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Freedrop Bar visit Fr. Ray Day Care Center and pay for swimming lessons
Members of the Freedrop Society
donate funds from
the St. Patrick’s Day Freedrop Society Golf Tournament
to
Denis Gervais, vice-president of the Father Ray Foundation.
Derek Franklin
Just before Christmas last year Little Em arrived at the
Fr. Ray Day Care Center as he did every day, travelling with eight other
youngsters in a motorbike side cart and making the journey from his home on
the canals of north Pattaya to the Fr. Ray Day Care Center on Sukhumvit. At
the end of the day he made the return journey, ran in to see his mother and
then went out to play with his friends.
When dinner was ready the mother called for her son, but
Em did not appear. She walked around the local area asking all the
neighbours if they had seen him, no one had. Once it got dark the whole
community were out looking for this toddler, but unfortunately he was never
found.
In memory of Little Em.
The next morning the body of a little boy was pulled out
of the water by a fisherman, and attempts to resuscitate him were in vain.
Two year old Em was dead.
Following this tragic event it was decided to give
swimming lessons to the children at the Fr. Day Care Center, but
professional teachers are expensive and the Center’s budget could only
afford classes for the older children.
That was until the Freedrop Bar on Pratamnak Hill stepped
in and donated enough money to provide more swimming classes for more
children.
On the 17th March, St. Patrick’s Day, the Freedrop
Society Golf Tournament was held at the Rayong Country Club, which was
followed in the evening by a charity auction where all proceeds were donated
to the Father Ray Foundation.
On their arrival at the Father Ray Foundation to present
their donation of 101,000 baht the committee members of the golf tournament
were met by Brother Denis Gervais, vice-president of the Foundation, who
thanked everyone for their support before inviting them to visit the Fr. Ray
Day Care Center where they met the children who will benefit from their
generosity and who will soon be starting their swimming lessons.
Little Em’s life was cut short at a very early age, but
what has come from such a tragic event is an awareness that all children
must learn to swim at an early age in the hope that no more young lives end
so early.
The Fr. Ray Day Care Center is just one of the projects
managed by the Father Ray Foundation. For more information about the work of
the Foundation see their website www.fr-ray.org or email [email protected]
First ever class graduates from
Fr. Ray Day Care Center
The last Friday in March usually signifies the end of
the school year for most schools and colleges throughout the Kingdom. At
the Fr. Ray Day Care Center the first ever graduation ceremony was held
to present certificates to those young children who are graduating from
Class 3 and who will be joining regular schooling when the new school
year starts in May.
Look dad, I did it!
The Fr. Ray Day Care Center opened in August 2008
with the aim of providing a safe environment for those children who are
living in the poorer areas of Pattaya, a place where parents know their
child will be safe when they are at work. The youngsters receive an
education which will prepare them for full time education, they are
learning to read and write, to do Math’s, they receive regular computers
classes and most are learning to swim.
Fourteen students received certificates under the
watchful eye of several proud parents who attended the event; however
several parents though were unable to attend due to work commitments.
The Fr. Ray Day Care Center welcomes one hundred and
twenty young toddlers every day. For more information about the work of
the Father Ray Foundation take a look at their website www.fr-ray.org or
email [email protected]
With 850 needy children and disabled young adults in
their care, Father Ray Foundation needs all the help it can get to give
everyone a great education. If you’d like to help, please ring 038 716
628 and 038 428 717 or visit the Foundation on Sukhumvit Road, at KM145,
adjacent to Soi 36 continuous support. Please donate now at
www.fr-ray.org/donate.
Mom couldn’t be prouder.
On his way to a better life.
She’s off to a good start in her education.
There is nothing more precious than
a mother able to
give her child a brighter future.
This youngster proudly shows his certificate.
The first class of graduates
from Fr. Ray Day Care Center.
Scholarships: The Key to the Highway of Learning
Primary and secondary students who received
scholarships last year gather for a fun photo in front of the Fountain
of Life Center.
Lewis Underwood
The Jesters Care for Kids Charity Drive is concerned
with providing disadvantageous kids with access to safe shelter free
from abuse, clean water and nourishing meals, medical and dental
treatments as needed and the opportunity to go to school. After 12 years
of trying to help these children get a fair shake in life, we still
contend that the best gift we can give them is education.
The Sisters and their staff at the Fountain of Life
Center (FOL) have been preparing kids for school and providing
scholarships for them, even before we designated them as our target
charity back in 1998. The only difference now is that we are providing
more funds so that they can reach and accommodate more children.
At the Fountain of Life Center, it all starts with
birth certificates. Many kids from impoverished families are born
outside hospitals, which means they are not registered with the local
governments. So when a child comes to the Center the first thing they do
is check for documentation. If there is none, the child cannot go to
school. If the child does not have a birth certificate, the FOL staff
will go with a parent to their village and help them get the document
from the local amphur. If the child is orphaned, often a relative from
the place of birth can vouch for the child.
After the certificate is obtained, the child is
prepared to enter government schools at the Center through the basic
education they provide. When the child reaches 5-6 years old, they are
ready to enter the school system.
When older children come to the Center who have never
been to school, again they will try to get the necessary documentation
if there is none, and then help them get a primary school certificate so
they can then go into vocational training.
