World YWCA members visit Pattaya chapter

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More than 50 women from 45 countries took timeout from a World YWCA meeting in Bangkok to see first-hand how the Pattaya chapter is working on behalf of local communities.

About 80 local and visiting YWCA members arrived May 25 at the Diana Garden Resort to have lunch with members of the YWCA Bangkok-Pattaya Center and hear from Janjira Thaibunthit, director of the Chonburi Social Development and Human Stability Department’s Social Welfare and Rights-Protection Office.

 The entire entourage poses for a group photo during the event. The entire entourage poses for a group photo during the event.

Bangkok-Pattaya Center Chairwoman Praichit Jetpai welcomed the visiting members who were attending the May 23-28 World YWCA International Leadership Institute for Young Women meeting in Bangkok.

Local member Elfi Seitz made a presentation detailing the Pattaya chapter’s many projects, including the vegetable-garden project for schools, the Happy Family program, and other projects covering school lunches, education for orphans, coral planting, school fish farms, free eyeglasses, distance learning, elderly care, and a project to provide clothes and necessities for imprisoned women.

Janjira Thaibunthit (center) welcomes everyone to the event, whilst YWCA President Praichit Jetpai (right) and Pattaya Blatt’s Elfi Seitz listen in.Janjira Thaibunthit (center) welcomes everyone to the event, whilst YWCA President Praichit Jetpai (right) and Pattaya Blatt’s Elfi Seitz listen in.

For the Bangkok meeting, the World YWCA brought together selected young women from each of the organization’s regions to discuss, debate and define a global young women’s agenda for development, equality and rights. The event drew on research undertaken by young women in their home countries to build on the theme of “The Future Young Women Want.”

Marcia Banasko (left), communications director for World Wide YWCA, is interviewed by Elfi Seitz for Pattaya Mail TV.Marcia Banasko (left), communications officer for World Wide YWCA, is interviewed by Elfi Seitz for Pattaya Mail TV.

In Pattaya, a group of young students who called themselves the “Y-Teens” represented that future and said they planned to do social work in the future.

The lunch ended with a gift exchange and was followed by a tour of Pattaya, including Walking Street and Pattaya Beach.