Pratamnak-Pattaya Lions contribute B300,000 to local education

The Pattaya-Pratamnak Lions Club presented over B300,000 to support the education department at the at the Banglamung School on August 23. The educational assistance funds support the education of 110 deserving students, with a portion also going to the general education department.

The Lions Club of Pattaya-Pratamnak donated over B300,000 to local education.

Additional donations were also made to support one city school with 30 athletic uniforms, 20 student tables went to the Banglamung School, and 3,000 baht was donated to support a school athletic activity.

The majority of these students receiving assistance from the Lions in this project are from Pattaya City Schools 2 - 9 with 11 of the students attending Banglamung and Potisamphan Phitakarn Schools. The plan is also designed to support ten students attending language and computer classes at the Pattaya Language and Computer School on Central Road.

Students from Pattaya City School #1 in grades 5 and 6 started training on August 25 and received instructions on Buddhist Dhamma under a new 2-day program supported by the Rotary Club of Jomtien-Pattaya and the Ban Matura Foundation.

Students from Pattaya School #1 listen intently to teachers explaining Dhamma principles.

Mrs. Waree Thaichaya, the school’s director, said the seventy students enrolled in the program would be introduced to the principles that the Lord Buddha taught which instil personal self-control. Hopefully these lessons will be retained and can be drawn upon later in life.

The training program also included information on substance abuse. An explanation of the health dangers of careless use of dangerous drugs and its disastrous affects on society was presented to help dissuade students from falling prey to addiction.

Striving to help the increasing number of families who cannot provide the basic requirements needed to send their children to school, chairwoman of the Bangkok-Pattaya YWCA Mrs. Premrudee Jittivutikarn and members arranged a school lunch on August 23, which took place at Wat Sukreebunyaram School in Banglamung.

Mayuree Suttikasem, chairwoman of the “Cheerful Family Program” presented donated items to the director of the Wat Sukreebunyaram School in Banglamung.

Donations had been collected from gracious donors under the YWCA ‘Cheerful Family Program’, which assists underprivileged families in and around the Pattaya area. These donations were presented to the school.

In addition, the YWCA donated useful items and school materials worth B20,000, received by the school director, Mrs. Yawade Chutapannachat.

The temple school was first opened in 1963, and currently teaches 187 students in kindergarten through the 9th grade.

American sailors gather for a group photo with the kids before setting back out to sea.

A large contingent of US sailors from the USS Carl Vinson, which was anchored in Pattaya Bay at the end of August, spent their free time participating in a community relations project at Chuck Samet School in Sattahip.

The 420 kids at the school were treated to an American style BBQ, including hamburgers, hot dogs and soft drinks, all prepared by the sailors.

While at the school, some of the sailors gave the water tower a much needed new coat of paint. The school’s bathroom facilities also received a new coat of paint at the same time.

The smile says it all!

Since many of the US sailors have children of their own who are the same age as the kids at the school, the time they spent with the Thai children helped them get over, even if just for a short while, missing their own kids at home. They played many games together and enjoyed each other’s company so much, parting was not easy.

Just before the sailors left they donated about 600 English textbooks to the headmaster of the school as a little extra to be remembered by.