THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN NORTHWEST CAMBODIA

TA OM

One of the few old churches which survived the war is the one in Ta Om. It was an area traditionally Vietnamese until 1970 when they left the area.

Before 1975, the Catholic Church had hundred’s of hectares around this village but during the Pol Pot’s Regimen they lost them but the building of the Church remained. In 2003 the Church returned and in May 2004 they built a Learning Centre, many activities are going ahead: literacy, hygiene training and vocational training for girls (tailoring).

A strong outreach team visits the nearby villages and distributes basic aid, especially bars against scabies and mosquitoes produced by the Jesuit Service. A special feeding program for children has been functioning since 2004.

In 2005 regular medical teams visited the area. A primary school was constructed and is now managed by the government. A new pond has also been built near the pastoral centre. A plan is to continue rebuilding the old church and use it as a social centre in the future.

A “Rice-Soup” Program started in 2004. It provides a meal once a week to 175 - 200 people and wants to reduce the level of malnutrition in this area providing with the meal all the proteins, vitamins y minerals they could need. Most of them are children (90%). The Church and the Japanese NGO, support it.

 

Apostolic Prefecture of Battambang; Phum Rumchek 1, Khum Rattanak; Box 330, Battambang, Cambodia Tel: +855 53 730219; Email: prefbatt@battambang.net