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Three children rewarded for honesty after returning lost 10,000 baht
Supanida Chairat, 8, Korakot
Arun, 6, and Chonthicha Khempet, 7,
return the lost purse to Tasanee Pha-Indee.
Patcharapol Panrak
Three children who returned a purse containing 10,000 baht to a Plutaluang
nurse were rewarded for their honesty with scholarships and awards from
their school.
Supanida Chairat, 8, Korakot Arun, 6, and Chonthicha Khempet, 7, found the
money on Dongtan Beach March 22. They gave the bag to relative Charoen
Ngernsutthi, a captain in the Royal Thai Navy, who contacted its owner,
Tasanee Pha-Indee, 26, a nurse at Ekachon Hospital 2 in Chonburi.
Tasanee said she’d taken her children to the beach and realized after
leaving she’d forgotten her purse.
She was given a chance to show her appreciation March 23 at a ceremony at
Supanida’s Thammasirisuksa School in Sattahip. There the honest children
were given certificates and rewarded with an undisclosed amount in
scholarships from the thankful nurse.
Tasanee said she never expected such young children to return the money and
thanked their parents for instilling honesty and morals in their offspring.
School Principal Aree Kamnungkit praised the kids for giving the school a
good reputation and rewarded them with certificates honoring their good deed
and setting a good example for others.
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‘Education for All’
Foreign delegates meet Mayor
Itthiphol Kunplome and representatives from the Father Ray Foundation.
Derek Franklin
More than two hundred delegates and representatives from 45 countries
gathered in Pattaya March 22 - 24 to participate in the UNESCO and Royal
Thai Ministry of Education sponsored conference - 10th Meeting of the High
Level Group on ‘Education for All’.
The conference was honored to welcome HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn
who, in her role as Goodwill Ambassador for UNESCO, graciously presided over
the opening ceremony, welcoming the delegates of nations from the Americas,
Europe, Africa and Asia.
The conference was attended by ministers and government officials,
international and national development agencies, United Nations agencies as
well as representatives from the private sector.
Whilst in Pattaya several delegates visited the Father Ray Foundation to see
how the local organization is providing an ‘Education for All’.
At the Redemptorist Vocational School for People with Disabilities,
delegates, foreign and Thai, met students who informed the visitors of the
ways in which the school is changing the lives of people with disabilities.
From there it was a short walk to the Center for Children with Special
Needs. Each morning and afternoon children and teenagers with autism, Downs
Syndrome, cerebral palsy and attention deficit disorder arrive to receive
physiotherapy, an education and support.
 A
Thai delegate meets one of the students with disabilities.
The third project visited was the Father Ray Day Care Center. Each morning
more than one hundred and twenty young children arrive from the poorest slum
areas of Pattaya. They spend their days in a safe environment, one where
they will receive a basic education, nutritious meals and medical
assistance.
The visiting delegates were very impressed with what they saw at the Father
Ray Foundation, commenting that the organization has done so much for the
underprivileged of Thailand by providing institutions of education.
Since Father Ray Brennan first accepted a young baby into his care in 1974,
more than five thousand children and young adults have received assistance.
Orphans and former street kids have graduated from university, and young
adults with disabilities have gained skills that have allowed them to open
their own business or work as equals in society. Blind children now have the
skills to live an independent life, and youngsters from the poorer classes
of society are receiving an education that will give them a great start in
life.
More information can be found at www.fr-ray.org or email
[email protected]
Delegates from India, Estonia
and Nigeria
enjoy their visit to the Father Ray Foundation.
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Kind-hearted students at
GIS respond to Japan’s disaster
A few of the students led
by Student Council president Daniela Escobar, taking part of the
fundraising event.
Mark Beales
Students from an international school have responded to the Japanese
disaster by organising a range of fundraising activities.
The Student Council at Garden International School in Rayong was so
moved by the earthquake and tsunami that it decided to arrange several
fundraisers.
