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Regent’s Round Square Service –
Tsunami Relief on Koh Phi Phi
Paul Crouch
John Burgess and his immediate response to the tsunami
disaster that has enabled The Regent’s School to organize six relief
missions to date in the South of Thailand deserves acknowledgement. These
have included over 60 Regent’s students and staff representing more than
20 nationalities. Three of the more recent missions have also included other
Round Square (www.roundsquare.org) schools from Australia, New Zealand,
Canada, USA and Peru. In all, 11 Round Square schools have visited Koh Phi
Phi (Phi Phi Island) and contributed to the massive cleanup and
restructuring of the island. My thanks go out to all the staff and students
who have been involved.
School
equipment damaged or destroyed in the tsunami is now just a pile of scrap.
Hi Phi Phi (www.hiphiphi. com) have also done a
magnificent job on the island and helped to coordinate local Thais, tourists
and visiting schools in their continued effort to bring life and normality
back to the island. We look forward to continued work with this group of
people.
To continue supporting the people of Phi Phi (and the
South of Thailand) through Round Square the Regent’s Tsunami Relief
Committee decided that the Thai school on the island should be the main
focus for future, long term physical and financial support / projects.
Bann Koh Phi Phi School
In total, 9 students that attended the school were killed
and 8 were orphaned. Before the tsunami the school role totalled 180
students from nursery to age 15 years. The school plans to re-open November
1, 2005 with an expected 60 students.
The school has received a large amount of equipment from
the government including computers, musical instruments, a language lab,
science equipment and the promise of new desks and chairs. Playground
equipment has also been delivered as far as the pier but cannot be
transported to the school, as there is no vehicle access. This will also
cause future problems for large building materials.
Phi Phi
School, which has been situated 10 metres from the sea, may need to be
relocated another 30 metres inland.
Hi Phi Phi and Round Square schools have provided a
short-term response, clearing the school of all debris, rebuilding
foundations and painting rooms, etc., to prepare for November 1st. A lot
more still needs to be done, but Phi Phi is a complicated place.
The new head teacher, Khun Wirawut, has a very good level
of English and has been overwhelmed by the response of the Round Square
schools in Phi Phi and in particular at his new school. He understands the
philosophy of Round Square and has taken an interest in the six IDEALS. The
schools own motto is: “Good behaviour, good discipline, good heart.”
(The three “Gs”.)
The Phi Phi locals have been given many promises and
deadlines from many major charities and relief agencies. Many of these have
not come to fruition or have been broken. Most of the relief work has been
small-scale projects, volunteers and the local community. There is a fear of
the unknown and what the future may bring to the small businesses on Phi Phi
Island.
 Meena
and the new head teacher, Khun Wirawut, are preparing to reopen the school
in November.
The local clinic / hospital has been told to relocate to
higher ground, and the school has also been told that it must relocate
another 30m from the sea. A new site has been designated on the higher land.
This is not the preferred option of the school and the community, which has
enjoyed the school’s current location for more than 48 years. Khun Wirawut
claims that the final decision will be made at the end of October and the
school will therefore know its future destiny from the beginning of
November.
If it is forced to relocate, it is not likely to happen
within the next three years though, and then will require a substantial
amount of funding and labour. If the decision is overturned, and Khun
Wirawut hopes it is, then the school will remain in its current location by
the sea and start full renovations. If this happens then building should
start immediately and may last for over two years. This will enable Round
Square involvement and hopefully ongoing projects and visits by Round Square
schools.
Hi Phi Phi (Help
International Phi Phi)
Khun La, the chief coordinator of Hi Phi Phi and resident
of Phi Phi Island, has confirmed his long-term commitment to supporting the
Phi Phi community and especially the school. He has acknowledged the support
so far of all the Round Square schools that have visited and helped with
relief work. He also wants to continue the partnership with Round Square by
finding projects on Phi Phi and supplying materials that are financed by
Round Square schools to help the local communities and not just the school.
The Regent’s School
The Regent’s School (www .regents.ac.th) plans to
support the Phi Phi School, initially with a lunch project to feed the 60
returning students on a monthly basis. Service projects will be organised
accordingly once a decision has been made about the re-location of the
school at the end of October. A number of Australian Round Square schools
have expressed an interest in visiting Phi Phi Island en route to the
International Conference in Scotland in October 2006. Khun Wirawut is aware
of this and through the partnership now formed with Regents this is more
than likely going to happen.
If you would like to support Phi Phi School or the Phi
Phi community through the Regent’s Round Square service project and would
like more information, please contact Paul Crouch at rs-pty @regents.ac.th
Music contest aims to stimulate interest in traditional Thai music
Narisa Nitikarn
Mike Shopping Mall in cooperation with Banglamung
Cultural Chamber staged a Thai music competition on October 10 and 11 for
the Her Royal Highness Princess Theprattanaratchasuda Cup.
 Worawit
Saisupatpol, Banglamung district chief, and Surat Mekawarakul, chairman of
Banglamung Cultural Chamber, bang a gong to mark the opening of the event.
Over 150 students participated in the competition, which
was divided into three types of instrument.
Banglamung district chief Worawit Saisupatpol, Surat
Mekawarakul, chairman of the Banglamung Cultural Chamber, and Deputy Mayor
Ronakit Ekasingh were amongst those present at the opening, Worawit
striking the traditional gong to start the proceedings.
The
Sabad Chai drum recital by students from Phothisamphan School was a
highlight of the event.
A highlight was a “sabad chai” drum performance from
students of Photisamphan School.
Surat said the Chamber was keen to revive the nation’s
cultural arts, especially Thai music, which has a great heritage, and that
he would like to see youth from the province becoming more involved.
The competition was divided into two age groups, those aged 6-12 years
old and those from 13-18 years. The judges were three Thai music experts.
Students volunteer for Scout duties during upcoming jamboree
Chatchanan Chaisree
Thirty-five volunteer students from Wat Ratchaborpit
Secondary School Class 5, Thammasart University, Kasetsart University and
the Pharmacology Faculty of Chulalongkorn University have attended a basic
training course in Scouting leadership in preparation for the Asia-Pacific
Regional Scout Jamboree No 25 that will be hosted by Thailand at the end of
this year.
Thai
and foreigner lecturers are ready for their talks.
The National Scout committee is preparing for the event
by recruiting volunteer students from colleges aged between 18 and 35 years
of age who are proficient in foreign languages to work together with
regular Thai scouts carrying out the tasks needed to host an event of this
magnitude.
This latest intake of volunteers has been trained in
both theory and practice in camping, exercising, tree maneuvers, tent
erection, and social skills in interacting with those from a different
background, women, children and the elderly. The training took place at Had
Yao, which is to be the location of the Jamboree.
The Asia-Pacific Regional Scout Jamboree No 25 committee
said that the Scout Jamboree, to be held from December 28 to January 3,
needs around 2,000 Thai students and adult volunteers and at least 1,000
foreigner volunteers to ensure that the event runs smoothly.
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