James Harris
Regents School Pattaya has just finished hosting the 2010
Round Square International conference, where it welcomed over 800 delegates
from 23 different countries. The conference theme, “We Walk Together,”
encapsulated the aims of the week-long event, which were to engage with
local projects and to build long lasting community partnerships.
The Regent’s School wanted to challenge every delegate to
leave their comfort zone and to make connections with both Thai residents
and delegates from around the world. This engagement allowed the delegates
to see some of the challenges that exist in Thailand, and showed them what
steps can be taken to support our communities.
The service day projects were allocated to every delegate
before arrival at the conference. These projects were with community
partners of the Regent’s School Pattaya who have worked with the students
and staff at the school for many years. Many of the community partners were
also present throughout the week of the conference, running both stalls and
exhibitions for the delegates.
The Rayong Bakery
The Rayong Bakery, a joint venture between the Rayong
Child and Youth Training Center (a remand center for young female
offenders), Pattaya International Ladies Club and Rayong Ladies Circle, was
excited to be included in the recent Regents Round Square conference and
hosted 25 delegates at their site on Monday and Wednesday.
Delegates being shown how to make cakes at the Rayong bakery.
Approximately 20 girls within the training center have
earned the privilege of cooking in the bakery. Under the guidance of a Thai
supervisor and a PILC representative the girls learn many new skills which
include training in preparation of bakery goods, hygiene, presentation, and
packaging.
Profits from the sale of bakery items go towards buying
ingredients, kitchen upgrading, projects at the center such as renovating
the girls’ bathroom, regular sessions with a Thai nurse for health issues
and a small percentage goes to the girls themselves.
It was quite exciting for the bakery girls to have
visitors and make new friends from all around the world. Each delegate
introduced themselves and identified where their home was located on the map
and globe before taking a tour of the girls’ living quarters, canteen, and
bakery space.
The delegates were divided between three work spaces -
baking, basket weaving and origami, with about 1 1/2 hours spent at each
station. With assistance and instruction from residents, each delegate was
sent home with a lovely hand-made basket and colorful hanging work of
origami along with a tasty treat.
Despite the warm cooking conditions in the bakery each
group of the delegates tried their hands at many of the bakery’s recipes.
Producing some delicious brownies, cinnamon rolls, quiches, carrot cake,
coconut/pineapple chess pie, grissini and elephant shortbread cookies that
were sold at the conference on Tuesday and Thursday.
It was very encouraging to watch so many young ladies
from such different cultures, varied languages, and backgrounds, donning
aprons and hair coverings, baking and cooking together without any barriers,
producing such a yummy product but more important fostering the realization
that they really aren’t that different from each other after all!
Molly
Clarkson and the Rayong bakery girls.
We bake
together at the Rayong bakery.
“Our Home” Quilting
Delegates putting their sewing skills into action at the Our Home quilting.
“Our Home” Quilting project takes care of girls who come
from all over Thailand. Some of them have not known a home of their own.
They live in a family-like atmosphere and learn, except from quilting,
social skills and participate in all aspects of family life. They refuse to
ask for money, they earn it working hard. Each girl has her own bank account
and is encouraged to save for her future.
Our
Home quilting ladies showing a delegate sewing techniques.
Making quilts has been an ongoing experience for Khun
Tiew (the founder of “Our Home”) and the girls. Customers have a choice in
every detail of their quilt and the quilts are of the highest standard now.
The girls are proud of their work.
The delegates of the Round Square Conference who visited
the project had an opportunity to learn the skill of quilt making from the
very beginning and participate in the life at “Our Home”. They interacted
with the girls who were very proud to have a chance to pass their skills to
the visitors. Each visitor made, applying their newly learned skills, their
own souvenir to take home. Altogether it was a rewarding experience for the
visitors, some of whom decided to cooperate with “Our Home” in the future.
We quilt
together at Our Home.
The Blind School
The
Redemptorist School for the Blind students take RS conference delegates for
a walk with blindfolds and walking sticks.
This school was opened by Father Ray in the late 1980’s,
moving to the current site in 1991; the school caters for children from 3 to
20 and incorporates a vocational Center. The children have a range of visual
needs; some being partially sighted, others being completely blind, all
children board in term time and come from all over the country.
Delegates were given the task of learning / reading Braille.
The Service Days were organized by Regent’s teachers
Karyn Walton and Ros McConnell; however, the Blind School very kindly did
most of the work! The service days were fun filled with delegates
experiencing a number of activities led by the students from the Blind
School; learning to read and write Braille, bead-making, mobility and
life-skills.
One head-teacher was so moved by the experience she said,
“I’m going straight home to start fund raising, it won’t be much but I can
see every little bit counts.”
One student stated, “I want to allow other children at
our school to experience being blind-folded and learning how to move around
and make drinks. Now we truly understand how blind people adjust to their
world and become active members of their community and future members of a
workforce.”
