ice cream shop two weeks ago in Sihanoukville. While not completely finished, the hotel still appeared bright and welcoming, with an impressive swimming pool and a pleasent view. The kitchen and food preparation areas are state of the art, and large windows were installed to allow guests to see the students at work. After six months of schooling, students will receive on-the-job training at hotels in Sihanoukville, Siem Riep and Phnom Penh for one month, Panetto said. Those who show promise will study one more year.
Twenty-years-old student Sam Bunlom said she hopes to eventually work in the front office of a Sihanoukville resort. The daughter of poor farmers in Takae province, she said that she is learning valuable skills that she never could have acquired at home.
"I am happy. If I could not study here, I would have to work in a garment factory."
Panetto said he hopes the hotel school will become a popular spot for NGOs workers who want to contribute to educating the disadvantage while on vacation.
Still, it is unlikely that the hotel will make enough to cover its operating costs given that all of the students attend for free. But Panetto said he was not too concerned about that for the time being. "For the rest, as we always say, 'If we work for the poor, then God will help us'," he said with a smile.
Click here to comment on this item.
_________________
AustraLasia is an email service for the Salesian Family of Asia Pacific. It also functions as an agency for ANS based in Rome. For queries please contact admin@bosconet.aust.com . Use BoscoWiki to be interactive. RSS feeds - subscribe to www.bosconet.aust.com/RSS/rssala.xm A separate service entirely is called F/OSSERVATORE to help us keep abreast of trends in the digital world. To contact austraLasia by voice on Skype, the Skype name is austraLasia.
When a King visits - it gets noticed!
SIHANOUKVILLE: 15th February 2007 -- Even though we ran this story just two days ago, obviously the Cambodian press picked up the same event, given that it was the King who was visiting and given that a brand new enterprise like a Hotel School was being inaugurated - so the following item offers the event from Cambodian eyes (Prak Chan Tul from the Cambodian Daily, as it is called, and a certain John Maloy from the same newspaper). It offers a little more information about the new venture. In fact, based as it is on an interview with Bro Robert Panetto, it is both informative and well-written. Some of our Salesian Bulletins may like to pick up the story from here - photos can be readily made available direct from Sihanoukville - Bro Roberto or Fr Al Rodas will willingly supply them (Check the Year Book/Annuario for addresses).
Sihanoukville - King Norodom Sihamoni presided over the opening ceremony for the Don Bosco Foundation's hotel school Monday during his first visit to Sihanoukville since his coronation. The King praised the efforts of the Don Bosco Foundation to help the government develop Cambodia's human resources and offered some words of advice for the nearly 1,000 technical school students on hand. "Please study hard, respect the principles of the school and respect your teachers in order to get the skills to further the future development of the country," King Sihamoni said.
The Don Bosco Foundation is an international Catholic organization that provides schooling and technical training for disadvantaged youths in 128 countries, said Father Visser, Cambodia's director for the foundation. The new Don Bosco Hotel School opened Feb 5 to 50 students hoping to learn the hospitality trade, said Brother Roberto Panetto, the school's director. They join the 300 students already receiving training for careers in, among other fields, automobile repair, electrical work, welding and secretarial work at the Don Bosco Technical School to which the hotel school is attached, he said.The new school will function as both a school and a hotel so that students can get firsthand experience dealing with guests, Panetto said. Situated in scenic hills about 2 km from the popular O'Chheuteal beach, the hotel has 19 guestrooms whose rates will be $30 to $35 per night when it opens early next month.
Various NGOs help the Don Bosco Foundation identify and screen potential students from orphanages and poor families throughout the country, Panetto said. Students receive free schooling, room and board at the technical school. Depending on their background and language skills, students are placed in one of four programs: front office, housekeeping, food and beverage service or cooking, Panetto added.
To help students learn to deal with customers, the foundation opened an Italian-style ice cream shop two weeks ago in Sihanoukville. While not completely finished, the hotel still appeared bright and welcoming, with an impressive swimming pool and a pleasent view. The kitchen and food preparation areas are state of the art, and large windows were installed to allow guests to see the students at work. After six months of schooling, students will receive on-the-job training at hotels in Sihanoukville, Siem Riep and Phnom Penh for one month, Panetto said. Those who show promise will study one more year.
Twenty-years-old student Sam Bunlom said she hopes to eventually work in the front office of a Sihanoukville resort. The daughter of poor farmers in Takae province, she said that she is learning valuable skills that she never could have acquired at home.
"I am happy. If I could not study here, I would have to work in a garment factory."
Panetto said he hopes the hotel school will become a popular spot for NGOs workers who want to contribute to educating the disadvantage while on vacation.
Still, it is unlikely that the hotel will make enough to cover its operating costs given that all of the students attend for free. But Panetto said he was not too concerned about that for the time being. "For the rest, as we always say, 'If we work for the poor, then God will help us'," he said with a smile.
Click here to comment on this item.
_________________
AustraLasia is an email service for the Salesian Family of Asia Pacific. It also functions as an agency for ANS based in Rome. For queries please contact admin@bosconet.aust.com . Use BoscoWiki to be interactive. RSS feeds - subscribe to www.bosconet.aust.com/RSS/rssala.xm A separate service entirely is called F/OSSERVATORE to help us keep abreast of trends in the digital world. To contact austraLasia by voice on Skype, the Skype name is austraLasia.
