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Education: Taking the Next Step to the Top
Em (center) after
his graduation in 2009, with two other aspiring young adults, George on the
left and Golf on the right.
Lewis Underwood
The Jesters Care for Kids Charity Drive is all about
helping needy children getting shelter free from abuse; educational
opportunities through scholarships; and, for the disabled, specialized
schooling.
Our target charity, the Fountain of Life Center, offers
day care to slum kids, as well as documentation, pre-school instruction,
meaningful activities, life orientations, hygiene, meals, medical and dental
care. Ultimately, they provide scholarships for these children so they can
enter public schools via funds the Jesters Care for Kids raise for them.
This past year 75 children received scholarships in order
to attend public schools and another projected 67 will get them this year.
Chaichana obtained his B.A.
degree in Logistics from Kaseddad University in Sriracha last month
Initially, these scholarships are usually for kids to go
into primary school, when they are given the opportunity to take their first
step towards a better future. However, continuing beyond primary to
secondary, high school and even further to vocational college or university
is the eventual goal, or the top step.
And for those students aspiring to finish the education
process, we have established our Next Step Program, which provides
assistance for them to realize their dreams.
In 2009, Komson, or Em, showed other kids in similar dire
situations that greatness could still be achieved, when he graduated from
Technology Rachamongkon with a degree in Engineering. Em was our very first
candidate to go from the Fountain of Life Center into public school and all
the way to university.
Back then we hoped that Em would serve as an inspiration
for scores of others, who are also trying to rise up from humble beginnings.
And now 2 years later, there are 10 more university students poised to
follow in his steps, thanks to his efforts and your donations.
In fact, there are 3 other young adults, who have reached
the top step too, just like Em. Here are their stories:
Chaichana, who is 23 years old, arose from austerity,
determined to turn things around for the better. His father is paralyzed and
cannot work. His mother looks after him and is a cleaner at a hotel.
Previously, Chaichana received a scholarship from us when he was in high
school of 500 baht per month. He was a very good student and he passed his
exams to be accepted in the university. We then provided him with a
scholarship that paid 26,000 baht per term for tuition and another 3000 baht
per month for incidentals over 4 years.
Chaichana obtained his B.A. degree in Logistics from
Kaseddad University in Sriracha last month and received his certificate from
HRH Princess Juraporn.
Now he works to help his family.
Yawanee, who is also 23 years old, is another success
story. Her parents are separated. She lives with her aunt because her mother
has a new husband and, as she worked abroad, she worried about the safety of
her daughter.
Yawanee received a scholarship to cover her tuition,
12,000 baht per term, and another 3,000 baht per month for living expenses
over a 4-year period.
She finished her B.A. in Technology Education at Burapha
University in Bang Saen, Chonburi. She will receive her B.A. certificate in
October 2011. At present she works in a company in Pattaya. She is an
accountant and gets a salary 9,500 baht/month plus other benefits.
A third young man who took it to the top is 22 year old
Rienchai. His parents separated 4 years ago because his father was an
alcoholic and gambler. He sold all their possessions and mortgaged their
house and land leaving the family destitute.
Meanwhile his mother cannot work because she has cancer
and the money Rienchai earned while he was studying was used mostly for her
medical treatment. As his father is no longer around they will probably not
be able to ever redeem their land.
Due to these hardships, Rienchai received a 4-year
scholarship from a company in Laem Chabang and achieved his Bachelor of Law
degree on March 10th of this year from Ramkamhaeng University. Now he would
like to continue to get his a master’s degree, and we are more than happy to
support him in this endeavor.
Presently, Rienchai is taking courses to be a lawyer,
through our sponsorship at 6,500 baht per month and plus an additional
10,000 baht education fee per year. Rienchai’s aim is to complete his
masters and get a good job in order to take care of his mother.
His professor has already promised him a teaching
position at the university when he completes his master’s. By the way,
Rienchai achieved second place overall in his class in grade point average;
was also representative for the university abroad and demonstrates great
leadership qualities.
These young adults are shining examples for other
children growing up in severe situations; that taking the next step to the
top is still within reach through hard work and determination. After all, if
they have such aspirations, we are willing to help them get there.
If you would like to help others following in footsteps
of these star achievers above, please join our Jesters Care for Kids Charity
Drive. For more info, please check out our website: www.care4kids .info or
FB at www.facebook .com/care4kids.
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Helping L.I.F.E. help those less fortunate
A brief prayer for the refreshments.
The L.I.F.E. Foundation make every effort to help
abandoned and abused children, drug addicts, prostitutes, HIV babies, and
give love and affection to those living in and around slums. Project
L.I.F.E. has been helping the underprivileged in Thailand since 1987 and is
a registered charity under the Ministry of Social development and Human
Security of the Royal Thai Government.
