Community of Mary Help of Christians: Tuol Kork

The house of Community “Mary Help of Christians” in Tuol Kork, Phnom Penh was the first start of community of salesian sisters in Cambodia in 1992.
The first sisters started with sewing course, but after one year they recognized the need of education in computer skills.
Vocational Training Center, which was completely knocked down and rebuilt in 2010 offers 2 years Computer-secretarial Course, and beside that the community also leads a kindergarten. 

The house has a hostel that accommodates 85 students of the Computer-secretarial Course and 4 High School students (Laura Group). They come from poor families of the different parts of Cambodia for further studies in Phnom Penh. 

Activities in the house
- Kindergarten Toul Kork: 129 students
- Kindergarten Chreh: 156 students
- Primary School: 301 students
- Computer-Secretarial Course: 115 students
- Boarding house: 89 girls
- Catechesis for catholics and Catechumens: 15 girls + 5 staff
- Religious formation: 15
- Past pupils association: 20 members



Activities outside the house
- Five Oratory-youth Centers in villages: 450 children

One Oratory was added this year to care for the factory women workers at Toul Pongro, Chaom Chao. 
The Community takes charge also of a Kindergarten and the Primary school which is in the Village of Chreh, in the outskirts of the Capital Phnom Penh about seven kilometers from the house. There is no yet FMA Community but two sisters work in that school from morning to evening.

Vocational Training Center received Recognition from the Ministry of labor and Vocational training in 2008 and issues a Certificate for the 2 years Computer-Secretarial Course. Students can accede only after Grade 12 (High School). Selection in the enrollment is necessary in order to choose the poorer and needy girls among the many applicants. Most of the girls are recommended by the Parish Priests, religious, NGOs and some come to us through the past-pupils.

Little Voice of Mary is a group of 20 Catholic girls most of whom are from the Laura group and from our Computer Secretarial Course. A few of them are past pupils already working outside. They receive formation. They animate the feasts of Mary and they are involved in animating the liturgy on Sundays in the Parish Church.

We have two groups of Past pupils. One group is constituted by the graduates of the Secretarial Course. The other group is constituted by the graduates of Elementary School of Phum Chreh. Both groups have separate monthly formation meetings.

The Mission of the Community
The community is carrying out a multi-faceted mission:

  1. Don Bosco Vocational and Skills Training Center for young women 
  2. Kindergarten 
  3. Don Bosco Elementary School and Kindergarten, Phum Chreh – Phnom Penh Thy Mey 
  4. Boarding house
  5. Five Oratory-youth Centers in villages in the outskirts of Phnom Penh 
  6. Past Pupil’s Association 
  7. Catechesis in two parishes: St. Peter and Paul and St. Maria Church. 
  8.  Weekly prayer meeting with Korean Mothers in Phnom Penh. 



 

 Financial Status
The Center has been supported for many years by the USA Aid which covered most of the expenses of the Center and of the boarding. At present the Center is maintained by the fees that girls pay and by offerings from benefactors. The Kindergarten children at Tuol Kork and Elementary School at Chreh pay a small fee according to the possibility of the parents. The rest of the expenses are covered by adoption offerings. The boarders who study in State schools are supported by scholarships. The community is supported by offerings received by benefactors mostly from foreign lands. New developments are sustained through projects presented to foreign organizations.




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