On the 8th October 2010, Make a Difference will be organising a special black and white ball at the fabulous Grange Hotel in the heart of the City of London. The event will raise money for 8 different charities, including Thai Children's Trust!

Chris Cowdrey, former English cricketer and current cricket commentator, will be the MC. The  evening will start with an exciting champagne reception, followed by a sumptious 3 course meal, more entertainment and a grand auction. 

Are you interested in attending? Please email us for more information and a booking form!

Learning to use their motor skills is an important part of the learning process and one game the children play also helps them to learn the different colours.

Several small coloured balls are placed on each step of a flight of stairs. The child is then asked to look for the particular coloured balls that the teachers is asking for. For this young boy it was his first time playing the game and also the first time he had seen so many coloured balls in one place. A lot of patience from both the little boy and the teacher ensured that by the end of the game he was able to pick up all the balls and separate them into different groups of colours. At the end of the lesson a wide smile appeared on his face. 

You can only imagine the noise coming through the windows as one hundred and twenty small children played games, received gifts and ate lots of sugary foods. Everyone wanted to play musical chairs at the same time but the staff had to limit the game to only ten players per game. Everyone got a chance to play and win a prize.

In the balloon game, each child had a balloon tied to their leg and then tried to prevent the other children bursting it. Not as easy as it looks and sounds, especially when the children know that once the balloon bursts it will hurt.

Whilst the games were being played the ‘cheerleaders’ sang along and danced to the loud music. Once the tambourines were handed out the noise level only got louder.

As usual the students were in good tune, and sang in both English and Thai.

The work of the Father Ray Foundation is to help those members of society who may not be able to help themselves. No fees are charged at any of our projects, except one, the Father Ray Day Care Centre.

The children who travel daily to the DayCare Centre come from very poor familes, but each child must pay 5 baht (c. 1p) on arrival each morning.

The centre provides two meals a day with snacks in between. It will take care of any sick child’s health needs, it provides uniforms and the children receive an education.

The reason for asking for a small contribution from these familes is so that the parents take some responsibility; now that the Centre  are taking care of their child a parent can go and find work.

From the 5 baht the Centre receives each day, half goes to help the poor in Pattaya and the other half goes into a bank account in the name of the child which will go towards paying for school uniforms once it is time for the children to go to government schools. 

Christmas Eve is one of the favourite daysfor the children at the Children's Home. Most of them are Buddhists, but this does not stop them fromlooking forward to the day when they visit the local hotels to sing carols.

Everyone received a Christmas present, with over one hundred and twenty children all clamouring to be the first to receive their gift. Within seconds the floor was covered with Christmas wrapping paper and the noise got louder. With all the sweet and sugary drinks and snacks the youngsters ate the party lasted much longer than anyone thought it would!

For seventeen year old Champ and his younger sister and brother it has taken more than four years for them to find the strength to visit the Memorial. They lost their mother in the tragedy and her name is amongst those listed on the wall. Whereas in the past they did not want to visit, now they can do so and they remember the happy times with their mother.

Khun Rotjana, founder of the Baan Tharn Namchai, has spent many many hours and days talking with the children, counselling them and getting them to face their fears. To get them used to the water the children visited the nearby beaches where they sat on the sand, meditated and spoke of their fears until today they have no fear of the sea, no matter how rough and high the waves are.

Recent visitors to the Home were a group from Sacred Heart School in South London. The boys could not wait to have a training session, but it was not as easy as they thought it would be. Several had done some boxing training in London but Muay Thai uses not just the fists, but also the arms, elbows, legs and knees. A deadly combination, but one the boys enjoyed.

Every time the children go out to eat, whether it be the blind students, the children from the Children’s Home or the disabled young adults, the same things happens: there is a lot of noise to begin with, but once the food is placed in front of them there is silence. Not a single word is spoken until all the food has disappeared.

The pub's two general managers Denise and Les Strettle both took part.

Mrs Strettle said: "We're very proud of our team for such a fantastic effort - both on the water and in terms of all the money they raised. The event sparked such interest and excitement in the pub and it was a brilliant atmosphere when the team returned after the race for their celebratory pint."

The pub hopes to raise enough money to fund new play and sports equipment at Baan Tharn Namchai.

The next phase of activity - planned for January 2010 - will see the Cock & Dragon, which is a traditional English pub with a Thai restaurant, asking customers to bring in unwanted children's Christmas presents to donate at the pub. Half of the collected items will be taken to Baan Tharn Namchai. For more details visit the pub's website.  

Thank you to all those who took part and donated!

Unfortunately it is the middle of the rainy season. On the chosen morning it rained continually, but this didn't put off the children and staff, who were all very excited. The children were placed into three teams, yellow, blue and red. The competition was fierce, even though some of the younger children did not really understand what was expected from them.All races were held under the cover of the auditorium and included running races and balloon races. It would not be Thailand if there was not a race which did not include food and getting dirty. The tug-of-war was held outside on the wet sports court which made it a lot of fun. The children were slipping and sliding around on the wet ground, unable to get a good grip of the rope. Most ended the competition soaking wet! Medals were presented to all the children, and with only three teams, everyone was guaranteed at least a bronze medal.

The recentaddition of mushroom houses to several schools in the Mae Sot area have allproven to be a great success. Almost everyday the students given the task oftaking care of the mushrooms are bringing in food for the children. Mushroomsplay a large part of the Thai diet and are used in salads and curries and with both fish and meat.

The small bagsare purchased for just seven baht, and once opened they are left in the warmand dark mushrooms houses. Within days they are ready to be eaten.

There were a lotof very nervous children at Hsa Thoo Lei school recently, as it was theend of term examinations. The younger children all gathered in the largehall, separated from each other to prevent cheating. The older students all founda quiet place to do some last minute revision, with a hammock the perfect place! 

Bob graduated from a local Beauty College and he is hoping to find employment as a make-up artist. He has ambitions of one day managing his own business, but he knows that he must start at the bottom, learn his trade in the work place and take advice from others.
When he is ready, he will leave us to go to live on his own, but he will always be made welcome at the Father Ray Foundation.

The group raised £1,500, well over their target, to help the Hsa Thoo Lei Learning Centre in Mae Sot.

