Cambodia – Kep students explore ancestral wisdom and environmental protection in an interesting training course
Kep, Cambodia – December 2025 – More than 300 students and teachers from the Don Bosco Technical School and the Brother Sun Programme for rural and indigenous children and youth gathered in recent days for a training course on ancestral wisdom, community building and environmental responsibility. The aim of the course was to strengthen leadership among young people from rural and indigenous communities, drawing on the Salesian Preventive System, ecological education and the spiritual heritage of Cambodia’s ancestral cultures. The opening day focused on the teachings of Kru Kmae, a traditional spiritual leader often described as a “Khmer Master”.
Addressing those present, he emphasised the importance of remembering and safeguarding the rituals, languages and customs of Cambodia’s ancestral communities. The second day, thanks to the intervention of Phanith Som of Cambodia’s Don Bosco Green Alliance, was dedicated to environmental protection. In particular, in a session called “The Circle of the World”, the students shared their thoughts on climate change, deforestation and pollution. On the third day, Ra Sen, Head of School, led the participants in an exploration of the Cambodian village as a social and spiritual unit. The students identified the challenges faced by contemporary villages. On the last day, Fr Albeiro Rodas, programme director, offered a culturally rooted interpretation of Don Bosco. In other words, he described the Youth Saint as ‘Meda-Beida, Kru Kmae and Mith’, a Father, Teacher and Friend who accompanies young Cambodians in rediscovering their ancestral roots and taking responsibility for their communities and environment.
