Fountain of Life Center celebrates Christmas
Fountain of Life children
give a stage performance of the ‘Origin of Mother Mary’.
Phasakorn Channgam
The Fountain of Life used its annual celebration to also fete the
shelter’s winning of an “outstanding beneficial organization” award.
Sister Jiemjit Thumpichai welcomed representatives of the Jesters Care 4
Kids organization, Pattaya International Ladies Club and other charity
organizations to the Dec. 13 party. Youngsters from the Ban Jing Jai
orphanage, Mercy Center and Children’s Protection and Development Center
also attended.
The party featured stage performances from children, lunch and gifts from
Santa Claus. Parents and the charity groups also donated daily necessities.
Caretaker Jiemjit said that even though the gifts were small, they make the
children feel normal. Many, she explained, have poor parents who often have
little time to care for them, let alone the opportunity or time to
participate in these activities with children.
Sister Jiemjit said the occasion was also to mark the center’s award from
the Office of Welfare Promotion, Protection and Empowerment of Vulnerable
Groups as one of the outstandingly beneficial groups in society for those in
need.
The center will receive the award from HRH Princess Soamsawalee at the end
of December.
Little ones give a fun ‘Aye Bo
Rak’ (I don’t love you) performance.
Santa Claus distributes gifts
to thankful, but sometimes wary children.
Sister Jiemjit Thumpichai
welcomes guest to the Fountain of Life annual Christmas gala.
Representatives from PILC
present daily necessities to parents.
Assumption students give their
rendition of the Gangnam Style
After lunch it’s time for an
ice cream treat.
‘Thaharn Kenth Ro Rak’
(soldier waiting for love) is performed by Kindergarten 3 children from the
Fountain of Life Center.
A new friend forever.
Santa arrives bearing gifts
for the children.
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Right To Play Thailand Foundation and
Buddharaksa Foundation announce partnership
Life Skills Development for Underprivileged Children Through Play
(L to R) Chananyou Muadmanee, Program Officer
(Life Skills Development Program), Right To Play Thailand Foundation;
Natchawi Wadman, Program Manager (Life Skills Development Program), Right To
Play Thailand Foundation; Michael Albert, Country Manager, Right To Play
Thailand Foundation; Visit Malaisirirat, Chairman Buddharaksa Foundation;
and Wiriya Supaprasert, Executive Assistant to Chairman, Buddharaksa
Foundation.
Right To Play Thailand Foundation and the Buddharaksa
Foundation are launching a formal partnership to provide play-based learning
activities to develop key life skills for vulnerable children in Wat Srakaeo
School in Ang Thong Province and Dharmajarinee School in Ratchaburi Province.
These schools have been supported by the Buddharaksa Foundation for several
years.
The objective of this new partnership is to develop and improve teachers’ skills
and knowledge in integrating life skills development into their classrooms
through Child Centered Learning Methods, including the use of Play Based
Learning activities. As a part of their education, children will develop
critical skills in managing emotions, developing health relationships with
others, valuing themselves and others, and problem solving and decision making.
Right To Play Thailand Foundation has been working with various partners in
Thailand, including the Office of the Basic Education Commission (OBEC) of the
Royal Thai Ministry of Education, in integrating Life Skills Development into
the national education system and into schools across the country, through
direct funding from DKSH (Thailand) Limited.
A signing ceremony took place recently at the Buddharaksa Foundation offices,
695 Sukhumvit 50, Prakanong, Longtoey, Bangkok between Visit Malaisirirat,
chairman of Buddharaksa Foundation and Michael Albert, country manager, Right To
Play Thailand Foundation.
Buddharaksa Foundation is an organization that helps underprivileged children to
have opportunity for education, intellectual and spiritual developments through
Buddhism in tandem; because the Foundation expects children to grow both in
knowledge and in spirit simultaneously so that in the future they could lead
their life with stability and could apply their knowledge and ability to build
strong future for Thailand. Buddharaksa Foundation began its social work in 1999
according to the intention of Tipaporn Chearavanont, CEO of DT Group of
Companies.
Right To Play International is a non-governmental organization (INGO) based in
Canada that uses sport and play programs to improve health, develop life skills,
and encourage social and emotional development of children and youth in the
world’s most disadvantaged communities. Right To Play Thailand Foundation was
registered in Thailand in 2007 and implements programs for school children,
vulnerable youth, youth delinquents, migrant children and refugee children in
Thailand using sport and play as an innovative and dynamic learning tool within
a comprehensive and holistic approach to education and life skills development.
Right To Play Thailand Foundation receives support from a number of donors,
including DKSH (Thailand) Limited who support Right To Play’s Life Skills
Development Program.
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‘Vrolijke vrienden’
Peter van Bochoven & Arja Slagboom
Dutch Stream, St Andrews-Green Valley, Thailand
On the 19th of October all students, parents and teachers of St Andrews,
Green Valley Campus participated in the always excising event: International
Day. Of course, the Dutch Stream contributed in full swing.
Last year we taught everybody that the ‘bird dance’ was a jingle written by a
man from Switzerland but released by a Dutch music company, hence we claim a bit
of the success of the song.
This year we focused on a section of the Dutch Stream that keeps on growing: the
Belgian students.
When the Dutch Stream at St Andrews started in 2006, a total of 12 children
participated in the program we offered. Of those 12, two were from Belgium.
Nowadays, 44 students come to the Dutch Stream classroom and 12 are from the
country of ‘De Leeuw van Vlaanderen’. That number will most likely grow as more
and more Belgian families become aware of the possibilities the Stream offers
for them and their children.
To let everybody at St Andrews know about this development we focused on the
Belgium community during the ‘International Day general assembly’ by introducing
their most famous song for children: ‘vrolijke vrienden’ to the rest of Green
Valley Campus students.