The day was thoroughly enjoyed by all despite the wind and rain!

Six pubs have generously offered to provide Thai food for a table of approximately twenty guests each.

Each guest would buy their own drinks, and make a £20 donation towards the meal, which would go directly to Baan Tharn Namchai Orphanage.

Would you be interested in helping to organise, or attending, one of these dinners? If so, please email us for more information.

The following pubs have joined:

Winchmore Hill (London) - www.greendragon-winchmore.co.uk
Kingston-Upon-Thames - www.norbitonanddragon.co.uk
Hornchurch - www.ardleighanddragon.co.uk
Leeds - www.browncowanddragon.co.uk
Nottingham - www.hemlockstoneanddragon.co.uk
Wilmslow - www.boddingtonanddragon.co.uk

The Annual Mass in Dublin is taking place on Sunday the 8th November at 2.30pm, at St Teresa's Church, Clarendon Street, Dublin 2 (off Grafton Street). Please email us to let us know if you are attending.

Holy Cross Catholic School for girls has been supporting the Thai Children's Trust for the past eight months. So far, the school has raised £3,000.

The girls' teacher, Tricia Jenkinson, says: "The students' eyes were opened to a completely new and different culture. They found it incredibly rewarding to see the fruits of their hard work over the past eight months go to such a worthwhile cause. Many friends were made and the students left with fantastic memories. We thoroughly recommend this experience as it was truly life changing; the girls plan to return in the future."

Following counselling by our staff he decided that although he loved art he needed to learn a trade. He had left school after Grade 5 in primary school.

We suggested that he attend a catering college in the northern part of the Kingdom, 700 miles away from Pattaya, and he was like a duck to water. He really enjoyed being with other students and attending class each day where he absorbed all the information that was put his way.

In early September he graduated with a diploma in food nutrition and returned to Pattaya to proudly show us his certificates. We are sure he will have no trouble finding a good job in one of the many hotels in Pattaya. We asked him what he wants to do with his salary when he finds work: ‘Go and find my sisters' he replied. We will help him achieve that as well.

One of the activities the children recently experienced was horse riding. Most had never seen a horse close up so a few were nervous about approaching. Others ran towards the horses and could not wait to climb up and ride away.

It was truly a wonderful day for these children.

Khun Suppachai, the Director of the Children's Home, regularly visits the schools in the local area to check up on these scholarship students and discuss with the teachers the progress of these children. He also meets the families to try and sort out any problems that could prevent the children from attending school.

Up at the Father Ray Children’s Home the children are living without their natural mothers, but there is a large team of ladies who work at the Home and who are dedicated in the work they do. The children call these ladies, ‘Maer’, the Thai word for mother. For these wonderful ladies the children presented garlands and gifts, thanking them for taking care of them throughout the year and working hard to ensure that the children are well cared for. The boys got dressed in their best school uniforms to read out their stories about the women taking care of them, which left many in tears.

Miss Pom, the Home’s manager, was first up to talk to the children, telling them that whatever had happened to them before coming to live at the Home they were now loved and she continued to tell them how very proud she was of all the children.

Giving alms to Buddhist monks is a way of life for the Thai people. Each morning Monks will walk through the streets of Thailand and receive alms, mostly gifts of food, and in return the Thai people receive a blessing. Not having their own money and being able to buy food for themselves the monks rely on the generosity of people living close to the local temples,and being an important part of the community they never go hungry. 

The 16^thof August started early with the arrival of nine monks from a local Buddhisttemple. They were here to receive alms from the students and children from the various projects of the Fr. Ray Foundation and hold a seminar with special prayers to Father Ray.

Buddhist monks do not have money to buy food so this is the way they receive food each day, by visiting locals who will offer food in return for a blessing.

On the Fr. RayDay there was a huge amount of food being offered, more than the Monks could possibly eat so they will pass it on to the poor people who rely on the temple for food.

Once the monks had departed there were many activities for the children and students; free haircuts, a demonstration of making glass figurines and everyone was treated to a huge feast.

Later on in theday a local department store offered us a large space to put on a show.Starting with a selection of classical Thai music performed by the School for the Blind, the large crowd were very impressed that blind children could play such beautiful music.

Following this performance were several shows from the Children’s Home, Children’s Village andthe Day Care Center who performed dance routines to traditional and modern Thai music.

The Thai boxing exhibition by the young boys from the Fr. Ray Children’s Home drew a large noisy crowd who cheered whenever one of the boys fell to the ground or hit his opponent with a good punch, but it was just for show and no one was hurt.

By early evening the younger children were feeling tired so as they left for home the rock band from the Vocational School for the Disabled set up and played until midnight.The later they played the more people came out of the bars and clubs to listen and dance in the street.

The whole day was a lot of fun. We welcomed many new visitor and made them aware of the work started by Father Ray and how we are continuing his work.

Father Ray maybe gone but he will never be forgotten. 

 By 17:00 hours, the following dishes were ready to be served:Barbecued Meatballs and Sausages, RoastedChicken, Papaya Salad, Spicy Minced Meat Salad, Shrimp Sour Soup, Sushi, StickyRice, Steamed Rice, and Thai Desserts in Coconut Milk and Ice. Rev. Fr. Michaelinvited all the residents, including the children and teachers of the DeafSchool, to have a share in the lovely meal made possible and enjoyable by thechildren and their adorable mums. At 19:09hours, together with all the Thai people nation-wide, the orphaned and deafchildren, and all the adults at the Orphanage, expressed their loyalty to HerMajesty the Queen by lighting lanterns and candles, singing in praise andpraying for the Queen.

'Many ofyou have visited the home here and I think most of you have gone home feelingthat the children are happy and well cared for. They are. I often look at thechildren outside the home and think how lucky our children are. But what pricethat luck?

Today is mother’s day in Thailand, the Queens birthday. I’ve just come back from a ceremony at the school. Each child greets their mother and takes her to the front of the hall where flowers, love, hugs and blessings are exchanged. Our children had Gop, Jo a volunteer and me. No matter how much we love them, we aren’t their mothers.

As I held Nan and looked at her, it wasn’t our shared tears that struck me, but my own responsibility. Every single one of us who puts something into the lives of these children takes on a little of that responsibility. Easy when times are good and we are close. Not so easy when times are tough or we are far away. 

