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Enjoying helping Hand to Hand children
Children gather to hear Ms.
Margaret read wonderful stories from the bible.
Yerin Yoon
I have now been helping out at the Pattaya Hand to Hand Foundation for a
good three months on a weekly basis, and have been enjoying every minute of
my time there. Every Saturday, my friends and I go to the foundation from
around two in the afternoon until five. We help out the staff by stocking up
food to be sent to Pattaya slums, playing with the children, and preparing
art supplies for them to use during the pre-school classes. We are always
welcomed by the kids and staff who greet us with warm smiles and embraces,
and it never ceases to amaze me how much the children show their
appreciation for those who come by to visit them.
In the first hour, we make our way to the little garage located just a few
meters away from the main room which contains with toys, clothes, stationary
supplies, diapers, toiletries and cans, boxes, and packages of
non-perishable foods. The faculty staff hands us plastic bags filled with
about 1 to 2 kilograms of rice which we then complete the packages with cans
of fish soup, packages of instant noodles, cooking oil, and pancake mixes
that last a week for the Pattaya slum families.
The children unleash their
creativity through the art activities done on a weekly basis.
The next hour follows with us preparing art supplies for
the children to use for their weekly art projects. Our preparation process
often includes tracing and cutting pieces of paper with simple shapes which
the kids use later on to create beautiful artwork. At this time, the
children surround us with much interest of what we are doing and some even
eagerly offer to help us trace a few of the required shapes!
Around the time when we have finished our tasks, the Hand to Hand teachers
round up all the children for a short story, which we sit and listen to as
well. The stories are diverse, interesting, and always come with a moral
lesson which never fails to grab the children’s fullest attention.
Afterwards, the hungry kids are treated to light snacks which brings their
and our day to an end at Hand to Hand.
A goodbye is never easy as the children give us signs of heartfelt thank you
and waves as we leave the foundation; and we are as always, eager to return
in the following week.
Hand to Hand has become the best part of my weekends, as it has allowed me
to become a more open and understanding person who perceives life in a
different light. Through the progressive amount of time I have spent with
the Pattaya children, I am truly beginning to see the substantial difference
between their lifestyle and mine. I now understand that to save the
defenseless children, action is essential, which is why I’d like to continue
voicing out on behalf of them, the problems of child exploitation and the
importance of taking small steps to save each individual from the daunting
cycle.
Hand to Hand gives these
children a chance to make friends and spend a day of no worries, simply joy
and fun.
The kids love when we read story
books to them, especially in English!
My friends and I joined the
children in making beautiful boxes in preparation for Christmas!
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Lions, Mityon donate 300
motorbike helmets to students
Banglamung District Chief Sakchai
Taengho (right), along with Col. Col. Supachai Phuikaewkhum (2nd right)
distribute motorcycle helmets to students.
Warunya Thongrod
The Lions Club of Pattaya-Nongprue and Mityon Pattaya donated 300
helmets to keep motorbike-riding youths safe.
Banglamung District Chief Sakchai Taengho and Col. Supachai Phuikaewkhum,
superintendent of Banglamung Police Station joined Lions President Bunanant
Pattanasin and Mityon Managing Director Burin Chantharakkankha for the Dec. 27
presentation to students from Banglamung School, Bhodhisamphan Pittayakarn
School, and Pattaya Technical College.
The ceremony, staged in front of the police station, was part of the Lions’
“Lighting Motorbike” accident-prevention program. The helmets were termed new
year’s gifts to the students to create awareness about traffic laws and the
importance of extra road vigilance during the holidays.
“We have started with the hope to reduce road accidents during New Year 2014
since, in the past, we have seen a continuous number of accidents. Plus, we want
to create awareness for youths to wear helmets every time they get on a bike to
protect and reduce the number of injuries,” said Pathis Somtua, head of the
Lighting Motorbike project.
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Thai-ITOH, Sripatum ink credit-transfer agreement
Sunan Prasertsom (left), Thai-ITOH
licensee and Dr. Busaba Chaijinda (right), administrative vice president for
Sripatum, shake hands after signing the Memorandum of Understanding between the
two education centers.
Veechan Souksi
Students can now transfer credits between Thai-ITOH Technology
Vocational College and Sripatum University’s Chonburi Campus under an agreement
signed late last month.
Busaba Chaijinda, administrative vice president for Sripatum and Sunan
Prasertsom, the Thai-ITOH licensee, inked the agreement Dec. 27 at the Centara
Grand Mirage Beach Resort.
The agreement gives students the opportunity to continue their studies in higher
education and earn degrees in all fields by transferring college credits from
Thai-ITOH to Sripatum.
Educators said both institutions have the same ambition: to improve the
education of students in Pattaya, Banglamung, Sattahip and surrounding areas so
they can have a better future and improve the Thai education system for the
ASEAN Economic Community.
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Presenting alms to welcome in 2014
For many of the older monks it was a road well
travelled.
Derek Franklin
Throughout the Kingdom people have been presenting alms to monks from nearby
temples to make merit and receive a blessing for the New Year.
On the morning of Sunday 5th January more than one hundred monks from temples in
Pattaya gathered together and proceeded along Soi Yume, just behind Big C Extra,
to receive food and gifts from those living in the local community.
Students from the Father Ray Foundation offered alms to
the monks.
The age of several younger monks had yet to reach
double figures.
The monks at Boonthavorn.
The students received a blessing from the passing
monks.
Young Marines Pattaya support Christmas donations to Ban Kru Boonchoo
Rad Mays
Young Marines Pattaya recently supported the efforts of the Veterans of
Foreign Wars (VFW) Post #9876, Pattaya’s Wives’ Club, the VFW Post and the 46th
Special Forces Company (Airborne) Association with their donations to the kids
at the Ban Kru Boonchoo Home. Ban Kru Boonchoo is the home for abandoned Downs
Syndrome kids. It is located in the Kilometer 10 area of Sattahip. The school
has fifty children that live at the school full time. Another forty attend the
school Mondays through Fridays.
VFW Wives Club president Rasikah Phongsri recommended the Home for donation,
aided in the planning, purchasing of items to be donated and in the presentation
at the Home. The VFW Post donated 25,000 baht for the project, to cover the
donation of cash, rice, mama, milk, and other necessities. This also included
many stuffed animals for the children. It took two pickup trucks to transport
the donations. The 46th SFC donation of 50 kg of quality rice was transported
separately. Young Marines L/Cpl Bret Mays donated 560 baht worth of new “Hot
Wheels” cars, each wrapped in Christmas paper.
A presentation was given by Boonchoo Muangmaitong, CEO of the Home. Then the
kids presented an extremely motivated dance show. After the show, recognition of
the VFW Wives Club was given and thanks to all who assisted and donated to the
day’s event. The event completed after the kids all sat down and had lunch
served by the Wives Club members.
Young Marines L/Cpl Bret Mays, left, and VFW Post
Commander Eric Larsen, being assisted by a student, unload the donations at the
Ban Kru Boonchoo Home.
Residents at the Home perform a touching thank you
dance.
The VFW Wives Club members and staff of the VFW
Post/Hogs Breath, from left to right: Wan Bobenhouse, Fon Meek, Chompoo (staff)
and daughter Fai, Wan Pen (staff), Dtik Goodman, Som Knickerbocker, Lek (staff),
Wassana (staff), Bpum Horn, Rasikah Phongsri, Boonchoo Muangmaitong (CEO of the
Home), Pet Luffman, Pitimon Bentley, and Goong Larsen.
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