Commission studies homeless children
The commission and senators
visit the Redemptorist Home in Pattaya.
Vimolrat Singnikorn
A Senatorial fact-finding commission recently visited Pattaya to
study the problem of homeless children and suggested setting up an
organizational network to deal with the task better.
Mayor
Itthipol Khunplome speaks about the work at Pattaya’s Children’s Office.
On April 27 at city hall, Pol. Lt-Gen. Yuttana Thaipakdee, president of the
Commission for Children and Youth, Operations for Social Development of
Children and Youth, Women, Elderly, Disabled and Disadvantaged Children,
commission members and senators gathered to discuss helping homeless
children.
Mayor Itthipol Khunplome, government officials and support workers for
disadvantaged and homeless children in Pattaya and Banglamung District also
attended to brief the government visitors.
Lt-Gen. Yuttana said that the purpose of this visit, “Was for a professional
commission and senators to cooperate to solve the local children’s problems
for the nation.”
Pol.
Lt-Gen. Yuttana Thaipakdee.
A report was given by Supagon Noja, director of Protection for Children and
Youth, confirming that the city had a large population of homeless children.
This was also discussed with Pannee Limcharoen, director of Social Welfare
in Pattaya.
Mayor Itthipol said that the city was cooperating with the children’s
organizational network in several activities such as the Sai Yai Rak
Project, a rehabilitation camp for the homeless children teaching them daily
life skills.
City residents have also been invited to report day and night to city
officials on tel. 1337 any cases of homeless children being sexually abused.
They mayor said that even though Pattaya is developing well, poverty and
slums still remain. People are fighting to make a living, including children
from these families and children from neighboring countries who enter the
country illegally.
“These children distribute flowers to tourists and they grab on to the
visitors’ legs to get their attention to buy flowers, creating a bad
impression. Officials try to send them home but the children continue to
return,” he said.
The children come from families with problems which directly affect the
children and this important issue should be on the national agenda, the
mayor told the visitors.
Social Development and Human Security Chonburi Office, World Vision
Foundation of Thailand in Pattaya, Mercy Home and Children and Women’s
Protection Center in Police Region 2 all submitted additional proposals at
the meeting to help the children.
Consensus was that more reliable information about homeless children needs
to be available. The actual numbers are at present not clear as this is a
transient population. Many of the children are likely to be receiving
duplicated support from social workers.
The commission and senators proposed that Pattaya City be the main agency
surveying the real number of homeless children.
They proposed an organizational network for the homeless children which can
be done by using an existing organization as a model for network
integration.
Later the officials called in to the Redemptorist Home in Pattaya and the
Fr. Ray Children’s Village to meet the children being cared for there.
The commission and senators
visit
the Fr. Ray Children’s Village and meet the children.
Jesters Care for Kids distributes last of the 2008 funds
Wild Bill (2nd left) and
Ingrid (2nd right) make a donation to Open Aid.
Ingrid Cunliffe
On Tuesday, April 13, Jester Wild Bill and myself, distributed
56,000 baht, the remaining funds from the mammoth Jesters Care for Kids
Charity Drive 2008.
Open Aid, a Pattaya-based charity that is fairly new on the scene was
the beneficiary of this money.
Some
of the staff have fun checking out Bill’s Harley.
Open Aid helps young girls and women at risk within Pattaya and in the
north of Thailand. They run education programs for young girls and their
families, who live in high risk areas, where girls are trafficked into
prostitution.
Their aim is to provide a comprehensive education and economic
development program to give them better career options in life.
Staff is extensively trained at Open Aid to instruct teachers and care-
givers in 5 different schools, at present, to manage these initiatives.
Open Aid director Justin Whitecross and his team are doing a wonderful
job here!
Jesters plan to continue to support this project into the new charity
year for 2009. If you would like to donate to the Jesters Care for Kids
Charity Drive this year and help this project, please visit our website
at www.care4kids.info.
Please also note these dates in your diary:
* Jesters Children’s Fair and family outing at the Diana Garden Resort,
Saturday September 13.
* Jesters Party Night at Jameson’s Pub, Saturday, September 19, which is
an evening of auctioning items, drawing grand raffle prize winners and
loads of entertainment.
The changing face of Poo Gan
Before the fall into the fire. |
After. |
Christina Boden
It is coming up to one year now since the Charity Club of
Pattaya became involved with Poo Gan and her family.
Poo Gan is the little girl that fell into a fire at 8 months old. The
parents couldn’t afford to have her treated, so the Charity Club agreed
to cover the medical costs and make sure the bills are paid for their
travel and accommodation in Bangkok when she has to attend the hospital.
The Club started to raise funds for her in June of last year and the
fund raising was helped immensely by large donations from John
Richardson of U.T.S. in Ban Chang and Ann and Frank Lawton of Wearside
Construction from Australia.
Poo Gan is now 2 years old. She is still attending the hospital in
Bangkok. She still has a long way to go and will continue to wear the
pressure mask on her arm and face. She also will need surgery at some
stage to remove and smooth the thicker skin areas.
With a little bit of help from friends and supporters the Charity Club
will continue to cover the costs until she is completely recovered.
Donations are always gratefully received.
The Charity Club is always on the lookout for the following for Isaan:
bedding, children’s clothing, shoes, toys and games. You can contact the
Charity Club at any of the following: Christina on 0895454185, Malcolm
on 089 7441040; charity
[email protected]
Poo Gan in her pressure
mask, shown here with her mother.
One Year later.
Diana donates scholarships to staff members’ children
Sopin Thappajug presents
one of the many scholarships handed out on the day.
Pramote Channgam
Diana Group this year continues its annual practice of donating
scholarships worth almost 200,000 baht to children of its staff and
members of the media.
On May 7 in the Green Corner of Diana Garden Resort, Sopin Thappajug,
managing director of Diana Group, presided over the ceremony to
distribute the scholarships, attended by 100 children and parents.
One
of the students says a heartfelt thank you.
It is the 21st year that the group has given monetary support for
staff’s children to study.
This year 80 scholarships were awarded: 19 to primary school students,
32 to elementary school students, 21 to secondary school students, five
diploma scholarships and three scholarships for study at bachelor degree
level.
As the group and the local media always enjoy a good relationship,
children of the press were also given 12 scholarships for the third year
now.
A total of 92 academic scholarships worth 196,366 baht were awarded this
year to ease the family burden of Diana Group’s employees as the cost of
living increased and as a form of encouragement.
Students gather around to
say thank you to Sopin Thappajug.
Regent’s Round Square Service Group supports HEARTT 2000
The Regent’s Round Square
Service Group gathers with Dr. Philippe under
the Regent’s clock tower to present him with a 10,000 baht donation.
The Regent’s Round Square Service Group had 10,000
baht left over from their annual fund raising and awareness sessions on
HIV / AIDS this academic year.
After already supporting Kidzpositive in South Africa and the Mercy
Centre in Bangkok they decided to invite Dr. Philippe Seur from HEARTT
2000 in to school to give an informative talk and answer questions about
the global disease one lunch time last week.
Dr. Philippe discussed the major issues concerning HIV / AIDS and
especially the role of education as a way of preventing infection. He
explained that people must maintain high standards at all times and take
time to think before acting rashly or with misjudgment.
The students in the group asked some very pertinent questions and took
full advantage of Dr. Philippe’s extensive knowledge and experience.
At the end of the session the group gathered with Dr. Philippe under the
Regent’s clock tower to present him with the 10,000 baht and have their
photo taken.
Many thanks to Dr. Philippe for the generous use of his time and all the
excellent work he does with over 1,500 patients in and around Pattaya.
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