Kep, Cambodia – Cambodian young people participated at the Don Bosco Global Youth Film Festival 2024 that this year was dedicated to youth and climate change, “Making Mother Earth Cleaner and Greener.” It was also within the context of the 200th anniversary of the dream of John Bosco at nine, “I have a dream.”

The students of social communication and students at the different Don Bosco schools in Cambodia, were invited to participate in this international Salesian event. Three movies made by young people were sent, but it was one to be the winner of the East Asia – Oceania Region (EAO): “Women Guards of Mother Earth” directed by Mr. Tula Hang, student of media communication of Don Bosco Kep with his team. In the ten finalists for the EAO Region, Thailand and the Philippines got three movies each, Vietnam two and East Timor one.

The Cambodian film underlines the need of a community-oriented action to protect the environment. It is not enough that a single person or a few groups work with environment protection if others in the community are at the same time performing activities for its diminish and degradation.

While a group of village’s women work to protect their beloved ancestral territory of wonderful giant trees, their husbands secretly cut trees to sell in the black market, in hurry to get money for their own family sustain. The women face them and look for better solutions where nature and community can work together.