Fr Albeiro Rodas's journey, together with a small representation from Don Bosco Kep began on 7 January with the aim of visiting the hilly areas of northern Cambodia, continued in the following days and took the group to the provinces of Ratanakiri, Preah Vihear and Oddar Meanchey.

 After the Mass celebrated by Fr Rodas at the Sisters of Sen Monorom house, the delegation left for the north, crossing over the splendid hilly views of Mondulkiri. These fascinating natural areas have unfortunately been affected by fires and deforestation. "Our hope is that humanity can come to the full awareness that the destruction of Mother Earth for profit and ambition also means destroying humanity itself" the group said, "As Pope Francis says in Laudato Si‘, ‘ the poor suffer more when the Earth is mistreated .’"

 The next day, on 8 January, Fr Rodas and his team arrived in the Bokeo district, where they met Fr Ivan Campana, an Ecuadorian priest who also belongs to the Yarumal Association and parish priest of the extensive parish of Ratanakiri. In his work, Fr Campana is accompanied by Korean priest Fr Kim Joon, of the Korean Missionary Society (KMS), and by two Cambodian nuns: Sister Tharin and Sister Lai, of the Sisters of the Holy Cross. In this district, priests have created a kindergarten serving ethnic Jarai families.

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Every year, Fr. “Samnang” Albeiro Rodas, SDB, pays a visit to the northern hill provinces of Cambodia to promote the Don Bosco projects, including the technical school and the Don Bosco Brother Sun Scholarship program among rural and Indigenous children and youth. This year, inspired by the Strenna 2025, Anchored in Hope, Pilgrims with Young People and the Jubilee Pilgrims of Hope of Pope Francis, a small representation of Don Bosco Kep travels 1,500 km around Cambodia to visit Indigenous villages, where the Brother Sun Program supports the studies and well being of 270 children in different provinces. We publish today the first part of this missionary journey and story.

 The child members of the Don Bosco Brother Sun Program received between November and December 2024 their academic kits and uniforms to start the new academic year, thanks to the good heart of the benefactors of Sawasdee Foundation. The purpose of the journey was to assess the impact of the action to guarantee that 270 Cambodian children from rural and Indigenous villages stay at school and open the ways for a more holistic formation, including the care for the environment and for the ancestral traditions.

 Fr. Samnang, together with teacher Ngil Vy and three Indigenous students of Don Bosco Kep, two Jarai and a Kuy, visited the provinces of Mondulkiri, Ratanakiri, Preah Vihear, Oddar Meanchey and Kampong Thom, where they met representatives of the Catholic Church, other Christian denominations, the Salesian Family, families of children and young people and a high school. They could witness the situation of many Cambodian rural families, thriving in the middle of a fragile economy, the problem of Internet addiction in many male teenagers, increasing the problem of school abandonment and the degradation of the environment. At the same time, the hopes of communities for a better life, especially supporting their own children, dreaming of a better future through education and the care for the ancient traditions and spiritualities of their communities.

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Father John Bosco, the founder of the Salesians, often received divine inspiration in his dreams, leading to great achievements in the field of evangelization. The theme of our school for this academic year is "Appreciate and embrace each other wholeheartedly, and pursue our dream bravely" Therefore, the Nativity scene created this year revolves around the theme of "Everyone Has A Dream" Dreams are the most beautiful part of life, filling our lives with hope and meaning. Guided by God, we use our talents and efforts to achieve our goals. These dreams and actions are the best gifts we can offer to Baby Jesus.

 This is the third year our school has participated in designing the Nativity scene, a process that has become a collaborative effort involving all teachers and students. At the beginning of the semester, students took the initiative to collect eco-friendly materials and worked together with teachers on planning and creating the scene. Materials used include milk cartons, cardboard boxes, plastic bottles, bottle caps, egg cartons, fruit nets, covers of old exercise books, last year's Christmas tree, and cherished toy capsule shells donated by the students.

 We used cardboard for the background wall, the covers of exercise books to create stones, fruit nets on water bottles for decoration, and toy capsule shells to make hanging ornaments. Students wrote their dreams on bottle caps, which were then attached to egg cartons, resembling a mosaic artwork. Additionally, students wrote actions they would take to achieve their dreams on their handprints, symbolizing that dreams can only be realized through practical actions, which were then placed on the Christmas tree. Teachers and students together witnessed the birth of the "Dream" Nativity scene, displaying their excitement.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2vxSk1T1EE

Watch this video to see the creation of the Ceferino Namuncura inclusive native forest in Centro Educativo Salesianos Talca, Chile. You can read about it here.

The students of this centre have also installed a technical irrigation system in the forest which you can read about here.

Many professionals and students have been part of this project, which they hope to launch in March 2025.

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In line with the growing global emphasis on environmental conservation, Don Bosco Cares for our Common Home (DBCCH) of Don Bosco College (Co-Ed), Yelagiri Hills in Tamil Nadu, India organized a Mega Tree Plantation Drive. This initiative encouraged students, staff, and stakeholders to actively take responsibility for the environment and contribute towards building a sustainable future.

 The event witnessed enthusiastic participation, with the entire community coming together to plant a variety of tree saplings. These included Teak, Water Apple, Mahogany, and Rosewood, which were strategically planted both within the college campus and in the surrounding areas. In total, 300 saplings were planted during the drive, symbolizing a collective effort to restore and protect nature.

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Rede do Bem and Don Bosco Green Alliance Campaign 2nd semester 2024 CEDESP Don Bosco Bom Retiro and Vila Paulistana - Don Bosco Institute, Brazil. In support of the environment and social action, the campaign to collect used plastic bottle caps and cooking/engine oil, as well as aluminum can seals for wheelchairs for NGOs that need this resource for the public served, is a competition for good among those served, with awareness and the right to a prize. After the local collection, the recyclable material is sent to the Bom Retiro headquarters, where the Green Alliance team makes the necessary arrangements.

Currently, in addition to the biannual campaigns with the students, Vila Paulistana is already a reference point for collecting these materials in the neighborhood, and the community always collaborates.

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