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Rayong women and children’s shelter opens
Suchada Tupchai
The Children and Family Shelter was opened in Rayong on
May 28 by Mrs Napha Setthakorn, director of the Office for the Prevention of
Trafficking of Women and Children.
The shelter’s director, Srisuda Thaomuangjai, said that
the main support had come from the Pattaya International Ladies Club (PILC)
led by club president Sharon Tibbits; from Jester Care 4 Kids led by Lewis
Underwood; Pattaya Sports Club represented by its charity chairman Bernie
Tuppin; and Helle Rantsen, PILC welfare chairperson and member of the Rayong
Ladies Circle.
As a single building 20m long by 8m wide, the shelter
does not have the capacity to support children and people with family
problems. It will be used by staff working with those in distress, and as a
primary child shelter. Construction started on February 10 this year and the
building was completed within 60 working days to a 1,100,000 baht budget.
PILC welfare chairperson Helle Rantsen said that all
people using this shelter will receive a warm welcome and be readied for the
next step in their recovery.
Before the opening ceremony the children performed a Thai
musical show. Presenters, members and the public were later introduced to
officials from the Office for the Prevention of Trafficking of Women and
Children, the Social Development and Welfare Department, and the Ministry of
Social Development and Human Security.
Napha
Setthakorn beats the gong to announce the official opening.
All the
dignitaries present took part in the ribbon cutting during the center’s
opening.
Napha
Setthakorn presents a shield of thanks to Lewis Underwood, Jester Care 4
Kids.
Napha
Setthakorn presents a shield of thanks to Helle Rantsen, PILC welfare
chairperson and member of the Rayong Ladies Circle.
Napha
Setthakorn presents a shield of thanks to Sharon Tibbits, Pattaya
International Ladies Club president.
Napha
Setthakorn presents a shield of thanks to Pattaya Sports Club charity
chairman, Bernie Tuppin.
Napha
Setthakorn, director from the Office for the Prevention of the Trafficking
in Women and Children, gives an opening speech.
Residents
put on a fun show as part of the festivities.
BUPA throws a party
BUPA
managing director, Thailand, Karen Carter (left), joins in the fun.
BUPA recently collected 50,000 baht from customers and
staff members for the Ban Kru Noi Foundation in Bangkok – providing
shelter and day care for more than 100 underprivileged children.
Nearly 30 BUPA volunteers joined in a fun gala games day
and B-B-Q with prizes generously donated by Carrefour’s supermarket
chain.
Funds distributed will outfit more kids with uniforms, books, and many
other teaching aids.
Rayong Ladies Circle helps
108 school children
Helle Rantsén
RLC and PILC
welfare chairperson
About 4 km from a town called Ban Chang there is a small
primary school for 140 children from kindergarten to year 6. The children
come from the near by area, mostly from poor families. Out of the 140
children, 70 of them receive a government school lunch every day, the budget
being 7 baht per meal per child. I had a look at today’s lunch and it was
soup with some sort of a root and pork. The rest of the children will buy
their own lunch and one serving costs 5 baht.
The
school’s headmaster Somsak (left) with Helle, the teachers and children
during donation day.
I had visited the school earlier with other RLC members
to meet the children. 108 of the children needed new school uniforms or new
shoes. Socks, underwear and school activities cloths were also on the wish
list. We asked a local shop in Ban Chang to help us bring all the equipment
to the school instead of bringing 108 children to the shop.
All the children were waiting for us to get started and
one by one they were called up to receive their new cloths. I always get so
impressed with how well organised and well-behaved Thai children are,
waiting patiently for their turn and with a smile on their face. Everything
went according to plan - I was the only one who had not done my job properly
- I didn’t bring enough underwear!
After all the children had received their new cloths it was time for a
song. We sang jingle bells - perhaps a bit out of season, but enjoyed by
all.
Seafood lunch on the curriculum for kids of Mabprachan School
Suchada Tupchai
A seafood lunch was on the timetable May 25 at Mabprachan
School in Banglamung district, when YWCA Bangkok-Pattaya, Pattaya Sports
Club and King Seafood Restaurant of Walking Street combined forces to
provide a memorable party for all 84 students.
Premruedee
Jittiwutthikarn tells a story to the children.
Serving up the fried rice, seafood, desserts and ice
cream to a very happy school and staff were YWCA Bangkok-Pattaya president
Nittaya Patimasongkroh and Premruedee Jittiwutthikarn.
Presented along with the lunch, which is part of the Warm
Family project, was equipment needed by the school including a printer and a
gas cooker. To improve security at the premises, an iron security gate
valued at over 12,000 baht was donated to the school, and iron grilles will
be installed at the windows later. A water filter will also be provided.
Dinner!
School head, Wattana Chankul said that Mabprachan is under the primary
school class department in Sector 3, and takes students from kindergarten to
primary school class 6. At present, for the 84 students they have a total of
four teachers. Wattana said that the school is in need both of teachers and
janitors. The building itself is old and in a state of some decay, and lacks
necessary class equipment. Most of the students are from a poor background,
he said.
ISE thespians produce and perform Grease
Thespians at the International School Eastern Seaboard
(ISE) last weekend performed a reenactment of 1950s smash hit musical,
Grease. The theatrical performance had four different showings, each
attracting a surprisingly large audience. The play was performed in the
school’s auditorium located inside the gated-community of Burapha Golf
Course.
ISE
thespians perform the musical Grease, on stage in front of an impressed
audience.
The 1978 motion picture based off the original theatrical
play included renowned actors like John Travolta who played the black
leather wearing hunk, Danny Zuko and Olivia Newton-John as the attractive
Sandy Olsson. While it’s tough to live up to names like Travolta and
Newton-John, ISE students knocked the socks off their audiences and
impressed all. Christian Leggat, Grade 8, played Danny; Eva Fleming, Grade
9, played Cha-Cha; and Nakita Cedolin, Grade 9, played Sandy.