To all of you who have taken on some ofthat responsibility and given and are still giving something to these children, I would just like to pass on some of the love and blessings which were so abundant today.'

Most of the children are from very poor families who are unable to provide new uniforms each term. Therefore uniforms are passed down from older student to younger and with all the wear and tear the uniforms are sometimes in need of repair.

The sewing machines seem to be in constant use, not just for repairing uniforms but also for making clothes. Once a student can use the machine it only takes a reel of thread and a piece of material and some of the students can make blouses, skirts and even sheets for the beds.

It is also a skill which can be used to earn a living once the students leave school.

Each week the children are learning new words in both Thai and English. They may not be fluent by the time they leave us but it is a good start.

In the past blind students have taken part and as they had no sight they tied a piece of string to the arm of their teacher who guides them around the course. Well done to everyone who took part.

Just near the Fr. Ray Children’s Home is a large piece of land that for many years was left doing nothing, until now. Rather than build another building or grow more vegetables it was decided that the children would help prepare the land for growing rice.

Rice is the most important food in the Thai diet. Unlike in most western countries where rice is used as a side dish here in Thailand it is the main dish of a meal, and it plays a very important part in the lives of the Thai people.

With Khun Pom, Manager of the Home, steering the tractor, the children followed close behind sprinkling the rice seeds over the wet land. This is a different way of planting rice than the usual image people have of rice paddies filled with water, and farmers planting the long shoots. In three to four months time the rice will be ready to harvest and no doubt it will be the best rice they have ever tasted.

The music and singing echoes around the school and many of the younger children stand watching and trying to copy their very complicated moves. In a few years these young toddlers, most of who were born in Thailan,d will themselves be learning the dance routines and the culture of their families.

Today we spent our time at the Camillian centre in Rayong, visiting the social centre for children and adults with HIV/AIDS. Firstly, we attended a Thai mass in the chapel on the site; it was a great cultural experience. The children were very involved in the service, through the readings and hymns.

After mass, we looked around and stopped over at the shop, which was filled with crafts hand made by the people at the centre. We were surprised at the intricate detail and thought put into each gift.

Following a presentation about the centre and lunch, we accompanied about 30 children to a nearby beach to enjoy a fun day out! Everyone had such a great time, and the beautiful setting added to a wonderful day.

DAY 3 Monday 13th July

We started today by being introduced to a number of second year students studying business and computing at the Vocational School for the Disabled, located on site at the Redemptorist Centre. We were there to support their English conversational skills and fluency, which lead to making new friends and by lunch time we had exchanged email addresses.

In the afternoon, we went to the Pattaya Orphanage where we enjoyed playing and being amused by the excitable young children. They were adorable and by the end of the day we did not want to leave.

DAY 4 Tuesday 14th July

In the morning we returned to the Vocational School for the Disabled where we met a 3rd year class of students and sat in on their Business English lesson. We again practiced conversational and pronunciation skills and to our delight, more friends were made. This one to one interaction away from the text book was greatly beneficial to the students and improved their speaking.

This afternoon, we visited the Fountain of Life Women’s Centre. This was a great opportunity for us to see the work that the Thai Children’s Trust supports, as up to 400 women each day are taken out of vulnerable positions and given the resources to empower themselves, by learning a trade or language. As young women ourselves, it was incredibly touching to see so much being done to protect those who are susceptible to horrors like human trafficking.

Wednesday 8th July

This morning we were taken to the new Drop-In Centre.  It is much better than the previous building as it had been purpose built.  The garden has not yet been touched, as it is so new, so the children cannot play outside yet.  We all went into the sala and the older children showed us some of their dances which were brilliant, and then we had toys out and played with the little ones for the rest of the morning.  It was great because the children knew us from our meeting at Mini Siam on Sunday so even the youngest were happy to play with us.

After lunch we all got ready to go to the Children's Home to play football.  We all wore our green OLASH tee-shirts, and were very excited when we got on the bus.  When we arrived it was too hot to start the football tournament, so we organized a volley ball match which was great fun as some of our team had never played before.  We lost by 5 points.  It was then the turn of the International School from China, and they also lost by 5 points.  It had then cooled down sufficiently for us to go down to the football pitch to start the game.  We were part of an international team, joined by the Chinese group and the lads from Belfast.

At first it seemed as if the Thai boys would run away with it, but soon our team got organized, and it became a hard fought match.  We had to make some substitutions at half time as some couldn't take the heat.  Eventually we had to stop as the wind got up and it was threatening to rain.  Josh managed to skin his knee, otherwise there were no injuries.  We went home exhausted, the boys from playing and the rest of us from shouting and cheering on the side lines!

In the evening we took a taxi into town and went up "Walking Street", then went on to a shopping mall.  The US Navy Rock Band were playing, so we spent most of the time listening to them while Sr Gillian and Father Pat went for a quiet coffee.

Thursday 9th July

We went over to the Day Care Centre while Sr Gillian and Father Pat sorted out paying for accommodation and transport costs.  When we arrived we went with the older children upstairs and gave them an English lesson from alphabet charts and colour charts etc.  We then moved all the furniture and sang action games with them.  It was very hard work, as the room was packed with children, and getting them all to join in with the actions and words was really difficult.  After an hour and a half, we had the toys out and played lego, jigsaw puzzles and threading beads.  It was then time for them to have lunch, so we went downstairs with them and stayed with them while they ate.  Some of us went out to the playground with them, and some of us helped the little ones get undressed, showered and into pyjamas to go for their rest.

In the afternoon we went to the beach with the children from the School for the Blind.  There were some younger children this time and the older blind children had to look after their partner, and then we each had a pair of children to look after.  Our group was far more confident this time, and it was a very enjoyable experience.

In the evening we went to visit a tailor, the young adults were fascinated at first but soon became bored with it - at least it was a new experience for them.

