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Ghopai Project speeds ahead
Still needs more help
Ingrid Cunliffe
The Pattaya International Ladies Club (PILC) welfare team recently
donated 85,000 baht to the Ghopai Early Learning Center in South Pattaya. It
was great to see the construction that has taken place and the extra space
to accommodate more children is very impressive.
 The
Pattaya International Ladies Club (PILC) donated 85,000 baht to the Ghopai
Early Learning Center in South Pattaya.
PILC will continue to support this wonderful project and are very grateful
to Pim and her generous husband for all the work they have put into this
project.
The following is an in-depth look, presented by Sukanya “Pim” Seaton, at
this worthy cause:
Environment
Ghopai, located on Pattaya Tai Soi 1, is one of the largest
housing areas of very low income people in Pattaya with over 400 residents.
The families live in small rented single rooms with the family often headed
by a female. If employed they normally work in small enterprise like food
carts or low paying manual work. There is, as you would expect a high level
of crime, alcohol and drugs in the area. Many of the people, particularly
the children, do not have paper documentation to access basic government
services like health care and school. The children, particularly the young
pre-school ones, are mostly left during the day with very limited
supervision in this harsh environment.
Concept
The Mercy Center charity organization had been working in the
Ghopai area for the last 6-7 years bringing in food, clothing and other
donations and many of the abused and abandoned children at their Children’s
Shelter come from this area. A program was developed to obtain proper
documentation for children 6+ years to attend public school. For pre-school
children the concept was to build an early learning center which would give
the children a safe and secure environment to learn and have controlled
activities. It would have the added benefit of allowing the parent(s) to
work.
Project
Sukanya (Pim) Seaton took on the job as project director for
Mercy Center. The right to use a small community center at the entrance to
the area and some adjacent land was donated by the land owner who is also
the Village Head. An open area classroom with 2 toilets, kitchen and secure
cabinets was built and equipped and furnished with educational aids.
The early learning center was formally opened in September 2007 by officials
from Pattaya and Chonburi who have been very supportive of the concept and
operation. The original concept was to have 10-15 children but the demand
has been very high and there are currently over 20 which is the maximum the
space can accommodate.
Children are accepted after an application and interview process and
meetings are held with the parents who generally take a keen interest in the
project. The center operates 5 days a week from 8 am to 5 pm. The center is
staffed by a full time head teacher, an assistant teacher and a teacher’s
helper. Parents are charged 20 baht a day which offsets most of the cost of
electricity, water and lunch and snacks. Upon reaching 6+ years the student
will be helped to enroll in public school and likely be placed in the
scholarship program run by Mercy Center.
Sponsors
Funds to construct, equip and operate the project have come from
a variety of small donations and from major sponsor partners with donations
of 100,000+ baht:
1) Pattaya Street Kids Organization
2) Pattaya International Ladies Club
3) St Patrick Church, Ireland
4) Mercy Center
5) World Vision
6) PC Classic Organization of Pattaya
7) Giorgia Dal Grosso, London UK
8) Don Ford, UK
Thai Gypsum Company has also donated a significant amount of labor and
materials to maintain the building.
The Center has been open for one and a half years and the current space is
overused with 40 children in an area designed for 25. There is a waiting
list of an additional 40 students who would like to attend but can not be
accommodated in the current space.
After some extended talks the owner of the land has agreed to allow us to
construct some additional space with some renovations to the existing
building which could be used for a 10 year period. The City of Pattaya which
owns the building is also a party to this agreement. This proposal is for
the funds necessary to construct and equip the additional facilities which
will accommodate up to 80 students.
The project still has many needs, and any help will be greatly appreciated.
Thank you, Sukanya Seaton, email: [email protected]
Sattahip students receive sight for sore eyes,
thanks to YWCA
Sawittree Namwiwatsuk
Thanks to the YWCA Bangkok-Pattaya Chapter, 100 students and teachers
from Sattahip area schools will soon be able to see, and subsequently
read better.
 Students
are fitted for a new pair of eyeglasses.
The local YWCA, led by Chairwoman Nittaya Patimasongkroh on July 16 got
together with the Beautiful Eyeglasses Store to arrange optometrist
exams for the students and teachers there who have problems with their
eyes. This was done to offer merit for Her Majesty Queen Sirikit, for
the auspicious occasion of her birthday on August 12, which also
coincides with National Mother’s Day.
Nittaya said that the YWCA contributed the eyeglasses through their Eye
Protection Project. She said that whilst distributing scholarships to
underprivileged students through the YWCA’s Warm Family Project, it was
discovered that many of the students have problems with their eyesight.
Out of concern for the children’s well being, the Association initiated
this project to help them have their eyes taken care of correctly.
 Nittaya
Patimasongkroh from the YWCA and Bernie Tuppin from the Pattaya Sports
Club watch closely as student receive eye exams from the Beautiful
Eyeglasses Store’s staff.
“Through this project we will distribute eyeglasses to the students from
two schools in the Sattahip area; Ban Sattahip and Sattahip Wittayakom
schools. Over 100 pairs of eyeglasses will be divided equally between
each school,” said Nittaya. The YWCA will donate more if needed.
Nittaya went on to say that after the Beautiful Eyeglasses Store
finishes making the eyeglasses for the two schools, the YWCA will
distribute them to the students in the Sattahip area, probably around
August 12.
This project will be expanded to include other schools in the area, with
a goal of up to 3,000 students being fitted for eyeglasses.
The Association plans another donation and dedication ceremony for
National Father’s Day this coming December 5.