One happy boy.
Projects range from a House of Refuge in Chiang Rai, Home
of Joy in Chiang Mai for children and orphans with no hope of adoption, to
Pattaya Slum Ministries in Pattaya. This latter project is the
responsibility of Angela Ruhland who comes from Chicago and has been in
Pattaya for 5 years devoting her time to helping those children that live in
the slum areas.
A happy, smiling Angela.
Situated near school No. 6 she and her colleagues are
welcomed with great excitement on their visits on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and
Thursdays. It is not just giving food to the children but many activities
are involved. At the slum just off Thepprasit Road, the children’s hair was
washed to help avoid disease. In the Wat Tham Community, songs were sung,
simple memory tests given and drawing was involved before the chicken and
fortified milk was handed out.
Other activities include the making of jewelry, visiting
the sick, offering basic health care, special outings and community
developments projects.
As you can imagine the monthly costs are quite high and
Pattaya Sports Club are happy to make a small contribution to their
outgoings. If you would like to donate clothes, money or anything you no
longer use please ring Angela on 087 709 4274. She will be very happy to
hear from you.
One of the shelters.
All Thai children can sing.
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Power of Dreams becomes reality with Mercy Center, Pattaya
Students from Concordia
University in Canada pack ingredients ready for delivery to some of the
one hundred families that Mercy provides for every week.
Lyndy Moore
Eggleton
Mercy Center staff joined delegates from the
University Scholars Leadership Symposium, being held at the Hilton,
Pattaya, when they visited the school that the Mercy Center children
attend in Pong District.
The mayor of Pong Municipalities, Pannawat Chai
Yangyen, along with the university directors and delegates from the UK,
organised ‘Power Of Dreams’ symposiums and were joined by nine students
from Concordia University in Canada and other delegates from the seven
day U.S.L.S. event.
The purpose of the visit to Pong was to provide lunch
for the entire faculty and students of Wat Sawangarom School and that
included the residents of the new Mercy Children’s Home, Baan Khong Por.
Loaded up and ready to
roll.
Next month, the new Mercy home at Baan Khong Por will
be officially opened, with a party to thank all past, present and future
supporters. The date is set for September 25, at 3 p.m., to celebrate
Mercy Center’s tenth anniversary of caring for some of the most needy
folks of Pattaya.
The U.S.L. Symposium had been opened earlier in the
week by Mayor Itthiphol Kunplome. The 7-day affair, organised by British
NGO ‘Humanitarian Affairs’ was designed to provide future leaders, from
all over the world, with opportunities to better serve disaster-prone
and poverty-stricken countries. Nearly forty countries were represented
and one of the international speakers was Geraldine Cox, renowned for
her courageous work in creating the SunLife Orphanage in Cambodia ...
against a mountain of odds.
Feeding the students in Pong’s Wat Sawangarom School
was not the first meeting of Mercy staff with the nine leadership
scholars from Montreal, Canada. They had visited the new Mercy offices
located by Big C South, to help the volunteers by gathering packages of
all the mainstay foodstuff ingredients needed to support hungry families
in Pattaya slum areas.
Pong Mayor Pannawat Chai
Yangyen (with glasses); Suvat Soykumdee, chairman of the Academy Board;
Panu Panupintu, school director (in the mayor’s left); Teresa Seminara,
leader of Team #5 from Humanitarian Affairs (2nd row, 2nd left); and
thirty people from over ten countries join the fun.
Concordia University students, Nadine, Michael, Ines,
Kenza, Joanne, Fernando, Echo and Diana worked together under their team
leader, Teresa, and members of the Mercy volunteer force. They packed
the ingredients ready for delivery to some of the one hundred families
who Mercy provides for every week. And on 4th August they also managed
to hop over the road to the Mercy Center ‘forever home’ and meet some of
the pre-school members of the Mercy Family, too.
A bag of rice, bottles of fish sauce and cooking oil
with two tins of fish (most often sardines) with tomato paste costs 150
baht and the Mercy project costs 6,000 baht per month to fund. Of
course, the price increases if there are special medical needs or
children’s milk. Help is needed to maintain this life vital project and
increase its coverage.
Mercy Center Family currently offers loving, often
life-saving, care and protection for twenty children who have been
misused, abused, abandoned or orphaned. A new facility is almost
complete that can offer a “forever” home to more high risk children.
The Mercy/Pattaya Street Kids scholarship initiative
provides funding to enable over 220 students to attend school and the
slum support project provides basic foodstuffs and essentials, on a
weekly basis, for one hundred families in Pattaya’s poorest areas.
