Jesters Charity Drive – Who Are We Caring For?

AustCham members teach English to kids in Rayong

School children from around the country paint their way to education

Students compete in the Battle of the Bands

Biking & Brunch brings families together for fun and exercise

Jesters Charity Drive – Who Are We Caring For?

Lewis Underwood
& Mike Franklin

The objective for the Jesters ‘Care for Kids’ Charity Drive is to benefit those organizations in the region giving children, otherwise mired in illiteracy, poverty and strife, the opportunity for a brighter future through the mediums of education, sociology and vocational training.

It was nice that the Kids at the Fountain of Life Center, all 150 of them, showed their appreciation when congratulating Pattaya Mail on the occasion of the newspaper’s 10th Anniversary, by simply saying ‘Thank You Pattaya Mail’.

The Fountain of Life Center for Children in North Pattaya

The Sisters of the Good Shepherd Foundation provide an invaluable service to the community’s poor children (about 150 kids), whom often come from broken families living in slum environments. These children have little chance of growing up with any schooling, eating nutritious food, getting the necessary medical/dental care, or a chance to acquire effective social skills and self-esteem.

The Mystery Spotter is looking out for you, and if you are displaying the bumper sticker you could win a very nice prize. The som tam vendor in Naklua, close to the Blind School, was very happy to be spotted!

In a nutshell, the Center provides the following:

1. Documentation (birth certificates) allowing for kids’ entrance into schools
2. Rudimentary education in preparation for transferring into govt schools
3. Necessary medical and dental care, hygiene and maintenance of health
4. Scholarships for sustainability in government schools
5. A sense of economics through the production and sales of greeting cards and establishing bank accounts

Currently, the Jesters Care for Kids Charity Drive provides over 60% of the operational expenses (directly affecting the children) per annum.

The Pattaya Redemptorist School for the Blind in Naklua

Khun Aurora, Principal, provides guidance for the 200 + blind children with the goal to make the best of their handicaps and try to integrate with the community through appropriate education and vocational training.

The Standard Chartered Bank, one of our 11 Platinum Sponsors, has donated 100,000 baht this year, specifically to the School for the Blind as part of their “Seeing is believing” campaign. This money will be used not only for tables and chairs to accommodate the ever-increasing enrollment at the school, but also to buy musical instruments for the School for the Blind band and choir. The latter will perform at our Children’s Fair again this year.

The Eastern Child Welfare & Protection Institute in Huay Pong, Rayong

This organization provides food and accommodation, education and vocational training for over 250 orphaned or abandoned children. Typically, the children are encouraged to stay in residence until they are 18 years old, when they are given documentation in order that they can go out in the world and join the work force. This year we have put on a new roof and completely restored one of the two school buildings with its 6 classrooms. This project, costing 750,000 baht, will be finished before the end of August.

‘Our Home’
in Khanam Rai,
Ban Chang

Khun Tiew has been assisting teenagers who are ready to leave the Huay Pong Institute, by providing continued education and direction towards career goals. Currently, she is assisting 20 girls, 18-19 years old, who travel daily between the institute and her house to learn how to make embroidered quilts.

Within the next two months, these girls will leave Huay Pong and come to stay in a dormitory presently under construction on her idyllic 10 acres of land. She will then continue teaching them the art of making quilts and from the sales of the finished products set up bank accounts for them. Our involvement this year, for the first time, will be to purchase two of the specialized sewing machines required for this project.

The success, so far, of this year’s Jesters Charity Drive would not have been possible without the support of the Pattaya Mail Publishing Company, backing up the work of the JCD Executive Committee through the media.

Pattaya Mail provides unreserved media support through Pattaya Mail and Pattaya Blatt press publications, and the facility of airtime on Pattaya Mail Television News linked to the weekly press articles. This support is over an extended period from May through to September. Sincere thanks are due to Peter Malhotra, Brendan Richards and Dan Dorothy for their valuable contribution and support. Not forgetting Andy Gombไz too, in the Pattaya Mail Studio assisting with the design and production of display material including this year’s bumper issue of the Children’s Fair Souvenir Program.