Students from Ban Sattahip
school wait patiently
for their turn to have their eyes checked.
Students and teachers from
Ban Sattahip School pose with members
of the YWCA, PSC and staff from the Beautiful Eyeglasses Store.
Caring for the ‘Child Protection and Development Center’
and the ‘Fight Against Child Exploitation Foundation’
Lewis Underwood
If you go past Wat Sutawat in Nong Prue towards the Elephant
Kraal, and follow the elephant pictographs until you see a makeshift
hand-painted wooden sign that reads: ‘Child Protection and Development
Center’ 250 meters on the left, you will eventually be brought to the
end of a paved road and to the doorstep of the humble ‘Child Protection
and Development Center’ (CPDC), that also supports the ‘Fight Against
Child Exploitation Foundation’ (FACE).
 The
doorstep of the humble ‘Child Protection and Development Center’ (CPDC),
which also supports the ‘Fight Against Child Exploitation Foundation’
(FACE).
There on a modest walled-in dirt plot lies an outpost of 4 wooden
structures; one to accommodate a young monk, another for 14 boys, yet
another for 3 girls and finally one for the 3 staff members. On our last
visit they had just started putting on the roof to a wooden sala in the
middle of the compound, which will be used for meetings, eating meals
and holding classes.
The project director, Noja, previously with the Father Ray Foundation
for 16 years that included 2 years at the Drop In Center in Central
Pattaya, is now starting his own home for street kids. His initial goal
is to provide shelter for errant and abused children and young adults
between the ages of 12 and 18. Secondly, to teach them life skills and
vocational training so that they have an opportunity to succeed in life.
Speaking of life skills, the 17 kids there have had a quick lesson in
carpentry by assisting the staff in the construction of all the
buildings present that has also saved the cost of outside labor to get
the job done.
The affable Noja has very simple plans and needs for these children:
Besides wanting basic foodstuffs, they also ask for cheap commodities
and second hand clothing, furnishings, appliances, etc. An example of
the thriftiness employed there is that all of the buildings at the
center have been constructed using trees from the nearby jungle and
cheap wood planks bought locally.
The land they are presently occupying is at their disposal for at least
two years. If and when they have to move, all the structures they have
built can be readily dissembled, moved and reassembled elsewhere.
Noja also asks for those with a applicable trade to stop by, volunteer
some time, and impart their skills to the kids. There are immediate
plans for vegetable gardens and animal husbandry on an adjacent plot of
land to supplement their diet, so helpers adept in these fields are also
sought. Moreover, teachers are also welcomed in their spare time to help
the kids learn English.
The Jesters Care for Kids Charity Drive will initially help the CPDC
with furnishings and foodstuffs. Ultimately we would like to sponsor
promising candidates at the Banglamung Vocational College. The goal at
the moment though is to help them get better set up with the basics of
shelter, food and with a modicum of comfort. We would like to invite you
to join in.
Our involvement with the CPDC has come on the backs of the Pattaya
International Ladies Club (PILC), the Pattaya Sports Club (PSC), Sopin
Thappajug from the Diana Group and Elfi Seitz from Pattaya Blatt, all of
whom were responsible for showing us the way to this center.
We enjoy our open relationship with these like-minded organizations that
not only brings more children’s projects to our attention, but also
allows us to work together and have a bigger impact on them. Teaming up
with PILC and PSC has also allowed us all to take on bigger projects.
After all, the goal is to work together so we can maximize the benefits
to the needy children.
If you would like to help us continue our work, please visit our website
at www. care4kids.info, or email us at [email protected]
Please do not forget that the Jesters Children’s Fair & Family day is on
Sunday, September 14th at the Diana Garden Resort Driving Range, North
Pattaya. Only 52 days away!
They have started putting
on the roof to a wooden sala in the middle of the compound, which will
be used for meetings, eating meals and holding classes.
PSC and Jesters raise 0.5M baht for new school canteen
(L to R) Nongprue Mayor
Mai Chaiyanit, Banchong Kanawatanakul, chairman of the Primary Education
Commission of Ban Nongprue School, Bernie Tuppin PSC Charity Chairman,
and Lewis “Woody” Underwood, Jesters president, cut the ribbon to
officially open the new canteen at Ban Nongprue School.
Ariyawat Nuamsawat
More than half a million baht was raised by Pattaya Sports Club and
Jesters Care for Kids to pay for a new canteen for Ban Nongprue School.
The new building, handed over on July 14, replaces the previous
facility, which is 40 years old and had deteriorated in addition to
being too small for the school’s 500 students.
Banchong Kanawatanakul, chairman of the Primary Education Commission of
Ban Nongprue School chaired the handover ceremony, which was also
attended by Jesters president Lewis “Woody” Underwood, charity chairman
of the PSC Bernie Tuppin, and Nongprue Mayor Mai Chaiyanit. There was
also a presentation of sports equipment to the school.
The new canteen is located near the old one and cost 550 thousand baht,
raised by the two charity organizations. It is open on four sides for
good ventilation, has a roof and a concrete floor, 20 tables, ceiling
fans, and fluorescence lighting.
Mrs Nualnapa Sonchaikarnkha, director of Ban Nongprue School said that
the school is a small-sized one and has been open for 40 years. It
teaches children from the age of six years through to primary school
class 6. There are 510 students and 15 teachers.
The school is within Chonburi Education Department Zone 3, and even
though the Ministry of Education provides a support budget, it is still
not enough for the school’s activities.
The strong tables can
provide service for a long time whilst the 4 open sides
of the cafeteria allow for good ventilation.
The students say a big
thank you to the charity organizations.
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