WOMAN READS STORY TO STUDENTS IN CAMBODIA – Kol Seab of Jesuit Service Cambodia reads a story to students in a classroom in Kompong Speu, Cambodia, Aug. 10. Jesuit Service Cambodia runs a storytelling program for children in 21 villages in several Cambodian provinces. (CNS/UCAN)9/20/2007
UCANews
KOMPONG SPEU, Cambodia (UCAN) – It is 9 o'clock on a Friday night and rain is about to fall, but 100 happy children aged 6-16 are waiting outside a school. "Let's go into the classroom. The teacher is coming!" a loud voice calls out from among the children running about in front of the school building in Kompong Speu, 50 kilometers (about 30 miles) west of Phnom Penh.
The children were not excited about another school lesson, but about a storytelling session by Jesuit Services Cambodia (JSC) staff.
In the classroom, some children sat on the floor while others sat on chairs. Those who can read held books in their hands, while the others just listened to the "teacher," storyteller Neang Thida. She asks the children what they learn from each story and how this can help them in their life.
After the hourlong session, she told UCA News all the children come from the nearby village of Phom Ra and most are in grades 1-3. "We have to get permission from this public school to use the classroom," the 24-year-old JSC staff member said.
Many of the children told UCA News they appreciate the storytelling sessions.
"I love this program very much, because I can hear many good stories," said Sok Ann, 13. At her public school, she explained, the teachers do not pay much attention to the students. Sambath, 15, said, "I like listening to the stories in this program and have never missed them."
Sitting on a motorcycle outside, waiting for the session to end, was Channy. The 35-year-old mother told UCA News her children enjoy the program and have not missed a Friday night yet.
JSC runs its storytelling program for 21 villages in Kandal, Kompong Chnang and Kompong Speu provinces.
This program, started in 2005, grew out of the Jesuits' village-library project, under which libraries for schoolchildren have been set up in the 21 villages. That project, which started in 1996, involves JSC staff writing storybooks for these libraries.
According to staff members, it embarked on the storytelling program because it found there are children who cannot read even though they are studying in grade 3 or 4.
The storytelling sessions take place in homes and under trees aside from inside school classrooms.
Some of the JSC library staff are also the storytellers. One of them, Sorn Korn, told UCA News the job is not difficult. "I am very happy when I see a lot of children interested in our program and their parents encouraging them to come," Korn said.
Another staff member, Kol Seab, has written many children's stories for the JSC project. "We want the rural children to be literate in their Khmer language. After we tell the stories, we ask questions. We want them to develop their intellect," she told UCA News. One of her stories deals with the futility of taking drugs.
She also acknowledged that though the response is generally enthusiastic, "we have to allow time for the children to do their own studies, and sometimes they are busy with their families."
The children were not excited about another school lesson, but about a storytelling session by Jesuit Services Cambodia (JSC) staff.
In the classroom, some children sat on the floor while others sat on chairs. Those who can read held books in their hands, while the others just listened to the "teacher," storyteller Neang Thida. She asks the children what they learn from each story and how this can help them in their life.
After the hourlong session, she told UCA News all the children come from the nearby village of Phom Ra and most are in grades 1-3. "We have to get permission from this public school to use the classroom," the 24-year-old JSC staff member said.
Many of the children told UCA News they appreciate the storytelling sessions.
"I love this program very much, because I can hear many good stories," said Sok Ann, 13. At her public school, she explained, the teachers do not pay much attention to the students. Sambath, 15, said, "I like listening to the stories in this program and have never missed them."
Sitting on a motorcycle outside, waiting for the session to end, was Channy. The 35-year-old mother told UCA News her children enjoy the program and have not missed a Friday night yet.
JSC runs its storytelling program for 21 villages in Kandal, Kompong Chnang and Kompong Speu provinces.
This program, started in 2005, grew out of the Jesuits' village-library project, under which libraries for schoolchildren have been set up in the 21 villages. That project, which started in 1996, involves JSC staff writing storybooks for these libraries.
According to staff members, it embarked on the storytelling program because it found there are children who cannot read even though they are studying in grade 3 or 4.
The storytelling sessions take place in homes and under trees aside from inside school classrooms.
Some of the JSC library staff are also the storytellers. One of them, Sorn Korn, told UCA News the job is not difficult. "I am very happy when I see a lot of children interested in our program and their parents encouraging them to come," Korn said.