At the end of the performance we managed to not only introduce the tune, but
also to get them all singing along with the chorus; an exciting experience!
Another ‘vrolijke vriend’ who comes along every year around the 4th of December
is Sinterklaas. He is the patron for children in the Roman Catholic Church. As
such, he shows his appreciation towards them by handing out presents and candy,
like ‘pepernoten’, on his birthday, which is the 5th of December.
Although he has a busy schedule, Sint always allocates time in his agenda for
all St Andrews students to meet and paint a smile on their face, by handing out
presents. To make sure everybody would notice he’s at school, he rented a
‘disco- car’ for his arrival. The sound would alert the students. It sure did!
If you want more information about the Stream, please feel free to send us an
e-mail to:
[email protected] or call us at: +66 (0) 3803 0701
ext. 202. We hope more “vrolijke vrienden’ will join our Stream! Met
vriendelijke groet!
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Camillian Center Christmas Shopping Trip 2012
Wayne Ogonoski,
Canadian Jackalope Open
On December 15th 2012, members of the Canadian Jackalope Open and the
Jesters Care for Kids arrived at the Camillian Center for the annual children’s
Christmas shopping trip to Big C in Rayong. After a quick lunch, Bill Freeman
and his son Greg, Erle Kershaw and myself headed off to Big C to meet up with
Woody.
Upon arrival at the main entrance, the Camillian Center staff - which included
Father Tao, teachers Nong, Ying, Gann, Narr, Big, Ying and Tic took charge of
the group of 61 children to give them their instructions and directions. After
an hour and a half, the shopping was done and it was time for the Big C staff to
total up all the individual purchases and final tally. This year 62,870 baht was
spent, with plenty of happy faces on all the kids.
We would like to thank the management and staff at Big C in Rayong for all their
help in making this another memorable day out for the children.
Finally, thanks to all the staff at the Camillian Center for once again planning
and organizing not only this shopping trip, but all outings that the Canadian
Jackalope Open and Jesters Care For Kids provide for them.
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Thai Children’s Trust celebrates 30th anniversary
Baron Carini, left, receives his award from
Ambassador Vikrom Koonpirochana.
Derek Franklin
For thirty years the Thai Children’s Trust, the UK’s largest charitable
organization supporting Thailand, has fed, educated and given hope to thousands
of underprivileged children and students in Thailand.
It was in the early 1980’s that Baron Riccardo Carini first visited Pattaya.
Initially coming to take advantage of the golfing facilities that Pattaya is
renowned for, his trip was spoilt by the incessant rain.
Being a devout Catholic he decided to visit an American Catholic priest who, he
had heard, had opened an orphanage and was caring for unwanted babies, the
majority who were born to Thai mothers and foreign fathers.
Just one of the thousands of children in Mae Sot who
receive a nutritious school lunch each day.
On arrival at the orphanage on Sukhumvit Road he met Father Ray Brennan, a
member of the Redemptorist order who first arrived in Thailand in the late
1950’s and moved to Pattaya ten years later. After several years of being parish
priest, both in Pattaya and with the US military who were based at the nearby
U-Tapao airport, it was in 1974 the foundation stone was laid for the new
orphanage building and by the time Baron Ricardo visited it had become home for
almost forty babies and children.
After spending time with Father Ray, the Baron decided he wanted to do more than
just hand over a cash donation. So impressed by the charismatic priest he met
that on his return to the UK he set up the charitable trust and each month sent
funds to cover the monthly food bills.
The year was 1982 and Father Ray’s work was growing. Following on from the
orphanage he opened several other social projects including schools for deaf
toddlers, blind children and offered vocational training for people with
disabilities. Apart from the orphanage Father Ray also opened residential
facilities for street kids and as each new project started the London based
trust was there to support him financially.
The Father Ray Foundation provides 850 children with
a safe and loving environment to grow, thanks to the London based Trust.
As Father Ray’s work grew in size so did the London Trust. Being too much work
for just one man the Baron employed full time fundraisers and staff to deal with
the growing sponsorship programme. It became registered with the charity
commission of England and Wales and the money sent to Thailand each month
ensured there was always enough food for the children.
Today the Thai Children’s Trust supports several projects in Pattaya; the
Fountain of Life Women’s Center and the Pattaya Orphanage, as well as the 850
underprivileged children and students with disabilities who are living at the
projects managed by the Father Ray Foundation. Sarnelli House in Nong Khai and
the Camillian Center in Rayong, both caring for children living with HIV and
AIDS, also receive much needed support.
The Trust has helped thousands of people living with
a disability to become more independent.
In the Thai-Burma border town of Mae Sot thousands of school children, refugees
from the fighting across the border, are receiving a nutritious and well
balanced lunch, for many the only meal they will receive each day. The
youngsters of Baan Than Namjai, founded following the tsunami that hit southern
Thailand in 2004, are also ensured monthly support.
At the age of 82 Baron Carini is still involved with the Trust, now in the role
of President of the Board of Trustees. For his devotion to the children of
Thailand he received a Papal Knighthood from Pope John Paul II. In 2006 His
Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great of Thailand bestowed on the Baron the
Order of the Direkgunabhorn for faithful service to Thai society.
Day to day running of the Thai Children’s Trust is down to a team of six
fundraisers, administrators and accountants, led for the past thirteen years by
Andrew Scadding, who visits Thailand each year to ensure the money his team
raised is going to the children who need it.
The Thai Children’s Trust currently sends more than £700,000 to Thailand each
year. Over thirty years, more than fourteen million pounds, seven hundred
million baht at today’s exchange rate, has been raised in the UK and sent to the
Kingdom, every penny going to improve the lives of the underprivileged of
Thailand.
More information on the Thai Children’s Trust can be found at: www.thaichil
drenstrust.org.uk
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