It was nice that the Kids at the Fountain of Life Center, all 150 of them, showed their appreciation when congratulating Pattaya Mail on the occasion of the newspaper’s 10th Anniversary, by simply saying ‘Thank You Pattaya Mail’.

The next article reporting about the 2003 Jesters ‘Care for Kids’ Charity Drive will be a final rounding up of everything that is happening at the Jesters Children’s Fair on Sunday September 14th, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. at the Diana Garden Resort & Driving Range, North Pattaya. The Charity Bike Ride starts the day off at 8 a.m. with the choice of a 30 or 50 kilometer ride to be sponsored for. All this, plus details of the wonderful range of prizes in the Children’s Raffle; the staged entertainment program for the day; organized children’s games; children’s shows, a Children’s Tug-o-War, and a summary of what the sixty-five stalls at the fair will be offering. Be sure to get the 5th September issue of Pattaya Mail that contains all the information and English/Thai leaflet about the Fair, and tune in to Pattaya Mail Television News to see Biffo the giant bear displaying the many Children’s Raffle prizes. The 2003 ‘Care for Kids’ T-shirts are available at Shenanigans, Viking Beachcomber and TQ. Just 300 baht each or two for 500 baht.

Finally, don’t forget that the Mystery Spotter is looking out for you, and if you are displaying the bumper sticker you could win a very nice prize. The som tam vendor in Naklua, close to the Blind School, was very happy to be spotted!

AustCham members teach English to kids in Rayong

An on-going educational project

Songklod Kaewvisit

Last Saturday, members of the Australian Thai Chamber of Commerce (AustCham) including Nitayaporn Sangsin, Sasanpin Ratananupong, Chartchai Sae-lim, Varin Suwanchimpob and Quincy Tanner paid a visit to Baan Khao Huay Mahaad School in Banchang, Rayong. Thaveep Sutsaeng, director of the school said that there were only 8 teachers who take care of 131 students enrolled there. These include 55 girls and 76 boys.

The children are seen enjoying their English lessons taught by Varin Suwanchimpob and Chartchai Sae-lim from AustCham.

The school provides education to Banchang children starting from the nursery level to the Mathayom or primary level. In the past the AustCham group built up a library for the school. During this visit, the group took time to create some amusement for the students through the use of the English language. By making the experience fun and friendly, the children learn more quickly. After the lessons snacks were served to the kids.

Thaveep said, “The students are lucky to get this direct interaction from the AustCham members, including the proper use of the English language. Learning English can eventually apply to their working life in the future.”

School children from around the country paint their way to education

Hundreds of future artists compete in ‘Thai Culture Painting’ contest

Songklod Kaewvisit

Three hundred and sixty-two children from primary levels 1 to 6 and secondary level 1 to 6 recently took part in a painting contest at the Million Years Stone Park and Crocodile Farm on the outskirts of Pattaya.

It is indeed a masterpiece.

Teams of students joined in the competition vying for a piece of the 100,000 baht in prize money to go towards scholarships. The theme of ‘Thai Culture, children against drugs’ was depicted in wide variety of high quality pictures.

The event, sponsored and organized by the Chonburi Culture Council, was just one of the many activities to promote Thai culture among the youth, keeping them in a constructive frame of mind and respecting the elder generation. On this occasion the focus point was to pay respect to the mother of the Thai nation, HM the Queen on the occasion of her birthday.

The winning works of art a definitely worth framing.

At the start of the session, teams grabbed their brushes and paint, setting out to create a masterpiece and in the end three very creative teams in each category produced the best quality of work, each receiving scholarship funds and trophies from dignitaries from deputy governor, governor and Sontaya Khunpluem, minister of tourism and sports and Uraiwan Tienthong, minister of culture.

	The vision is firmly implanted in the mind, and will soon be converted to canvas.
Future artists gain their first accolades.
	Another happy winner receives her reward from Governor Pisit Khetphasook.
Chonburi Governor Pisit Khetphasook awards one of the prizes.