Another staff member, Kol Seab, has written many children's stories for the JSC project. "We want the rural children to be literate in their Khmer language. After we tell the stories, we ask questions. We want them to develop their intellect," she told UCA News. One of her stories deals with the futility of taking drugs.
She also acknowledged that though the response is generally enthusiastic, "we have to allow time for the children to do their own studies, and sometimes they are busy with their families."
10 comments:
Don't spoil Khmer children and teach them how to fight with Khmer. I have friends who are really disappointed me about Christian. They also PAY people to work with them, but DO need to go to church. It is not a right thing that they FORCE people to go to church.
Angkor Land has its legimity and religion. We welcome any religion to live aside, but not FORCING.
Christian religion is naturally aggressive and arrogant. They can do whatever including kill the people in order to spread their religion.
Case in Thailand in the past, 12 nuns were secretly dead by saying that they sacrificed their lives for Jesus...now they built big Christian Church there as a tourist destination.
Now, this Christian agency is brainwashing Cambodian kids through their tale, myth and fable in the bible...
I appeal Hun Sen government to take close investigation with this Jesuit Service who is working to influence Cambodian innocent children.
To Khmer2love and 2:27AM
We are many khmers brainwashed and mind shut to not hear anything what is not in our culture or not buddhist.
We should on the contrary open our mind to receive any spiritual blessings: knowledge, wisdom, love...from God.
Because ours are only human.
Do not forget Suthadda Gotama, the Buddha said there is many Buddha befor him and many after him. If we believe Buddha and in Buddha and worship Buddha, we should know God and Jesus also. Otherwise, as we now do, curse Buddha.
God Bless.
2:57AM
What you have said is the very disadvantaged theology and dangerous ideology that the world is trying to avoid...your theory that try to relate to Buddha is not accurate in Buddhism.
Buddhism stresses on empirical knowledge, not mere speculation or invisible advocation to believe in invisible power like God you mention.
To believe and attach any thought to children to invisible God is dangerous for their future and society.
Most such invisible power as god stands for is the cause of extremism.
Cambodian children don't need that. Buddhism doesn't stand on that...Buddhism stand on practicism and non-dogmatism and empirical knowledge...
The Chritian is play a dangerous game for the Cambodia new generation. They use material to exploit the poor, then turn them against the Cambodian tradition value. This need to be stopped or slow them down.
The unity of people in every village that the Christinity involve is boken up. They start to look down on the old value and criticise that because Cambodia did believe in God that was the reason the country failed into war.
In the countryside, one can see those messangers from god riding on bicycle in pair go everywhere. They preach and criticise the Cambodian old value.
Totally, this group is trying to brainwash Cambodian poor under the eyes of the incompetent government, especially the Ministry of Religion and Culture.
This is a sound statement 5:54AM
If we don't have appropriate measurement to those Christian agents who come to Cambodia with great desire to convert Cambodian Buddhists...one day in the future, Cambodia might experience religious war caused by ideology of monotheism of Christianity.
We should set up a sound measurement to deal with it!
It's better than do nothing. Going to the real Cambodian Society to see exactly what our people need for their spirit and physic is the acts that you all should do. I have been to many communities in Cambodia, and I understand what our people really need, they need somebody to help. I hope you guy all should see the real world rather than put ur ass on the seat and criticize what people have contributed to the society. Do, But Don't Say.
Any help from any source for Cambodian children would be welcomed with an open arm, provided there is no hidden agenda. Red Cross is a perfect example.
Let me invite the lovely Ms. Kol Seab to a candle light dinner to get more information about JSC activities in Cambodia. I'll get back to you guys, if I survive the conversion!
LEAVE CHILDREN ALONE, INCLUDING THEIR CHILDREN. THEY DON'T NEED IT NOW.
DO YOU KNOW HOW KHMER ROUGE MANIPULATE CHILD's MIND?
If you are a Christian, you have ONE and ONLY one GOD. There is only one god who created the earth and the heaven 4000 years ago. Today the world has 100 Christianities under the same God but they do not get along with each other. WHAT DOES IT TELL US?
Jesuit himself said in the Bible, he is a son of god. But most Christian claimed he is the god. Stop fouling others if you couldn't agree among yourselves.
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