Brother Allen Sherry CEO checks in whilst on a recent visit to Marist Solidary Cambodia (MSC) in Phnom Penh.
Attending a recent Marist Solidarity Cambodia board meeting in Phnom Penh gave me an opportunity to bring our team and board in Brisbane up to date with developments in the AMS projects. While the LaValla School has commenced holidays with all the children returning to their families, the staff were busy preparing for the arrival of forty students and some family members for a activities camp. This camp is serving as a “look and see” for many young people from the remote provinces who because of a physical disabilities do not have access to education. They are referred by local NGOs in their home provinces and many young people’s families commence a process of application after the week at LaValla. They are assessed for educability and health as part of the week so that if they come they have maximum opportunity for advancement.
While visiting there a Maryknoll lecturer took the whole Marist Solidarity Cambodia staff through a two day values workshop as part of their professional development cycle. It also gave the senior staff the chance to reinforce Marist values that underpin this project. Also recently Professer Kagawa from Japan has been conducting four weeks staff training with the physiotherapy team.
I checked on the progress of the Community Village site and large earth moving equipment is advancing to schedule with the building of roads and laying out of drainage systems. The construction of the 11 houses and 4 general facility buildings commences in October.
It was very promising to view all these developments in a major AMS funded project and the staff and students being given professional care and opportunity of a level not generally yet known in Cambodia.
Allen Sherry fms
CEO, AMS.