Friday 10th July

Everyone was looking forward to this day as we were going to Bangkok.  The young people slept or listened to music on the way as it takes 2 hours if the traffic is good.  We arrived at the Royal Palace, and unloaded everyone, and got out Nui's wheelchair.  We went to the Palace gates and met the guide, whose first job was to take Helen to the toilets as she was feeling very ill.  Although we were told that "polite dress" was the order of the day and that cut off trousers were OK, the boys wearing long shorts had to hire trousers to wear on top.  This made them terribly hot as it is much hotter in Bangkok.  The guide was very good, but it was difficult to follow everything as it got hotter and hotter and often he was showing us things where there was no shade.  There were no ramps for wheelchairs, so we had to manhandle the chair up flights of steps which was most undignified for Nui.  The emerald Buddha was the highlight in the palace.

We went to lunch at a cheap restaurant which only served Thai food, and the menu was in Thai, so the guide had to explain what each dish was so that we could order!  Everyone was pretty exhausted after lunch.  The minibus took Father Pat to catch a bus to go to the Bridge over the River Kwai, and we all went for a walk and found some street markets to wander down.  The boards we walked on are over the river, and when we got to the end we could see the "Temple of the Dawn" which is a very famous landmark in Bangkok when approaching from the river.

When we were at the palace I got a phone call from the Orphanage inviting us to a reception in the evening.  We hoped we would have time to get back to the Centre to get changed but the traffic was so bad that we had to go straight to the Reception in what we were wearing all day.  Unfortunately Sister Gillian and I were put on the top table with the outgoing Bishop and the new Bishop and felt very under-dressed and unkept (no one had a brush or comb with them) so we tried to blend into the background!  The rest of the group were on a separate table, but had an excellent view of proceedings.  The comperes, one male and one female, were dressed as angels.  There was dancing, singing and a huge banquet, and the biggest cake I have ever seen!  Having set off at 8 am, we eventually got back at about 9.45, so it was a very long day.

The day started with breakfast at 8. After a short briefing we watched a DVD about the different projects we would be joining in with in the next 10 days at the Fr. Ray Foundation.

“Many people think that the idea of visiting a children’s home would leave them feeling sad, but the sad thing would be if there wasn’t a children’s home at all”- Derek, a volunteer at The Thai Children’s Trust

We got on the bus and went to the children’s village- the children ran over to hug the visitors they’d already met. Within 5 minutes, we too were playing games, running around and singing with the children. They got excited over such simple things; balloons and felt-tip pens. But the best result with the kids was the parachute.

Suddenly we realised the truth in what Derek had said. After seeing how much happiness the children had in their lives and the pride they shared in showing us their rooms, it was impossible for us to feel anything but happiness too.

After lunch we visited Fr. Ray’s Children’s Home. The age range of the 103 children living there was from 5-18. At first it was slightly harder to interact with the people our own age due to the language barrier. Just like in the morning, this soon changed and we all split up making friends with different children. Some of us played ball with the boys, others dominoes, jenga, table tennis, charades, volley ball, skipping, making bracelets, pick- up sticks and some of us had our nails painted by the younger girls who were keen to show off their talents.

It was on the bus journey home that we were hit with the realisation of how much we had experienced in just one day. After fundraising for 5 months with The Holy Cross School it was incredibly rewarding to see that the money was going to such a good cause.

It is a tradition that large candles are offered to the temples as they will be used at special prayer sessions in the temples and also to read the sacred texts. Food is also donated, particularly dried noodles so that there will be enough food to last, though the monks do continue their daily morning alms collecting.

For those of you who may not know what an Oyster mushroom (Pleurotus Ostreatus) house in Thailand looks like, here's a photo of the inside of one. This particular mushroom hut has 1,000 spore bags and the mushrooms grown help to feed nearly 300 children and teachers at Hsa Thoo Lei Boarding House in Mae Sot. Thai Children's Trust have sponsored this house with great results. Twelve students from grade 9 to 11 and a teacher are involved in the cultivation and today's conversations with them confirm for us that they are very happy to have a change from their regular diet! They're able to harvest enough mushrooms for one meal every two days. Once the project has been established a little longer the idea is to sell the extra produce in the local market with proceeds being used to purchase more spore bags (the bags generally produce for between 4 and 6 months), make repairs to the mushroom house when needed and buy other food, for example, meat, fish paste and rice. The cost of a mushroom house this size is B40,000 or AUD1,500 (approx) or USD1,200 (approx). We've been looking at other migrant schools today - looking for motivated school directors and interested teachers that will be happy to take on a mushroom house. And we think we found a few. :)

Wednesday 1st July

This morning we went to the Fr Ray Day Care Centre to work with the older children.  We took the puppet apron telling the story of the Enormous Radish. Greg wore the apron and worked the puppets while the girls told the story.  As they told each part of the story Khun Bonnie translated it into Thai for the children.  Soon they were joining in calling out "They pulled and they pulled" in Thai and getting very excited about what would happen next.  Khun Bonnie made them count the number of people and animals each time.  After the story telling, some of the children wore the hats I had made and the ears for the different animals, and acted out the story, pulling some real Thai radishes.  Afterwards Khun Bonnie did more work with them about size, colour  and fat and thin.  She found the session very good and was pleased with the richness of the story.  We then helped the children do some written work before they went for their lunch.  After they had eaten they went out to play on their beautiful play equipment. After play it was time to settle down to sleep, so we left them settling down.

This afternoon we went to the School for the Blind.  We thought we were taking them to the beach, but it turned out we were singing with them.  Luckily we had a few songs up our sleeves, and were able to keep them entertained.  The group bonded well with the children and enjoyed their company.

Tuesday 30th June

Today we visited the Vocational School for the Disabled.  It was a fantastic experience for all our students.  We were with a group who are just into their second year at the school, and they were very confident with their English and had extremely good conversation on a one to one basis.  Part way through the session we changed partners and had another really good conversation.  I remember the group from last year and the change in them is truly remarkable.  At the end of the session lots of photos were taken and email addresses were exchanged.  The students were all very sorry that they would not meet again because they all got on so well.  One of the students told me he wanted to marry an English girl - but he did not specify which one.

In the afternoon we went to the Orphanage again.  Some of the group went in with kindergarten groups and 4 went into the baby room.  After forty-five minutes everyone was taken to the entrance and all the children sat down.  It turned out that someone had bought cakes for all the children, but we had to wait until their father arrived before the children could be given it!  They still hadn't had the cake when we had to leave.

