Swedish social workers heard how Pattaya officials are working to improve the quality of life for impoverished children.
Deputy Mayor Wutisak Rermkitkarn and bureaucrats from the city Social Development and Education departments welcomed representatives from the Swedish International Developmental Agency to the city hall workshop Oct. 29.
The Swedish government agency collaborated with the Maternal and Child Health program at Uppsala University and Save the Children Sweden to survey living conditions for poor children in seven Southeast Asian countries from Oct. 25-Nov. 2. One of the stops for the 30 attendees was in Pattaya.
(L to R) Suriuyong Meekaew, chief of Pattaya’s Education Personnel Department; Deputy Mayor Wutisak Rermkitkarn, and Pannee Limcharoen, director of Pattaya’s Social Development Department, are amongst many in the area who are working to improve the quality of life for impoverished children.
Among the speakers were Social Development Department promotions chief Theeraporn Srijan and Visit Poldop, caretaker for Ban Nong Kai Home for Boys who talked about Pattaya’s policies and developmental plans to improve the lives of women and children.
In Pattaya, three main agencies are responsible for outreach to the poor: the Social Development Department, which is responsible for providing help regarding welfare programs and help youths find shelter; the Public Health Office and the Education Office.
Visit said the workshop is important in reducing obstacles to the care of poor children.
“I believe that Pattaya is a good education source with many children-related agencies,” Visit said. “Thus, it is of benefit to all for choosing Pattaya as their education destination to solve issues such as homelessness, human trafficking, and alien labor. These are the issues that many countries should join hands to cooperate on and solve.”