Another necessity for children going to school,
besides having official birth certificates, is a home address. Many of
the parents of these kids are transient slum dwellers working
construction, collecting recyclables or street vending, and usually have
no bonafide residence. The Center gets around that obstacle by providing
a house address: their own!
When a child leaves the Center, a scholarship is
issued so they can afford to go to school. Often this will cover
uniforms, books, lunch costs and transportation. The child’s family, if
there is one, is encouraged to help and take ownership in the education
process too. This past year 58 children from the Fountain of Life Center
received scholarships to enter public schools.
Scholarships are granted not only so children can
start school, but also maintained so that they can stay in school. Good
grades and regular attendance is looked at as a basis to continue with
the scholarships.
Monitoring scholarships is time-consuming and work
intensive. It is always easier if parents and teachers take an interest
in their child’s education. However, there are always some pitfalls too.
Some children are taken out of school so they can help their parents eke
out a living while others keep moving around in search of temporary
work. Still some parents opt to go back to their villages with their
children where school is cheaper.
But then realistically we cannot expect all the kids
put in scholarship programs to stay in school. Ultimately, it will be up
to the students and their families to determine how far they want to go
with the educational process.
We also have a Next Step Program, which provides
scholarships for those wishing to pursue higher education and take it to
the top to a technical college or university. Through the Fountain of
Life Center this past year, we sponsored 5 students at pre-university
levels and 6 more at the Bachelor of Arts level. Seeing these motivated
young adults poised to see it through to the finish is our ultimate
goal.
After all, they know it can be done. Look at Em, who
graduated from Technology Rachamongkul in Nakon Pathom with a bachelor’s
degree in engineering two years ago. He too went through the Center and
rose up from humble beginnings.
Scholarships are indeed the key to the highway of
learning, especially for those who without the finances to do so. And
with a degree or certificate in your hand, when you come to those
crossroads, all the options are bright and shining.
If you are interested in learning more about the
Fountain of Life Center and Jesters Care for Kids, please visit our
website at www.care4kids.info.
6 Pattaya students win
national education awards
Vimolrat Singnikorn
Six Pattaya students won medals and awards in the
national “Wild Orchid” education competition.
The primary and secondary school students from
Pattaya schools 2, 3, 7, 8, 9 and 10 were presented with scholarships
and awards by Mayor Itthiphol Kunplome March 30. At the same time, the
mayor announced the creation of a “Support for Excellence in
Intelligence” scholarship to support education in Pattaya.
Papitchaya Ratanakorn from Pattaya School No. 3, one
of the many local winners, won the Thai language award in the secondary
school level, earning a certificate and scholarship from Mayor Itthiphol
Kunplome.
The Wild Orchid Excellent Child Project sees primary
school class 5 to secondary school class 3 students compete in Thai
language, social education, religion and culture, science, and
mathematics categories. Wannapa Wannasri, chief supervisor at the
Pattaya Development of Education Techniques Department, said local
students have always done well in the five years of competition, which
has boosted the reputation of the city.
This year, Papitchaya Ratanakorn from Pattaya School
No. 3 won the gold medal and Srileelart Naen-Udon from School No. 10
took the bronze in Thai language category. Kanoksak Saelee from Pattaya
School No. 2 won the gold medal in the science competition while
Siriporn Nilphothong from School No. 9 won bronze in mathematics.
In the social education category, consolation prizes
and certificates were won by Natcha Tanasartsophon from Pattaya School
No. 7 and Chorpet Traebanleng from School No. 8.
Itthiphol said education in Pattaya in the future
will be supported in part by the “Excellence in Intelligence”
scholarship, a 50,000 baht private fund connected to the Kunplome family
to fund scholarships and tutors to bolster Pattaya’s reputation for
education.
Government, businesses reach out to aid Pattaya’s poor children
Members of the Rotary Club of
Pattaya, led by former governor of District 3340 Jin Srikasikorn (2nd
from the left) present funds to Mayor Itthiphol Kunplome (3rd right) for
Pattaya City to help support the slum children.
Vimolrat Singnikorn
Government and industry came together to lift the
spirits and education of children living in the area’s poorest
neighborhoods as part of the second “Improving the Quality of Life for
Slum Children.”
The March 25 activity at the old Naklua Market was
led by Pattaya Mayor Itthiphol Kunplome and featured a mix of fun
activities and educational lessons sponsored by area civic groups and
retailers.
Pattaya has, in recent years, put more emphasis on
social welfare for children, who are often the victim of drugs,
prostitution, domestic abuse, crime and environmental hazards.
Children express their imaginations through painting.
“Due to these problems, Pattaya realized it must
support and develop a quality-of-life program for children living in the
slums,” Mayor Itthiphol said. “The project was started to teach them to
become assertive, gain an education and develop their skills as well as
have the opportunity to meet with a variety of organizations related to
supporting them.”
Retailers Tesco Lotus and Carrefour donated
notebooks, desserts and other prizes for young participants while the
Rotary Club of Pattaya chipped in 3,000 baht for additional rewards. The
Thai Namtip Co. donated Coca-Cola while the Chalermprakiet Training
Center offered free haircuts.
Children took part in painting and balloon activities
and listened to talks on AIDS and drugs prevention, as well as a
presentation on bottle art.
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