The group then went up to the elephant village for a ride through the jungle, two to an elephant.  It was a great success and everyone enjoyed it very much.  On the way back from the ride they were taken to see how silk is produced which they found fascinating. They then had some fruit before we were all taken back to the Centre.

You can read their latest news here. WIM will soon be visiting Mae Sot, the refugee camp where Hsa Thoo Lei School and SAW Safe House are based, and we will be bringing you updates of their visit.

Monday 29th June

This morning we went to the Orphanage.  We were greeted by Father and shown round the School for Deaf Children and then the rest of the Orphanage, ending up in the baby room.  The students had a great time playing with the babies and soon had favourites. We felt that the time went too quickly as everyone was having such fun!

After lunch we went to the Day Care Centre and were shown round as the children were all waking from their afternoon naps.  They put a DVD on to teach the children some of the Thai alphabet, and our students started dancing with the lady on the TV. Soon most of the children were joining in as well.  We then all went to play in the garden with the children and had a wonderful time with them.  They are amazing children and it is a fantastic project.  It was very humbling to realize where these children lived and what a blessing this facility is for them.  Gradually the children were collected and taken home, the last ones leaving at about 6 p.m.

Sunday 28th July

We had a fairly late start, leaving for the Camillian Centre at 10 o'clock.  We arrived just after 11, and had a powerpoint presentation about the work at all the Camillian projects.  We then had lunch with all the children, including the older ones from the Independant Living Centre.  After lunch the older children were presented with football kits from Liverpool and Everton Football Clubs. They immediately tried them on and posed for photos.  Suddenly Father Peter appeared in an Everton Kit and posed with the children, much to the amusement of all.

We then all piled into minibuses and trucks and went to Sattahip to the beach.  A great time was had by all. As soon as we found a place to put all our things, some of the younger children we running towards the sea, calling out to each other with joy.  We did not know about the beach trip, so were no really dressed for it, but still all went in the water, and managed to get our clothes pretty well soaked.  We soon dried off in the hot sunshine! Some of the older children played beach football with some of our students and had a great time.  At 4 o'clock we returned to the minibus and came home. 

Here is the next installment of her diary:

Saturday 27th June

We woke to find a beautiful sunny morning. We headed out to the new Fr ray Village, to see the houses and play with the children. The whole project is fantastic, the houses are beautiful and well kept and the children are all so happy. They all raced out to see us and went to the Sala and played with them there and on the playground. They were all an absolute delight. They then left to got the Children's Home to have lunch, as a benefactor had donated 850 lunches for the children in all the projects.

In the afternoon we went to the Children;s Home. We were shown around by Frances, but the children were mainly busy on timetabled activities so it took a while for us to be able to start playing with them. Once the ice was broken everyone mixed well and a very exciting game of volleyballtook place.

We got back and had a shower, then went to Mass.

Here is Sue's diary:

We had a good, if rather tiring journey on Thursday/Friday 25 and 26 July.  We had difficulty locating the driver who had been sent to meet us, so I left the group on some seating and went to find him.  Eventually we met up and I went back to fetch the others. We arrived late, but no worse for wear!

There is one student at the Vocational School for People with Disabilities who was born with no arms, but who can play the game of tak-raw beautifully. He has two very strong legs which he uses in place of his arms. He washes, dresses and feeds himself using his feet and when teams are being picked he is one of the most popular choices.

Before going off, we took them for a few days in the countryside so that they could talk about any fears they may have and also remember that our staff are there for them when they need help. Out into the countryside they went. They cimbed moutains, came across beautiful waterfalls and fast running streams and they hunted for their own food in the water ponds. It was a good way to say farewell to their friends and get ready for a better life.

For those who can't make it on time, click here for the is a listen on demand facility!

With the end of the school year upon us the end of term examinations are a nerve wracking time.  Rosemary teaches Listening & Speaking and during the first part of the exam her students were expected to be able to understand what was being said to them. The second part saw them answering question that were put to them.

Pattaya has been in the news headlines recently with anti-government protesters travelling to the city demanding the Thai Prime Minister resign and disrupting the ASEAN Summit Conference.

News programmes around the world have shown pictures of the demonstrators rioting through the streets of Pattaya, forcing past the military and storming the building where the conference was taking place.  Prime Ministers of several countries had to leave by helicopter.

None of the projects supported by the Thai Children's Trust in Pattaya has been affected, and we can inform our supporters that all the children are safe and looking forward to the Thai New Year Songkran festivals which take place this week

When:    7.30pm Tuesday 12th May 2009

Tickets:     £40 for the Thai Banquet, Cash bar.
Please pay in advance by cheque, cash or credit card

RSVP by:    ASAP to Jo Furlong, Thai Children’s Trust, 124 North End House, Fitzjames Avenue, London W14 0RZ    
Tel: 020 7602 6203
jfurlong@thaichildrenstrust.org.uk    

The ticket price includes a complimentary drink on arrival and a donation of £15 to Thai Children’s Trust.

The new building was paid for entirely by 'Hands Across the Water', a charity which exists in both the UK and Australia. Set up by police personnel from both countries who had been seconded to Tsunami duty in Thailand, Hands Across the Water enjoys a great deal of support from members of the police force in both countries.

Thai Children's Trust was incuded in the celebrations as a very gracious way of thanking the sponsors who make it possible for us to make a monthly contibution to the housekeeping costs. Your kindness is so much appreciated by Rotjana and her team.

But some hard thinking was done by Fr Weera at the Orphanage, and the result will be an extensive programme of rewiring, which is at present being planned, and the erection of two fire escapes, one of them paid for by Thai Children's Trust, which I went to see.

Fortunately looking at the fire escape occupied only a few minutes, and I was able to spend the rest of the afternoon visiting the School for Deaf Children, the Baby Room, and getting to know Fr Weera better. I enjoyed his infectious enthusiasm for his work at the Orphanage. Previously he was Vicar-General of the diocese, so there has been a marked cultural shift, but he plainly relishes the new challege. It was a very happy afternoon.

Each child has three uniforms, to allow for washing - done at the Day Care Centre. Each goes home at night with a little knapsack. Mrs Boonthavee and her staff are up early, baking cakes and preparing vegetables - each child gets two proper meals and two snacks each day, so no-one goes home hungry. Their dedication is outstanding.

