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A Children’s Day full of fun and activity
Strong security provides peace of mind to parents
In the future we will be
Pattaya councilors.
Nittaya Patimasongkroh,
chairwoman of The YWCA Bangkok Pattaya Center, leads members in distributing
sweetmeats and ice cream to the children at Pattaya School #1.
Kindhearted Royal Thai Police
distribute gifts to the children.
National Children’s Day, January 13, was a lively one in
Pattaya with both the public and private sectors organizing events for the
children.
Pattaya City Hall was the epicenter of the action, with parents and
guardians bringing their kiddies along for fun throughout the day.
Mayor Niran Wattanasartsathorn, former MP for Chonburi Chanyuth Hengtrakul,
and Pattaya City councilors joined in the opening ceremony and distributed
gifts to the children.
There was a military dog show from the Royal Thai Marine Corps, and a mock
hostage release mission from the Navy Special Warfare Group. The Royal Thai
Navy displayed weapons, tanks and anti-aircraft artillery. There was a magic
show along with games and activities to distribute gifts, and Pattaya
Council staged a meeting with children taking the place of councilors, and
the councilors showing the children how the government works.
Private organizations weighed in with some events that also attracted the
crowds.
Khao Kheow Open Zoo let the children have a close-up view of its tiger cubs,
and staged a country music competition. Underwater World held a walk-rally
for the youngsters to learn about sea creatures. Nong Nooch Tropical Garden
attracted the families with its elephant show and other animal displays.
Games with gifts for the participants were held at Tiffany Theatre, Mike
Shopping Mall and in front of Pattaya Police Station. YWCA Bangkok-Pattaya
Center distributed ice cream at Pattaya School #1.
Although there were rumors of bomb threats at many locations in Chonburi,
this did not prevent people turning up for the Pattaya attractions, the
strong presence of the security forces acting to reassure the public of
their safety.
Pol Lt Gen Atsawin Kwanmuang, commander-in-chief of Region 2, had already
made a public address the day before, on January 12, when he declared that
nothing was likely to happen on Children’s Day and that the security
services were on full alert.
Mayor Niran Wattanasartsathorn
and Chanyuth Hengtrakul, former Chonburi MP, distribute gifts to the
children.
These aren’t toys, kids.
Children’s smiles, hidden
behind the ice cream, on National Children’s Day this year.
“Are they the same?”
The small wide eyed youngsters
happily participate in National Children’s Day activities.
The Military Dog show
attracted special intention from the children.
Brave Thai youngsters ready
for their moment on stage during the Country Music competition at Khao Kheow
Open Zoo.
All this is just too much fun
to take in all at once.
Children learn about the sea
environment at Underwater World.
Children went in force to
visit the HTMS Chakri Naruebet at Sattahip Pier, Sattahip Naval Base.
The youngsters join in the
Country Music competition at Khao Kheow Open Zoo.
Elephants at Nong Nooch
Tropical Garden thoroughly excited the children.
It seemed that the tank and
cannon were the top ten toys of children at this event.
The 10th Annual Jesters Care For
Kids Charity Drive is on its way
Lewis Underwood
The Jesters ‘Care for Kids’ Charity Drive 2007 is well underway. We have
had a wonderful response from you so far with 10 Platinum Sponsors
(100,000 baht) already committed, as well as our first Diamond Sponsor
(400,000 baht) from S.J. Lake Consulting Services. This is an auspicious
start for the New Year and tremendous confidence booster for our 10th
annual effort.
Due to your gracious support last year, we were able to raise over 6
million baht for children’s charities on the Eastern Seaboard, as well
as tsunami orphans schools and affected schools in the south. We would
like to thank you very much once again.
To date nearly 5.6 million baht of your donations has been distributed
to our beneficiaries as per below.
Pattaya Redemptorist School for the Blind in Naklua
(369,000 baht):
This is a perennial beneficiary of ours and this past year we
supplied furniture and appliances for their recently built Father Ray
Home (independent living project) and also bunk beds and bedding
material for all students.
Ban Jing Jai in Nong Prue
(569,000 baht + 170,000 from JCD 2005):
This small orphanage has been a main focus of ours since last
year. We have already carried out extensive repair and renovation to the
3 houses and will continue to do more.
Happiness Camp (100,000 baht):
We continue to sponsor these special sessions which focus on
learning and teaching techniques, communication skills, creativity and
inspiring self-confidence. This past year we funded two camps for 40
teachers and 120 students from Koh Larn government school.
Maptaput and Ban Chang schools
(683, 240 baht):
The constructions of new toilets were done at two schools in
Rayong province: Mapchaloud School in Maptaput and Nikom #9 School, west
of Ban Chang.