The actors, production crew, and teachers have been preparing for months.
When opening day came, and all was complete and done; everyone was proud of
the team’s success. ISE has a relatively large and successful theatre
program that many of its students choose to participate in. Grease is one of
many annual productions that have been produced by the ISE student body.
‘Kids Caring For Kids’ – Jesters 2005 Charity Drive
Karyn Walker
Walking, baking and dancing are just some of the
activities which students from the ISE and Regents schools have been
involved in during the year in their quest to raise money for the Jesters
‘Care for Kids’ 2005 Charity Drive.
The
Regents Student Guild recently took the opportunity of presenting Lewis
Underwood with 10,000 baht, once again establishing the Regent’s Secondary
Student Guild as a bronze sponsor of the 2005 charity drive.
ISE’s High School Student Council organized a sponsored
walk, or ‘Walkathon’, which took place back in December 2004. Younger
students walked around the school and football field, while older students
followed a more strenuous route around part of the scenic 36 Hole Burapha
Golf Course.
The result of all their energetic efforts was a
fundraising tally of over 100,000 baht which the Student Council then used
to support their carefully chosen projects, one of which being the Jesters
‘Care for Kids’ Charity Drive.
The ISE
High School Student Council proudly presented Lewis Underwood with 25,000
baht, which confirmed them as a silver sponsor of this year’s charity
drive. (Photo by Peter “Gin & Tonic” Woolston)
President Jackey Mucha and Secretary/Treasurer Vishal
Sethi proudly presented Lewis ‘Woody’ Underwood, charity drive chairman,
with 25,000 baht and were delighted to confirm the ISE High School Student
Council as a silver sponsor of this year’s charity drive.
Baking and dancing have been on the agenda at the
Regent’s School, with the Secondary Student Guild organizing bake sales
and student discos throughout the year as part of their annual fundraising
effort.
Another popular event has been ‘Mufti Day’ where
students pay a ‘fine’ for the privilege of wearing their own casual
clothes rather than the obligatory school uniform.
The Student Guild recently took the opportunity of
presenting Lewis Underwood with 10,000 baht, once again establishing the
Regent’s Secondary Student Guild as a bronze sponsor of the 2005 charity
drive.
Reinforcing the message that ‘giving your time’ is
also important, students from both ISE and the Regent’s School have
continued their close association with the Fountain of Life Center. Football
matches are just one of the many popular activities that are organized
throughout the school year and give great enjoyment to all those involved.
Lewis Underwood, addressing the students, said, “It is
very heartwarming to see the local school communities continuing their
strong support of the Jesters Charity Drive. The students’ efforts,
through planning and organizing activities that raise much needed funds,
help to further one of the main goals of the charity drive. That is, to help
break the cycle of poverty by giving poor and underprivileged children the
chance to learn, and have a start in life that they would otherwise not
get.”
The students’ well deserved summer holidays are imminent but, when they
return, the teams will be out in force to help at the Jesters Children’s
Fair, this year on Sunday September 11 at the Diana Garden Resort &
Driving range.
Mobile service supports the needy
Narisa Nitikarn
Kitti Samanthai, chief inspector at the Ministry of
Social Development and Human Safety, opened the provincial mobile service
project for Chonburi province at Pattaya Muang 2 School on May 27. Also
present were Pattaya Mayor Niran Wattanasartsathorn and Banglamung District
Chief Worawit Saisupatpol.
 Mayor
Niran spoke and gave money to Master Sarawut Kritsana (12 years old) who was
born deformed.
Head of social development and human safety for the
province, Somchai Sirorat said that the project would be of immense help to
women, children, the underprivileged, the disabled, and the elderly. The
day’s event was also arranged to disperse support money to 100 students in
need, 50 low-income families and refugees, and 20 families with disabled
members. Amongst the activities were massages and free haircuts.
Mayor Niran gave some private pocket money to Sarawut Kritsana, aged 12,
who has to be transported on a wheelbarrow because he was born deformed, and
to Paweena Kruasywan, aged 11, who suffers from osteitis.
Mayor
Niran spoke to and gave his private pocket money to Miss Paweena Kruasywan
(11 years old) who has osteitis.
Local
dignitaries present support money to the children.
Pacific Park celebrates anniversary by donating to needy children
Suchada Tupchai
Somboon Warapanyasakul, managing director of Pacific Park
Sriracha Co Ltd, hosted celebrations for the 8th anniversary of Pacific Park
Sriracha Shopping Centre on May 31, an event that saw many celebrities and
local dignitaries including Sriracha councilor Wuttisarn Kanchanahatthakit
and Police Colonel Kunakorn Yoosawat, superintendent of Sriracha police
station.
Officers
take care of children during lunch.
Festivities had been held during the period May 27 to
June 5, with the main ceremony being staged on May 31, the anniversary of
opening day. Lunch was given to 118 children of the World Vision Foundation
of Thailand, and scholarships awarded under the care of foundation board
member Suthin Kumatha. Afterwards, the children enjoyed a show.
Somboon said that community support was very much a policy of the Pacific
Park Centre, giving scholarships, meals, toys and school materials to needy
children in Chonburi. The anniversary celebrations included performances and
a draw with prizes valued at 300,000 baht.
The
puppy show made the children laugh.
Pacific
Park Sriracha management, celebrities and the World Vision Foundation of
Thailand are photographed with the children they are helping support.
Somboon
Warapanyasakul, managing director of Pacific Park Sriracha Co Ltd, gives the
opening speech.
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