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Baan Laem Tong Bay Community Project is launched on Koh Phi Phi
Paul Crouch
On February 11 in Krabi, the Baan Laem Tong International Community
Resource Centre was launched. This project is a combined effort involving
Fahdiow NGO based in Krabi, Chulalongkorn Architectural Department, and The
Regent’s School, Pattaya campus. The Regent’s School is also a member of the
Round Square organization that has 60 school members spread across the
world. It is through Round Square and The Regent’s that another 12 schools
will be able to support the funding and long-term commitment to this
community on the back of Koh Phi Phi Island.
 Chulalongkorn
final model of the community centre.
Since early 2005, The Regent’s School has supported the Baan Koh Phi Phi
School with a sponsored lunch program. This has been generously supported by
numerous other schools and organizations and enabled the Phi Phi school to
receive good quality lunches for the last 3 years.
It was in June 2006 on a project at Baan Koh Phi Phi School that The
Regent’s delegation met the Fahdiow Foundation and were made aware of the
more marginalized sea gypsy village at the back of the island in Laem Tong
Bay. This community was also affected by the tsunami but received less
support in the aftermath. Precariously located between multinational resorts
that feed the mass tourism industry, Baan Laem Tong Bay School struggles to
offer the children of the community a chance to compete with the highly
competitive tourist industry. Many families cannot even afford to send their
children to secondary schools in Krabi when they come to the final year at
Laem Tong Bay School.
 Sara
and Joyce are part of The Regent’s team helping with the final design at
Chulalongkorn University.
After discussions with the school’s headmaster and the community chief it
was decided that a community resource centre should be constructed on the
spare land that the school owns. The Baan Laem Tong International Community
Resource Centre would have four main objectives:
1. To provide training, service and opportunities for the students and
adults, especially the women of the sea gypsy community, e.g. sewing,
cooking, English language, computing, etc.
 The
reminding signs of the tsunami that devastated Phi Phi in 2004.
2. To enable volunteers (especially RS Schools) to stay and work with the
community at a reasonable price and the minimal cost for accommodation in
the centre will go directly to the school and the community and not the Phi
Phi resorts.
3. To improve the teaching and learning of English.
4. To encourage sustainability and conservation of the island and the
environment (especially water) through education and action.
A trust fund has been set up at a bank in Krabi and details of the fund can
be obtained by contacting Paul Crouch at The Regent’s School. The project is
estimated to need 3.5 million baht over a two and a half year period. The
project has been designed to develop in stages to allow maximum
participation by sponsor schools and organizations, so that real ownership
and partnerships can evolve and continue long into the future. The fund has
already received 500,000 baht within the first week since February 11, from
The Regent’s School and the Armidale School in Australia. It is also hoped
that local industries will sponsor materials needed for construction, e.g.
cement, roofing and steel frames.
The first stage of construction will commence March 19-28, when Chula,
Regent’s and Bermuda High School will all send volunteers to Laem Tong Bay
to commence on the foundations. This will be followed up by Regent’s,
Tamagawan School (Japan), The Doon School (India), The Millenium School
(Dubai), United World College (Italy) and possibly others in June to work on
stage 2 of the project.
If you would like to know more about this tsunami project on Phi Phi Island
please contact Paul Crouch at [email protected] or you can support the
funding of the project by attending The Regent’s International Day on
Saturday March 8 from noon - 4pm (see community happenings).
Young boy receives needed eye operation
from PILC Eye See You project
Ingrid Cunliffe
On Wednesday February 6 at 8am, Long Sarawin, age 12 from the
Redemptorist St Kids Home stepped into Bangkok Hospital Pattaya for an
eye operation.
 Ingrid
and Ivy share a moment with Long in the hospital.
This young boy receives schooling at the Fountain of Life Center and was
one of the 6 children who had their eyes tested as part of Pattaya
International Ladies Club Eye See You programme in December. This
programme has enabled the club to have 200 children’s eyes tested to
date, with 20% of these kids requiring glasses.
These visits led to Long going to Bangkok Hospital Pattaya for extra
testing as an abnormality was found. He was diagnosed with extropia of
his left eye, which required surgery to correct the muscle.
Dr Daranee Chayadoon was the fabulous surgeon who performed the surgery.
I went along to the hospital on the admission morning and was met by
Wethaka Waring, Long’s carer from the St Kids Home, and Ivy, who is a
PILC member and the donator of the funds for this project. We went along
with Long on his journey from admission and to operating theatre.
 Wethaka
Waring (back left), Dr Daranee Chayadoon (back right) and Long.
At 1pm we got the call that all went well and he was resting in
recovery.
He had a good night with adequate pain relief and caring nurses
attending to his every need.
We called in the next morning and despite a swollen red eye, Long’s
cheeky smile was there to greet us!
Once he was discharged we headed for the St Kids home and there we were
greeted by Por Or Dang, the director of the home.