Together with the school’s International Baccalaureate (IB) students,
they decided to arrange a non-uniform Mufti Day on March 17, along with
a lunchtime disco. Students who took part in the events were asked to
make donations towards the relief efforts. A bake sale on March 16 also
helped raise funds.
The Japanese disaster has claimed the lives of thousands of people and
caused widespread devastation.
Queen Elizabeth arrives in Thailand
Derek Franklin
One hundred and sixty children, teachers and staff members from the
Father Ray Foundation boarded several coaches to make the short journey
to the nearby port town of Laem Chabang.
 Children
from the Day Care Center enjoy the free food and drink.
Cunards luxury liner Queen Elizabeth, making its maiden voyage around
the world, stopped in the nearest port to Pattaya and the children and
students were invited to entertain the guests.
In the past the QEII made an annual visit, and following its
decommission the Queen Victoria arrived last year. This year the Queen
Elizabeth welcomed the children, and after climbing abroad they went
direct to the crew’s bar where a buffet feast was waiting for them.
As usual the children were shy about helping themselves, but it only
took one confident young man to pick up a piece of cake and the others
soon followed.
By four o’clock the ships theatre was almost full with guests who had
arrived to meet the children and learn a little about Thai culture.
 From
the Father Ray Children Home the young girls perform a beautiful Thai
dance.
First on stage was the wheelchair dancers from the Vocational School for
People with Disabilities who received a standing ovation, and they were
followed by two acts from the Father Ray Children’s Home. The young
girls performed a traditional dance whilst the boys gave an exhibition
of Thai boxing.
The toddlers from the Father Ray Day Care Center were all dressed in
costumes from northern Thailand, and they walked on stage carrying
carrots.
The music started, and the children danced to the words of a very old
song. In Northern Thailand children from certain villages would take
carrots to their friends to keep them healthy, so the dance was all
about friendship.
The children loved the food from the buffet.
The final performance was the students from the School fro the Blind who
sang three songs without music.
Once the performances were over the audience came to meet the children
and take photos. Many guests from the ship told the children that what
they had seen was the highlight of their trip so far.
A headcount of all the children was performed, twice, just to make sure
that there were no stowaways.
Students from the School for the Blind
perform a selection of songs.
The young boys perform their Muay Thai
exhibition.
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Pedal power raises money - and awareness
Catherine and Liz leave
the Camel Pub followed by dozens of well-wishers on the last leg of
their epic journey.
Two friends have completed an epic bicycle journey
from England to Thailand - all to help people living with HIV/AIDS.
Catherine Howett and her friend Liz Darley arrived in Ban Chang, Rayong,
after an epic journey across dozens of countries.
The pair decided to do the ride to raise funds and promote HIV/AIDS
prevention.
They began in London and then cycled more than 12,000km through Turkey,
Iran, India, China, Vietnam and finally to Thailand.
The last leg of their journey was from the Camel Pub in Ban Chang to the
Camillian Centre, on Sunday March 20. The pair led off a procession of
bikes and were followed by several children from Camillian, teachers and
students from Garden International School and other well-wishers.
At the centre everyone was welcomed with performances and a disco.
There were two aims behind the ride. The first was to take part in a
‘Voices’ oral history project, that captured diverse opinions in
one-minute video clips from people they met on their trip.
The second aim was to raise funds for the Camillian Social Centre in
Rayong, which provides support to orphaned children and adults living
with HIV/AIDS. Money will also go to help the Food Chain, which gives
nutritional help to chronically ill people living with HIV/AIDS in
London.
While in Rayong, the pair visited Garden International School, which has
many students from the Pattaya area, to talk about their trip.
As well as being a keen cyclist, Catherine is a teacher with an MA in
Education, Gender and International Development and an MA in Performing
Arts. Her sister, Lucy, is a teacher at Garden International School.
For more on Garden visit www.gardenrayong.com or to find out more about
the cycling journey go to
www.onelittlewheel.com.
Catherine and Mee Nooi, a
bear that travelled with her on the trip, answering questions at Garden
International School.
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