The stories behind the children are no less heartbreaking than those in the Children's Home. The difference is that these children are still with a parent, or at least a carer. One little scrap is cared for by a neighbour: his mother has run away, and his father is in prison for life for murder. Another child lives by a 'klong' a canal. Because his parents must work all day, he was left alone. He has already been rescued from the canal more than once. Another child has parents who have no work. No work means no food. Another, aged four, has been used as a drug-runner. Poor people quickly get into debt which they can't repay, and arrears bring the drug dealers looking for people who have no choice but to take appalling risks.

The children may come from challenging backgrounds, they may come with unwished extra passengers like lice or nits, they may have poor health or rotten teeth. But nothing daunts Mrs Boonthavee and her team. They will settle for nothing less than healthy, happy children who will, when the time comes, leave their care looking forward to going to school and confident of their ability to succeed.

They visited caves and the Shell Fossil Cemetary, where 75 million-year-old shell fossils have formed giant slabs. They also visited a well-known temple, where the Abbot gave a dharma talk to the group. The rip was sponsored by Siam Solvay Foundation.

On the last day of the month, 50 children from the orphanage and Baan iTV were at Baan Tharn Namchai learnt how to cook Thai-style desserts. In particular they were taught to make Khanom Jaak.

The students, teachers and staff recently joined the people throughout the Kingdom to pay tribute to the late HRH Princess Galyani, elder sister of HM The King, who died earlier this year and was cremated earlier this month.

The whole school gathered together to sing national songs, say special prayers and read out special words of respect that the students had written.

The late Princess devoted her life to improving the health and education of the nation's children and was held in very high esteem.

Nai arrived at the Camillian Center on 31 January 2008. He was abandoned by his mother when he was a few months old, and neighbours looked after him without knowing he was HIV positive.

When he started showing symptoms of AIDS, he was rejected and suffered discrimination. He ran away and travelled 450km to stay with an old family friend. Seeing his condition, the lady took him to the local hospital and abandoned him there.

When he arrived at the Camillian Center, referred by the hospital, he was in a very bad state. So many of his vital organs were damaged, especially his liver. His CD4 count was 9, which indicates a very low immune system. Nai was very ill and his condition was deteriorating.

However over the next few months he responded well to medication, and was able to play with our children and enjoy the activities at the Centre. He put on weight and started to smile.

Two months ago he got a new infection, a variant form of tubercolis. It didn't respond even to the best medication given by a team of specialists from Chulalonkorn hospital.
Our teachers stayed with him in turn at the hospital. He passed away on the 15th November.

His body is back at the Centre and will be cremated on the 17th November. He is sleeping on a cushion of beautiful flowers and looks like a little angel.

The Camillian Centre asks you to prayer for Nai and for all of the children at this very difficult time.

At the Vocational School, the teachers, volunteers and students gathered to attend a ceremony where they offered prayers for the late Princess. Speeches were made by the students and staff where they praised the work and life of Her Royal Highness, emphasizing her goodness and how we can all learn from her life.

For three days everyone here in Thailand will wear either black or white as a mark of respect.  The people of Thailand revere the Thai royal family and Her Royal Highness was much loved and respected by the nation.

At the Drop-In Centre the residents spent a whole day making their Krathongs using slices of banana trees, banana leaves, flowers and candles. The competition was fierce as to who would win the 100 baht first prize and the 50 baht second prize.

The judges, two of our volunteers, were almost mobbed by the young people at the Centre. They were hugged, told how handsome they were and asked if they would like to sit down and have a glass of water. Unfortunately all the attention stopped when the winners were announced.

However, within two minutes of arriving one of our boys had thrown himself in the pool, quickly followed by a few of his friends. And since they were wet, they decided everyone should be wet, and they went around throwing everyone else in the pool. Some tried to run away and other tried to hide, but when we announced dinner was ready there was not a single dry person.

The students from Hong Kong got to know the street kids at the Drop-In Centre very well in such a short time and it is good for both sides to meet people from other backgrounds, see how other people live and meet people from other countries.

Loy Krathong is a very special and traditional ceremony that is celebrated throughout the Kingdom of Thailand. It is the time of year when the Thai people pay respect and give thanks to the Goddess of Water. At the same time people ask for forgiveness for the water they have wasted and for polluting the waterways.

Krathongs are small beautifully decorated floats, and with candles, joss sticks and flowers they are floated on the water. At the Fr. Ray Foundation the young children dressed in traditional costume and after a few words from Fr. Patin the children made their way to the small paddling pond and floated their Krathongs. 

Birthdays are special at the Camillian Centre: until recently, the children could not rely on seeing many birthdays. Now they are happy and heathy, birthdays are something to celebrate.

Speaking warmly of the visit to Sarnelli House by Bupa volunteers in 2007, Fr Mike recounted the achievements of the volunteers - the buildings painted, the kitchens, washrooms and sports facilities built, the gardens stocked. They had bought new bedding for all the girls, 'since which time', said Fr Mike, 'not one girl has wet the bed, a miracle in itself'. Bupa had sent a dvd of their visit, which his children had seen, and had been amazed to find that the people they knew in paintstained dungarees as painters and gardeners were in fact people with busy, responsible jobs in grand offices: the kids were amazed that they would take time out to go to Sarnelli to help.

'You can see the face of Christ in the face of a child', said Fr Mike, 'especially a little two year old who is brought in very, very ill, unloved, unwanted, despairing and frightened.' He told the story of one of his children, a little girl from Laos, whose mother had died of AIDS, and who was abandoned in his care by her aunt. The child has been horribly disfigured by shingles. Parts of her face were simply missing - nostrils, lip, a cheek. 'She looked ashamed', said Fr Mike, 'utterly humiliated.' His reaction, like everyone else's, was to take a step back in shock, then he was ashamed. He felt he had let the child down. Now, he says, 'we have made up for it. She is a lovely, happy smiling little girl, full of life. In her we have seen both faces of Christ, the suffering Christ and the Christ happy, laughing, loving.' And this, said Fr Mike speaking directly to the donors in the church and beyond, 'is due to you. God's love is shown to people like her through people like you. God bless you!'