Crisis/Emergency
(300,000 baht):
Two secondary students waiting for a bus in front of Muang
Pattaya #7 School were badly injured by a hit and run driver. Both
sustained critical head trauma. We covered ICU costs at Bangkok-Pattaya
Hospital until they were out of danger and recovered sufficiently to be
transferred to a local hospital. Both are back in school and doing well.
The Next Step Program
(52,000 baht + 250,000 baht
from JCD 2005):
Our special scholarship provision program for children and
young adults is aimed at allowing them to continue their education at
all levels including college. Currently, we are sponsoring Em who is
studying to become an engineer at a technical college outside Bangkok,
and is due to graduate this year. We also continue to assist 12 orphans
from Hua Koon Jae Boarding School in Ban Bung.
The Fountain of Life Center for Children in North
Pattaya
(3,208,788.33 baht):
We continue to cover the majority of the operational expenses
for our target charity which provides documentation, education,
scholarships, medical and dental treatment and care for slum kids from
broken families.
Helping Hands School Lunch program in the South
(86, 400 baht):
We have maintained and expanded our lunch program at Sangka
Ou School and Wat Samithitham on Koh Lanta, and also on Phi Phi Island.
Sriphong Khaoluan Foundation in Krabi (30,960 baht + 169,040 baht from
JCD 2005):
In a joint venture with Unilever we provided Eckalot, a 10-year-old
tsunami orphan from Koh Phi Phi, with a 5-year scholarship to continue
his education. He is now in his second year.
Khopai Kindergarten
(84,000 baht):
We provided funds for staff and development of this project
in this local slum area.
Khao Baisri School near Sattahip
(22,000 baht):
This school for autistic and mentally impaired children continually
needs funding, primarily in the area of building renovation
Young Pattaya PR Ambassadors
(24, 580 baht):
We lent support to this program in conjunction with city hall and
Pattaya Mail to seek out exceptional and talented government school
students and provide them with training and background for becoming
‘ambassadors’ for the promotion of tourism in the region.
Event shirt donations
(48,525 baht):
Shirts were donated to kids at Ban Jing Jai, Mercy Mission and the
Fountain of Life.
Total distributed to date:
5,578,493.33
For our Jesters ‘Care for Kids’ Charity Drive 2007, we will
maintain support for our present beneficiaries mentioned above, as well
as continuing to look for new projects.
This year our annual family outing, the Jesters Children’s Fair, will be
on Sunday, September 9th, while our Jesters Pub Night will be on the
following Saturday, September 15th.
Donations, cheques, and/or bank drafts can be sent to: Good Shepherd
Foundation, c/o The Fountain of Life Center, 3/199 M.6 Soi
Chalermprakiet 3, Pattaya 3rd Road, Naklua, Banglamung, Chonburi 20150,
Thailand, or transfer funds directly to their account at Bangkok Bank,
Muang Pattaya Branch, Chonburi 20260, Acct# 484-0-68306-6. Swift code:
BKKBTBK and fax payment slip with your name to number above. The charity
registration number for the Good Shepherd Foundation is Tor 460/2543.
Alternatively, you may wish to use our Online Donation Facility on our
website.
For more information, our latest corporate/individual sponsorship letter
and other ways to help, please visit our web site at www.care4kids.info
or email us at [email protected]
PSC makes impressive
Blind School donation
Bernie Tuppin,
PSC Charity Chairman
When PSC Charity Chairman Bernie Tuppin visited the Redemptorist Blind
School some months back to offer assistance, Aurora expressed an interest in
a new computer programme recently acquired by the Adult Blind School in
Bangkok. The programme, named JAWS, was the latest aid to sight impaired
people gaining computer skills and general learning. What the programme does
is basically to convert text to audio.
 Aurora
and Bernie with Chid at the keyboard.
For an unsighted person, a high level of computer skill is required to
operate the system but the benefits to the unskilled are that they can hear
a lesson rather than read it. The Pattaya Blind School has that skilled
person in Chid Soonku, who was confident he could handle the system if it
could be provided.
A company called Siamtech in Bangkok was able to import the programme from
the U.S.A. at a cost of B 48,500, to include installation and tutoring. To
enable the programme to have the greatest benefit it would require a
dedicated operating system which meant a new computer. It was decided that a
notebook would be preferable as that would enable the system to be
transportable. This was purchased at a cost of B 47,000 and eventually the
programme arrived and was installed. To my knowledge it is only the 2nd such
system operating in Thailand and certainly the first in Pattaya.
I had the pleasure along with Aurora of seeing, or rather hearing, the
system operating and was amazed at the technology and Chid’s ability to
operate the system. At present there is one small problem: the audio is not
available in Thai language through this programme, however, I have been
assured that this is easily overcome as there is a programme available free
to the school that will translate the English into Thai language.
The eventual aim is to have the programmes integrated and accessed by all
the computers at the school. The marvels of modern technology never cease to
amaze.
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