Thanks were given to the Blind School staff who made it all possible,
particularly Head Teacher Aurora and Miki. The biggest thanks were given to
the amazing children from the Blind School and Round Square delegates.
We walk
together with the Redemptorist School for the Blind.
Pattaya Orphanage
A royal
visit and welcome at the Pattaya Orphanage.
In 1972, Fr. Raymond Allyn Brennan, a Catholic priest
living and working in St Nikolaus parish, Pattaya, one morning opened his
church door and there he saw a newborn baby abandoned. Not knowing what to
do, he took care of the child, asking his friends “how to give milk and how
to change the diaper.” News about the fostering of the child spread,
resulting in more children being brought to him whose families were in
desperate need. This resulted in the opening of the Pattaya Orphanage.
HRH
Princess Theodora at the Pattaya Orphanage.
The orphanage’s aims are to provide help to orphans by
accepting to bring them up and provide a home, food and education. When the
orphanage accepts a child the orphanage is their home until they have
finished education. If a child is capable of going onto university
education, then the orphanage supports them and is their home until they
have received their degree and have a job and home.
The delegates’ time at the orphanage was spent playing
with the babies and toddlers. Everyone loved this time as the children,
particularly the toddlers, were jumping on everyone wanting to play. They
also spent time singing nursery rhymes and games with the pre-school and
primary children. Everyone had such a wonderful time being with the little
children, the children were so tactile and the delegate’s hearts were soon
melted and everyone was having lots of fun.
Lunch was had in the canteen with all the children and
many of the delegates helped giving out the food to the children. The
afternoon was spent with the male delegates playing football in the very hot
weather and everyone else making cards to give to the children, and for the
children to give to the delegates. The cards were fantastic and everyone
went home with a memento.
All fun
and games
at the Pattaya Orphanage.
On the bus on the way home everyone was very tired but
had a fantastic day with many memories and friendships which will live on
for years to come. Some of the delegates had thought they were going to
these orphans to help them and make their day better, only afterwards did
the delegates realize that it was them who were changed; these children
changed the delegate’s lives. The children welcomed them into their home and
showed them the simple fun things in life, being together. For many of the
delegates this is only the beginning of their journey with Pattaya
Orphanage.
Fountain of Life
Children’s Center
Fountain
of life children making krathongs with delegates.
This center is a place where disadvantaged children can
experience the joys of childhood in a safe, caring and calm environment. The
2 service days were organized by Regent’s parent Marloes de Saegher and the
aim was to bring smiles on the faces of these children by interacting with
them during workshops and a bowling event.
We
smile together.
27 children of the Fountain of Life went bowling on both
days. The delegates helped them throw the heavy balls and when they
succeeded to get the pins down a bigger smile appeared on their faces.
One of the delegates who went on Monday asked the
coordinator if he could come again on the Wednesday as he had such a great
time!
For all delegates it was a special, fun and memorable day but more
importantly it was an unforgettable day for the children of the Fountain of
Life.
We walk
together with the Fountain of life children’s center.
The Camillian Center,
Rayong
A warm
musical welcome for the RS delegates
to the Camillian Social Center.
The Center accommodates approximately 90 young people
plus a number of older individuals living with the HIV virus. The Round
Square service day visitors were given an informative introductory
presentation describing the history and work of the Center by senior
volunteer, Paul Baird. This was followed by an extensive tour of the
facilities, including the palliative care ward which accommodates up to 20
terminally-ill patients.
Coloring and playtime with the children at the Camillian Social Center.
Mr Baird indicated that, as well as looking after the
residents, much of the work is focused on education about the virus and ways
of preventing its spread. “In general, survival rates have been much
improved by the increased availability of anti-retroviral drugs supplied by
the government.” The Rayong Center includes dormitories, a physical
rehabilitation room, administrative offices, lecture rooms, a library,
chapel and large canteen.
There was ample opportunity for the visiting Round Square
delegates to interact with the young people with such activities as teaching
English, drawing, Christmas card making, nail painting and card games.
After a delicious lunch, generously provided by the
Center, the delegates were taken to visit the Independent Living Center, one
of two adjacent facilities - the other being the Garden of Eden, about 20
miles to the north of Rayong. The aim here is to teach independent living
skills to the 40 teenage residents to prepare for their later lives in the
community outside the Center.
The young people enjoyed playing football with the
delegates as well as snooker. Their resident rock band, The Coffee Club,
proudly played and all enjoyed the fun karaoke session that followed.
Altogether it was a rewarding and fun day for all the
participants, one of whom commented that she was very impressed with every
aspect of the Camillian Center’s activities and was committed to ensuring
this information was shared with her local school community back in
Australia.
The new website of the Camillian Center can be found at
www.hiv-aids-kids.org
We walk
together with the Camillian Social Center in Rayong.