Following the Mass Fr Mike had lunch with some of the Bupa volunteers from the 2007 challenge, and was presented with a cheque for £5000 by Claire Atkinson (pictured, with Fr Mike), of Bupa Community Connections, who was the main instigator of the 2007 Challenge in Sarnelli.

The mid-year vacation for this year started on 6^th October 2008 for the school-age children at the Pattaya Orphanage. Apart from having longer free time with sports and good television programs, the group of children in level 1 of primary school, including some from the level 3 of kindergarten, spent time learning a life skill, manual laundering. The explanation and demonstration of all the necessary steps, combined with the very sunny weather, allowed the children to enjoy the wash thoroughly, be proud of their own product of clean clothes and school bags, and learn a very useful skill.

Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, one of the buildings of the Pattaya Orphanage is being equipped with fire extinguishers and two fire escapes. The classrooms of the 36 deaf preschoolers are on the 1st and 2^nd floor while bedrooms for the deaf boarding students are on the 3rd floor. Four teachers and caretakers sleep on the same floor. The 4th and 5th floors have sections for the boys and girls, accommodating 58 orphaned children, aged between 5 and 13.There are also eight night-shift teachers and caretakers for both dormitories. Following the installation of the fire escapes, a total of 15 fire extinguishers will be mounted on each floor and regular fire drills will be scheduled. Thanks to our supporters, the children and their teachers will be, and feel, very safe and secure.

It is not just a new group of volunteers who have recently arrived at the Vocational School, but we also welcomed a new group of volunteer English teachers. From Denmark, the UK, Germany, Singapore and Australia this new group will teach each day until the term ends in March next year. 

A new term means a new group of very nervous young disabled students arrive at the School for the Disabled to start learning their chosen subjects. The first day is for the new students to get to know each other, the teachers and their fellow students, and it is a great day of fun. It is the old students who devise activities for the new students and there is always a lot of singing, dancing and humiliation.

Once the students have spent the day getting to know each other, the evening is the time when the teachers welcome the students. This is done by the teachers tying small white strings on the wrists of the new students.

Many of the students have had very sad lives before joining our School, but after the initiation ceremonies they know that they now have friends, and their new lives are about to begin.

The monsoon rains have been heavier than in previous years and during one recent weekend the rains flooded Pattaya. But this did not stop the residents from the Drop-In-Centre going to camp. In fact the heavy rains provided more fun.

Early one Saturday morning they travelled for one hour into the countryside where they were split into teams and were expected to perform tasks which would earn them enough food and utensils to be able to cook a beautiful meal.

Once the tasks were completed the fun started. Wrestling matches were held with opponents balancing on a trunk of bamboo placed over the dirty muddy water. The basketball game turned into a rugby match with everyone throwing each other into the mud.

Great fun was had by all.

The new building will provide a home for up to 4 families while their parent is at the Camillian Social Centre and then enable the family to stay together while the HIV+ parent completes their treatment and rehabilitation.  It is close to local schools and facilities.  Each family has their own vegetable plot.  

Catterick is the largest Army garrison town in Europe, with more than 25,000 soldiers and families based there, including a vibrant and generous Catholic community which has adopted Pattaya Orphanage Trust as one of its two charities for the year.

'We had a great day in North Yorkshire.  It was a pleasure to meet Fr Timbo and his parishioners, and to have the opportunity to thank them personally for their generosity to the children in Thailand', said Andrew.

Tak-raw is the national sport here in Thailand, and come the early evening there are games being played throughout the country. There are three players on each team and the aim is to get a small rattan ball over the net and if the opposing team does not return the ball then a point is won. It is similar to volleyball, except that hands and arms can not be used- not as easy as it looks! Thai men learn to play from a very early age,and recently our students from the Vocational School for the Disabled participated in a competition and they played very well, so well that several medals were won. 

The students from the Vocational School for the Disabled recently joined the blind students at a local petanque competition and some of our students played better than we thought they could, bringing several medals back to Pattaya. This is just one of the many sports that the disabled students can take part in and we always encourage the students to take up at least one sport. Well done to everyone who participated. 

Children learn to read and write as soon as they start school, and the blind children at the School for the Blind are no different. From an early age they must learn how to use a slate to write the words and also how to feel the words that they are reading.

Reading and writing Braille looks difficult to sighted people, but for the blind it is the way they communicate with others, and it is their way of reading the same books that we all enjoy reading. 

With so many students and staff at the School for the Disabled, and with the school providing three meals a day the amount of washing up liquid that was needed was a huge amount. Detergent is also needed to clean the classrooms and other rooms at the school, so Sister Pavinee decided that instead of using chemicals that could damage the planet the students should make their own. Using many ingredients, all natural and not harmful to the planet the detergent comes in three different scents. As well as saving money for the school it is also an opportunity to teach the students about ways of helping to protect the planet and it is a skill that they can use when they return to their home village. 

The workers on the agricultural farm needed some emergency help recently so they made a phone call to the Drop-In Centre and within minutes several boys had arrived to help. Little did they know that the job they would be doing was to help clear all the dirt from the compost heap. But they were there to work and work they did, all afternoon until there was no more dirt to move, and by the look of them after they were finished it seemed that they had more dirt on them than what they had shovelled. 

Each Saturday morning several of the boys from the Drop-In Center for Street Kids take a short drive up to the Vocational School for the Disabled to learn how to play the guitar. Most Thai boys, especially those from the countryside can play the guitar, but they all wish to improve their skills, and the music group from the school have some very good musicians. We are hoping to have some chart toppers in the future. 

A message received from Paw Ray, who is our contact with Hsa Thoo Lei School highlights the dangers faced by the children and families remaining in Burma.  Paw Ray says (October 9^th)

‘Three days ago heavy fighting took place. The heaviest fights were located in the KNU stronghold of Kaw Ser and Ka Law Kaw Area, inside Karen State. SPDC and DKBA combined troops launched attacks and even crossed the border by attacking the Thai village of Mae Klong in Umpamg area.

SPDC/DKBA put landmines and forced people to run away. Three schools are located in the area.

Villagers were forced to flee.  They hide scared in the jungle with no shelter and no food.

Our contact person inside Karen State called me this morning and asks for help. People there have nothing and need food such as rice and corn, mats, plastic to protect from the rain, blankets to be able to survive.’

