Youth taught dengue fever awareness

Caring for the Children of Inmates

Father Ray Foundation receives grant from ExxonMobil

City youth join anti-drug campaign

Youth taught dengue fever awareness

Vimolrat Singnikorn
With infections from dengue fever on the rise, Pattaya hosted a “walk rally” for 280 students to better educate the public on how to prevent the dangerous mosquito-borne illness.

Mayor Itthiphol Kunplome opens the ‘Walk Rally’ to teach youngsters about dengue fever.
The June 1 rally, kicked off by Mayor Itthiphol Kunplome at Redemptorist Center, was also used as a forum for public-health officials to share statistics on dengue fever infections and provide guidance on how to the lower the area’s infection rate.
Four people died in Chonburi Province in 2008 from dengue fever, with another 2,429 infected. The province’s overall infection rate was 201-in-100,000. In Banglamung District, where 337 cases were reported, the infection rate was 151-in-100,000 people.
Pattaya Health and Environment Director Wannaporn Jamjumrus said the problem worsened locally this year with 77 cases and 1 death and an overall infection rate of 33-in-100,000.

Wannaporn Jamjumrus, director of Health and Environment in Pattaya, asks for cooperation in eliminating house mosquito breeding grounds.
“Dengue fever in Chonburi is an important issue that we need to be aware of and must collaborate with everyone to prevent it from spreading,” Wannaporn said, nothing that dengue fever infection rates are considered acceptable at fewer than 50 patients per 100,000 people.
“In 2009, the problem is getting worse,” agreed Na-Anya Jantarakad, a health office nurse. “The best way to control it is to eliminate the breeding grounds for common house mosquitoes.”
Eliminating any standing water is the best prevention. This includes covering containers that might collect rainwater, adding fish to ponds or water buckets, keeping homes and businesses clean and using chemical sprays.

Students listen intently before heading out into the community
to spread the dengue fever prevention message.

Caring for the Children of Inmates

Al gives it a go at Petanque.

Lewis Underwood
Late last month, we visited the Rayong Central Prison on Hwy 3191 en route to Pluak Daeng for the third consecutive year to distribute scholarships to the children of the inmates.
For each of the past 2 years, we have awarded 50 students with 1000 baht scholarships in a ceremony at this facility. However, this figure proved to be insufficient, especially given the fact that each child had at least one parent in jail. So this year Payoam, director/warden of Rayong Central Prison, thought it best to instead give 25 students scholarships at 2000 baht apiece. We thought this would be more effective as well.

Jesters hand out scholarships to the kids.

Prior to handing out the scholarships this year, we reiterated our usual message to the kids, which was the importance of taking advantage of this opportunity to get an education. Moreover, we emphasized that the best way to better their plight was to take charge of their own lives by studying hard and staying in school. And, if this was indeed their goal, then we would gladly help them.
Subsequently, a 14-year old girl in middle school stood up and expressed appreciation for the opportunity to continue her education, which is exactly the reassurance we wanted to hear.
Otherwise, the hospitality of the warden and his staff was as gracious as ever, which in the past has always involved a meal and an activity. In the past the latter has included foot massages from inmates, tours of the maximum security facilities and target practice on their shooting range.

The warden presents a certificate of appreciation to Woody and the Jesters.

This year, though, after the festivities we were persuaded to play a ‘sport’ called Petanque with the staff. It is a form of bocce ball, but instead of bowling wooden balls this involved lofting heavy metal balls with a reverse grip. We were put in teams of 3, each with a staff member and it soon became apparent what the personnel do in the majority of their spare time. Erle and Bill, who claimed never to have played the game before, seemed suspiciously adept at it too.
Despite being teamed up with the warden, who had his own personal set of Petanque balls, we were still crushed by Erle and his team of ringers. But fun was had by most and it all segued nicely with the scholarship-giving ceremony.
We then rode to Dok Krai Reservoir nearby where we had lunch of freshwater fish and other local delicacies with the staff, before heading back to Pattaya.
We look forward to seeing the kids again next year, hopefully many of the same faces.
If you would like to help causes like these, please check out our website at www.care4kids.info.
Our Children’s Fair is only 93 days away on Sunday, September 13th, at the Diana Garden Resort and Driving Range. Rent a stall today!

The kids, warden and staff and Jesters pose for a group picture.

Father Ray Foundation receives grant from ExxonMobil

Now able to attend Global Women in Management Program

Pathum Sukkerd, executive projects planner at the Fr. Ray Foundation has won a grant to attend the Global Women in Management Workshop in Washington, D.C. from June 8 - July 3, 2009. She is being sponsored by ExxonMobil Foundation. The workshop brings together mid-career women from charity, community and faith-based organizations who are working in development programs at community, sub-national or national levels.

(L to R) Suporntum Mongkolsawadi, managing director, Mike Lancaster, development director, Isra Sunthornvipart, community relations advisor of ExxonMobil, Pathum Sukkerd and Father Lawrence Patin during the presentation.
Isra Sunthornvipart, community relations advisor for ExxonMobil Limited presented the grant to Pathum at the Fr. Ray Foundation Welcome Center. Father Lawrence Patin, president of the Fr. Ray Foundation, thanked ExxonMobil for their support and Pathum promised to bring back new ideas on strategy development to help strengthen the management at the Fr. Ray Foundation and to develop its work in the community in Pattaya.

(L to R) Isra Sunthornvipart, community relations advisor of ExxonMobil presents the grant to Pathum Sukkerd from the Fr. Ray Foundation.
In Washington, D.C. Pathum will be representing Thailand and will meet with 26 women leaders from other countries. The workshop will be organized by CEDPA (Center for Development and Population Activities), a Washington, D.C.-based international non-profit organization working to empower women at all levels of society. The major themes of the workshop are: Dimensions of Leadership, Strategic Communications, Project Management and Fundraising.

City youth join anti-drug campaign

Vimolrat Singnikorn
More than 100 “at risk” teenage boys will be the first Pattaya students to participate in a city anti-drug program that aims to “scare straight” aggressive teens before they get into serious trouble.

Deputy Mayor Wutisak Rermkitkarn wants to “scare straight” potential youth offenders.

The July 15-18 program will see 10 boys selected from 11 Pattaya schools sent to Sattahip Naval Base and Bangkwang Central Prison in Nonthaburi to learn about the dangers and implications of drug use. Bangkwang, nicknamed “Big Tiger” for its propensity to “eat” its prisoners, is home to Thailand’s death-row and long-sentence criminals.
At a May 28 organizing session at city hall, Deputy Mayor Wutisak Rermkitkarn said the goal of the “Youth Avoiding Risky Situations Project” was to identify children ages 14-16 with behavioral problems that could lead to later drug use and crime. He told teachers from 11 schools in attendance to look for such indicators as misbehaving in school, acting innocent during incidents, flaunting their popularity or appearing to lack sufficient parental attention.
While organizers hope the project will ultimately reach both male and female students, the initial course will target only teen boys displaying abnormal levels of aggression. Wutisak said the goal is that the youth will “adjust their behavior” after seeing what drug use can lead to. Similar programs abroad, patterned after the landmark 1978 documentary “Scared Straight,” have found considerable success in turning around troubled teens.
But the deputy mayor also stressed that a three-day summer course isn’t a cure-all. Teachers, he said, must closely monitor the youths’ behavior to see if aggression and bad behavior remain in check.

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