Single parent support projects help to provide jobs and childcare to
enable parents and children to stay together. Items donated to Mercy go
directly to help the poor, who often have desperate though very simple
needs, and any surplus of goods and support are shared with other groups
with similar caring goals.
Contact: Mercy staff on 038 416 707 to find out how
you can help support Mercy Center projects . Email:
[email protected] & visit: www.mercypattaya .com You’ll be glad you
did!
The school director with
the cooking team.
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Transition Day for Year 6 at GIS
Oh, this is really
interestingly challenging.
Janette Oracion
Bagsic
Garden International School Year 6 students enjoyed a
special transition day as they prepare to make the move from Primary to
Secondary. The students came to see Secondary on June 10. After
registration, they went to have a taste of drama, geography, history,
music, maths, science, art and English classes.
In one of the English classes the students learned
about limericks and had to put back together lines from limericks that
had been cut up. The aim of the day is to make sure students are
confident and prepared for their move into Secondary.
Cultural trip
promotes
understanding
GIS secondary students had an action packed trip to
Rayong. Among the activities were swimming off Koh Man, planting
mangrove trees and various exercises.
Everyone slept over at a homestay and had a great
time! This was a Thai cultural trip called “Love Rayong’s Projects” and
the aim was to encourage students to see and protect the environment,
community and culture of this town.
K. Wan was the trip leader, and was accompanied by K.
Runu, Mr. Yarwood and Mr. Liversidge.
Planting mangrove trees
can be “muddy-funny”!
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Pattaya marches to success
on mix of tradition, Thai culture
The students also perform on French National
Day at the “Carnaval Tropical de Paris” festival to welcome the Thai
ambassador to France.
Phasakorn Channgam
Putting on traditional marching band numbers and
moves with a touch of Thai culture proved to be the winning recipe for
Pattaya’s all-city student marching band as it swept up gold medals and
rave reviews across Europe.
Pitak Sritang, assistant band instructor of Pattaya
City School 4, and one of the Pattaya City School Band instructors,
shows off the gold medal from the competition.
Comprised of students from the city’s 11 public
schools, the band won two gold medals in marching parade and show band
categories at July’s Rasteder Musiktage International Open in Germany.
The show is an official qualifying competition for entry into the 2012
and 2013 World Association of Marching Show Bands World Championships to
be held in January.
The students also performed on French National Day at
the “Carnaval Tropical de Paris” festival to welcome the Thai ambassador
to France.
The band receives
tremendous applause at the French Carnival.
The instructor for the 83 students prepared the team
by emphasizing that the band should combine uniquely Thai art and
culture in their performances. Thus their repertoire included the Loy
Krathong Song and Thai folk dance.
In the show-band competition, the Pattaya students
highlighted the “identity of Thai cultural art” with songs such as
“Columbus” and “Tom-Tom” that charmed audiences.
The Pattaya All-City Band was founded as part of a
city project to have schools perform at city celebrations. The city
spent more than 10 million baht on getting the outfit up and running and
chose the best students from each of the 11 public schools to compete
and local and regional levels.
Students trained for a year before taking on their
first contest, a Physical Education Department championship. The team
placed second in its category.
Putting on traditional
marching band numbers and moves with a touch of Thai culture proved to
be the winning recipe for Pattaya’s all-city student marching band as it
swept up gold medals and rave reviews across Europe.
In 2008, officials aspired to compete at the national
level and set up a second band for primary school students. It competed
in the True Visions-Yamaha Thailand Band Championship and finished
third.
More success came in 2010 as the two groups finished
first in the 30th Royal Cup Marching Band Competition. A second place
finish at that year’s True Visions’ contest followed, earning the team
the German bid.
Assistant band instructor for Pattaya School No. 4
Pitak Sritang said the chance to compete in Europe was seen as a way to
make the band better and help promote the city. He said students took
the challenge seriously and trained hard.
“They didn’t expect to win any prizes,” Pitak said of
the students. “They simply had the goal of showing their competency at
the international level.”
They did more than that, although after returning
from France, several children got ill due to fatigue and climate
differences. However, he said, that only hardened their resolve to train
harder and beef up for the German contest.
Chai yo! Some of the band
members and organizers gather
for a group photo during the event.
“When the competition time arrived, trainers and
conductors could only provide moral support. We were the only band from
Asia, so we had to give our best effort,” Pitak said. “It was a great
experience to join the competition and observe the European bands, but
when the Pattaya City Band performed a show, all 11 instructors and
administrators were astonished when all audiences stood up to clap after
our show. The happiest moment for the trainers and administrators was
when the results came out that our band received two winning prizes in
this competition program.”
The next goal, he said, is the world championships
two years from now.
The students took the
challenge seriously and trained hard.
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