“God so loved the world that He gave his only Son ……” (John 3. 16)

This is the reason we rejoice every time we celebrate Christmas in the end of the year. The baby in the manger is God’s love for us. His presence among us gives us strength and hope. We thank God for this grace. We thank God for the blessings endowed in the course of this year. Many good things happened in our life. This is the reason we should give thank in the end of this year.

Jesuit Service Cambodia has completed the activities in 2010. It is only possible with the support of local and foreign donors, and in partnership with team and staff, that Jesuit Service Cambodia was able to continue to give services to people. For this, first, we would like to thank to the staff of Jesuit Service for their works which were done with dedication and commitment to the services for the people of Cambodia. Second, we would like to extend my deep gratitude to the donors and friends for your concern and generosity to our work which enabled us to materialize our plan in 2010.

Jesuit Service works in five places: rural areas around Phnom Penh city, and 4 provinces: Batambang, Banteay Meanchey, Siem Reap and Kompong Thom. Our main beneficiaries are people with disabilities and the vulnerable people in the rural areas. Three major areas of our services are social, educational and formation, pastoral and spiritual services.

“It is to empower people, often wounded in body, whose social fabric is ruptured, to feel in their lives God’s justice for the poor and God’s providence, so they in turn can be life for others. Therefore we offer social services ”. Therefore we offer social services.

In the spirit of loving compassion and peace, Jesuit Service teams accompany and assist vulnerable villagers to meet the basic needs, to help improve the quality of their lives, increase the sense of human dignity, and to enjoy their human rights.

Social programs for development in mine affected and rural communities include housing, access to water, village road, animal banks, community activities that generate income or food,home gardens and agricultural activities, revolving grant, farmers solidarity groups, women’s association. Part of the social program is the health services, which include hearing clinics (ear toilet, surgery, audiology in 3 provinces), health education, and assistance to land mine survivors in the hospital, helping poor access health, sanitation, toilets, making soaps to prevent malaria, lice, and scabies.

‘‘It is to give people immersed in their own culture, the opportunity to taste the wisdom of God, in ever new ways so they can deepen their vision for creating a new and reconciled Cambodia.’’

Therefore we offer educational and formation services. The aim of education and formation services is for fully human development. We help the children in the villages where we work have access to at least basic education, through provision of learning places or schools, family support and assistance to children with special needs, poor, talented students will have the opportunity to complete higher education, provision of opportunities for villagers (adults and children) for reading, and learning about human and relevant social issues through story books in our mini libraries; training and support teachers to encourage creativity, critical thinking and physical, intellectual, social and spiritual/ethical development, to help children love their culture, and to ensure children they teach are literate and numerate; accommodation and learning space for children with disabilities; vocational school for people with disabilities.

At university level we offer quality courses in higher Mathematics, production of text books in philosophy, accompanying students at Catholic hostel and other students, dialogue with university staff for resourcing other faculties.

“It is to touch people, wounded in heart and with deep desires for Goodness, to experience God’s mercy and compassion leading them to new life and joy”. Therefore we offer pastoral and spiritual support.

Jesuit Service carries out this mission through the accompaniment. We accompany the people with disabilities and the vulnerable, wounded in body and heart after war and exile, by listening to their stories, appreciating their struggle in life, sharing experiences, caring for their needs. We visit the mine survivors when they are still in the hospital or in their homes. Through this visit we make an assessment of their needs and other possible assistance that can help increase their quality of life. We follow up the wheelchair and tricycle users every three months to see their condition and situation.

We continue to collect data of UXO and landmine survivors for our database. Our team interviews UXO and mine survivors. The interview is also an occasion for our team to get in touch with them, listening to their voices which uttered their concerns and life struggles, appreciating the wisdom that stemmed from their experiences, sharing ideas, to find new beneficiary for our programme, and assessment of their needs.

Incarnation manifests in many ways. Care and love in friendship is one way. We wish you joy and peace in Christmas time. May happiness and blessings be with you throughout the new year to come.

Fr Gabriel Byong Young JE, SJ, Delegate of the Korea Provincial and Fr Greg Priyadi, S.J, Director of Jesuit Service Cambodia