There is an unhappy sequel, received today (October 16). Paw Ray’s colleagues from the Burmese Migrant Workers Committee sent an aid mission into Burma -

‘I share with you some updated information about the emergency situation. During clothes distribution mission we met difficulties. Unfortunately the group got under fire and one person died. The clothes have been taken and we lost them. We are so sad’

The help which Pattaya Orphanage Trust can offer is confined to the children who have escaped Burma to the safe haven of Thailand, but these reports bring home the reality of the dangers they have been forced to flee. Dangers which are still faced by family and friends who remain on the other side. 

The London Mass is at St Augustine's, 55 Fulham Palace Road, Hammersmith, London W6 8AU on Saturday 8^th November at 11am. Light refreshments will be served in the church hall afterwards.

The Dublin Mass is at the Redemptorists Church, Marionella, Rathgar, Dublin on Sunday 9^th November at 1pm. An optional lunch for €20 at TKII, a local Thai restaurant,  is also available. Please email the office at jfurlong@pattayaorphanage.org.uk to book. 

Please let us know if you can attend by emailing us at jfurlong@pattayaorphanage.org.uk. 

The school was responding to an appeal from the Trust for Hsa Thoo Lei Learning Centre, a school for Burmese migrant children in the Thai town of Mae Sot.  The appeal is supported by Catholic schools throughout the Archdiocese of Birmingham.

More than 700 children attend Hsa Thoo Lei, which also supports education at another 45 informal schools serving some of the thousands of children who have fled from Burma to Thailand for safety.

There is a film about the work of Hsa Thoo Lei on the projects page of the website

www.pattayaorphanage.org.uk/projects/refugee

A man using the name of Timothy Crawford is attempting to recruit fundraisers on a commission basis - usually in the USA or Canada - claiming that they will raise money to help orphaned children via Pattaya Orphanage Trust.  This is a scam.  If you accept such a position you will receive a cheque in the post which you will be asked to pay into your bank account before sending the funds, less commission, to Mr Crawfor or an accomplice.  Your cheque will clear, the cheque you received will bounce although it may take weeks.  You will lose your money.

If you are offered a fundraising job at Pattaya Orphanage Trust please email info@pattayaorphanage.org.uk to make sure that it is genuine.

Please note these points:

1. We do not employ Timothy Crawford.

2. We do not pay commission to fundraisers.

3. We are not currently fundraising actively in the USA, Canada or Australia, which are the countries from which we have had reports about Crawfords activities.

4. We only support work in Thailand, so we have no involvement in Orphanages in Africa.

5. All official Pattaya Orphanage Trust emails come from an @pattayaorphanage.org.uk email address.

If in doubt email info@pattayaorphanage.org.uk.  Don't be taken in.

Each Saturday evening the music group from the School for the Disabled make their way down to Walking Street in the centre of Pattaya. Once they set up and tune their instruments they spend a couple of hours entertaining the locals and tourists. Apart from playing some very good music, they also raise funds for the school and thankfully Pattaya has some very generous tourists. 

When he was just a young boy, Metee, or Moss as he is known, stood on a landmine in his home province which left him with both legs amputated. Having no legs has not stopped this young man joining in the daily soccer matches that are played at the Children’s Home. Goalkeeper is his favourite position and when he is sitting on the floor he is always the smallest player, but watching him jump and throw himself on an approaching ball is just amazing. At a recent in-house soccer competition Moss was named ‘Man of the Match’ and was also in the winning team.

As the Olympic Games were being held inChina, a group of students from the School for the Blind took part in the National Inter-School Games for the Blind. It is always amazing to watch these young students taking part in sporting competition.

How does a blind man jump the long jump, or run the 100m race? By listening to their coach the blind students can take part in most sports. When they run a race they tie their wrists together with their trainer who runs along side them. In the sprint races the trainer will run along side the track calling instructions. In the long and high jump competitions they count the steps they run before it is time to jump.

It takes many hours of training to be selected to represent the School and compete in sporting competitions, but like most sighted students our children love sports.

Khun Suporntum Mongkolsawadi, known by his nickname of Adjan Dhan, has been at the Vocational School for many years, first as a student, then as a teacher before becoming Principal. During his time atthe school he has achieved so much, making the School what it is today- the best vocational school in Thailand. He has been an inspiration to the hundreds of students who have graduated from the School.

Adjan Dhan has decided to step down as Principal to head a new project, The Redemptorist Foundation for People with Disabilities. This Foundation will reach out to disabled people in the community and offer assistance. It will also fight for equal rights for the disabled of Thailand.

We all wish Khun Suporntum the best of luck.

Fr. Larry has had a busy week presenting birthday presents to the children at the Street Kids’ Home. Each child receives a large plastic bag filled with goodies. Each gift contains the usual candy and snacks, but the older boys and girls also receive toiletries.

For some of the children it may be the first time they have ever received a gift on their birthday, and it is always a very happy day for them. 

As a special treat to celebrate the beginning of Buddhist Lent the children and staff from the Drop-In Centre for Street Kids were invited to spend the day having fun at Dream World. After a three and a half hour bus drive to Bangkok everyone was given a book of free tickets which allowed everyone to go on any ride they wanted to, with no charge.

There were plenty of rides to choose from but everyone wanted to go into the Snow House, as none of the children have ever seen snow. After waiting in line for thirty minutes they entered, swapped their flip-flops for a pair of wellies, donned a thick padded anorak and entered the main room where the temperature was 1 degree Celsius. It was so cold that everyone gasped at just how cold it was, but there was fun to be had so an inflatable rubber ring was grabbed and everyone made their way up the snow mountain so that they could do some sledding. But the cold was too much for the kids and they could not wait to get back into the 35 degree heat.

On the recent Teachers' Day the students held two separate ceremonies. The first one was for their own teachers, where all the students presented flowers and paid respect to the staff who not only teach them in class but take care of them when school is finished.

The second ceremony was for invited guests who have helped the school over the past year, and Fr. Larry took centre stage and received the floral arrangements on behalf of the invited guests.

As usual there was entertainment, provided by the young boys and girls who performed a song and dance number. The older students provided music, both modern and traditional Thai.

This is an important day for the students as they remember how hard the teachers work to make sure that they receive a proper education and are well taken care of.