Long will have a week off school to recover.
PILC and the Eye See You project are proud to have been able to help
give Long a brighter future.
My thanks on behalf of PILC and the Welfare team to Bangkok Hospital
Pattaya, Dr Chaydoon and especially our own angel Ivy, who makes this
whole process achievable and make the lives of those who don’t see so
clear much brighter.
Ivy (center) and a
friendly nurse provide encouragement
to young Long before his procedure.
AFT-ERC charity evening raises funds in support of the blind
Elfi Seitz
 The
Association of Filipinos in Thailand (AFT) Eastern Region Chapter held a
charity evening for the blind at A-One The Royal Cruise Hotel on
February 9.
The buffet at the A-One
The Royal Cruise Hotel is delicious.
This event is held every year to support the underprivileged, with the
proceeds of this year’s function going to the Redemptorist School for
the Blind.
Students of the school were invited along to the event, and they proved
to be talented singers with several touching songs sung in Thai and
English. Some of the students even put on a performance of traditional
Thai dancing. This was remarkable, considering they have never seen
their instructor’s steps and movements. During training, they literally
had to be taken by their hands and led until they were able to perform
on their own.
 Father
Patin, head of the Redemptorist Center and director of the Father Ray
Foundation, points out that all homes under the Foundation are in need
of stable funds.
AFT president Malenee Suwansenee was happy to welcome so many guests to
the party. Father Patin, head of the Redemptorist Center and director of
the Father Ray Foundation, thanked the guests and organizers for their
help. He pointed out that not only the home for the blind but all homes
under the Foundation are in need of stable funds to secure their
residents’ quality of life and offer them the opportunity to receive
proper education.
Brother Dennis Gervais cited the late Father Ray Brennan, who said: “If
the Lord takes
everything from me - I still have my sight”. What a privilege it is, to
be able to see.
Dr Belen Phangmuangdee
addresses the gathering.
Dr Belen Phangmuangdee, a well-known physician, also gave a brief speech
in which she stressed her closeness to both her native country, the
Philippines, and to the Thai people whom she wants to help from the
depths of her heart.
Show performances from various Filipino artists and the excellent
Filipino Band provided a great atmosphere that reached its climax at the
raffle drawings, followed by the opening of the dance floor to everyone
there.
Students from the
Redemptorist School
for the Blind sing touching songs in Thai and English.
Students from the
Redemptorist School
for the Blind perform traditional Thai dancing.
More than 100 youngsters take
part in sports day for the blind
Vimolrat Singnikorn
The 16th annual sport’s day for blind schoolchildren was held on
February 15 at the Pattaya Redemptorist School for the Blind, with
Nongprue Mayor Mai Chaiyanit performing the official opening.
 Nongprue
Mayor Mai Chaiyanit addresses the opening ceremony for the activity.
More than 100 youngsters took part in the event, which started with a
parade in front of the school leading to the school sports field.
Participants were divided into two teams, Blue and Green. Anurak
Purimatang, representing the participants carried the torch and lit the
flame before the games began. This was followed by a dance performance
by small blind children dressed in white attire, and then by a
performance by secondary school blind children.
The games events included running, with a teacher leading the blind
children along the track by holding their hands. Rope jumping and a
relay race were also held.
Mrs Orora Sribuaphan, principal of the Pattaya Redemptorist School for
the Blind said that starting from 2000, the school has fielded students
for local and national sporting events for the disabled. The school has
also sent students to overseas events, including swimming in Spain and
Sweden, taking part in the New York Marathon, and participating in
athletics events in Sydney. They have taken part in games in Canada,
sports for disabled youngsters in Hong Kong, and sporting events in
Korea, Malaysia, Vietnam and the Philippines. Each time the participants
have returned home to Thailand with awards and certificates, and each
occasion has been a great morale booster, said Orora.
The Pattaya Redemptorist School for the Blind is under the Royal
Sponsorship of Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, and
was opened on May 18, 1987. The school was licensed by the Ministry of
Education to be a charity school on January 15, 1987. Her Royal Highness
Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn placed the school under Royal
Sponsorship on June 2, 2004.
It is open for blind people of all genders and religions from 3 to 20
years old. They can have room and board at the school, or they can leave
and come back daily with no school fees. Teaching is from kindergarten
school class 1 to secondary school class 3. The school held its first
sports day in 1993.
Anurak Purimatang lights
the ceremonial flame before the competition.
I nearly won!
Teachers help the blind
children run their races.
Blind students play their
instruments during the opening ceremony parade.
Blind athletes jump rope –
quite an athletic endeavor.
Students parade their way
to the sports ground.
Student musicians play the
music for the Num Bao Sao Pan dance show.
Students perform the Num
Bao Sao Pan dance show.
Anurak Purimatang arrives
with the ceremonial flame.
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