Brother Andrew Tran Le Phuong SDB is the Financial Administrator of the Apostolic Prefecture of Ulaanbaatar, the Project Manager for the House of Mercy and the Don Bosco Caring Center.
Born in Vietnam, Br Andrew experienced numerous vocations before discerning his calling as a Salesian Brother 25 years ago. Close to his heart was the desire to contribute to helping young people, especially as he witnessed many youths struggling to access education.
“Seeing many young people in difficulty in getting a good quality education, I have dreamt of becoming a teacher, not to teach, but to offer some opportunity to the young people. But education - which I was not able to get when I was young - is why to be a teacher was always my inspiration,” said Br Andrew.
Through his vocation, he has been able to provide a unique avenue of service to youth.
First, he was sent to Papua New Guinea as a missionary in early 2000 to learn how to teach at a technical school. Br Andrew took part in the first missionary expedition in Mongolia in 2000, before settling in the country in 2014, as one of the five Salesian missionaries at the newly established Catholic Community.
Finding his place in this new community, Br Andrew started to restore equipment and train people in Ulaanbaatar. Dedicated to enhancing education and health services, he now prioritises the needs of the most vulnerable people, recognising the growing disparities in the rapidly changing capital city. Br Andrew highlights the growing need to take action:
"Eighty per cent of the service of the Church here is for the social education of the marginalised people in the country.”
Today, Br Andrew is in charge of the finance of the Prefecture and is managing essential life-giving projects, such as the Don Bosco Caring Center and the House of Mercy, which are contributing to providing much-needed services to the people who struggle the most.
