A birthday treat from a UK sponsor

Chompunuch's UK sponsor generously sent us some money to arrange a treat for this little girl's 11th birthday.

So Suky and Boonying organised a shopping trip to Tesco Lotus where as can be seen from the photos there was one very happy little girl.

100 Years From Today

It will not matter how big your bank account was, the sort of house you lived in, or the kind of car you drove. But the world may be a little better because your help touched the life of one child.

http://www.slumkids.org/

Completion Of The Staff Apartments At MERCY Home

Another stage in the building of the MERCY Home in Pattaya has now been completed.

The staff apartments are now ready for occupation and the builders will hand the construction over to MERCY in the next few days.

http://www.slumkids.org/

A Bicycle For A Birthday Gift

Thursday was the day when Suky took Suradetch out to enjoy the super treat Walter had made possible for him.

He enjoyed a delicious meal of his favourite khao man gai (don't hold me to the spelling) with a two scoops of ice cream and a water melon shake,  and finished every bit.

Since the ground on which he has to travel is very rough, his old bike had suffered badly over the months, and finally was sold by his dad as scrap (probably along with that day's trash collection).  Being able to have another bike made him one very happy camper, as you can see from the photo's. He's such a delightful little boy and always smiling.

Suky learned that there are two other "sisters" who have arrived and are living nearby, one of whom would appear to have a young baby.  However, Mum is still going out "to work" at 8.00am each day and getting home quite late, and since Dad is out collecting trash, Suradetch is often left to his own devices.  However, it seems he goes to the sisters' house when he's hungry, so we felt better on hearing that.

You'll notice that he doesn't have a lot of hair now.  It seems that his grandma died recently and he had to have his head shaved in order to do his bit as a monk.  It quite suits him, don't you think?

There was 520 B change from his bicycle which we've kept here against emergencies, or  maybe we can send a bucket of KFC over sometime

Registered Charity No. 1104335

100 Years From Today

It will not matter how big your bank account was, the sort of house you lived in, or the kind of car you drove. But the world may be a little better because your help touched the life of one child.

http://www.slumkids.org/

Pattaya Street Kids' Support Project. Registered UK Charity No. 1104335

 We are a secular charity and do not support  promote or endorse any religious organisation.

We are always prepared to consider working with any organisation in bringing help to children in need on the strict understanding that any such help is given unconditionally and does not involve the preaching, promoting or acceptance of any religion.

http://www.slumkids.org/

100 Years From Today

It will not matter how big your bank account was, the sort of house you lived in, or the kind of car you drove. But the world may be a little better because your help touched the life of one child.

 

Australian Sponsor's Visit To Pattaya

Well this trip Philip was fortunate to take his little charge for lunch (you can see he finished everything on his plate), buy him a beautiful blue bike, and then go to the family home and give a very generous donation of washing powder and Comfort to the Mum, to help her in her Home Laundry business.  They were both delighted, as you can imagine.  Philip thought it might be a good idea to buy a second washing machine for her, so that if one 'goes on the fritz', she will have no loss of income whilst it's repaired.  He will look at this the next time he comes.

Philip was also thrilled to see a photo of Tat being presented with a gift from the Mayor of Pattaya, for being an excellent student and coming first in his class.  He was also checking on the condition of the roof, since previously there had been rain coming through at one point.

He will come again in August, but in the interim we will keep an eye on things and if there are problems of any kind, Mum will call us.

100 Years From Today

It will not matter how big your bank account was, the sort of house you lived in, or the kind of car you drove. But the world may be a little better because your help touched the life of one child.

http://www.slumkids.org/

When a family is living in real poverty it is often the kids who suffer because there is no money to pay for school uniforms and school books. Our scholarship project provides everything that they need to be able to attend school, but it does not necessarily end there. Additional costs such as school insurance and snacks at school all have to be taken into account.

The social Services department asked if we would help the three boys from this family who are living in real poverty and who without assistance could not afford to send the kids to school. The youngest boy, in Kindergarten, gets free school lunches, but the other two do not, so they would both benefit from help - 20 B per day x 5 x4 = 400 B per month  x 5 ( 1 Semester) 2,000 B each.

Equally, they'd benefit from money for snacks if it were possible - this would be twice the above amount, being 20B morning and afternoon, 40 B per day x 5 x4 = 800 B per month x 5 (1 Semester) 4,000B each.

After we bought the boys new school uniforms we discovered that Mum didn't have an iron or ironing board, so we've got those ready to send over.

100 Years From Today

It will not matter how big your bank account was, the sort of house you lived in, or the kind of car you drove. But the world may be a little better because your help touched the life of one child.

UK Registered Charity No. 1104335

Visiting sponsors Tom and Tim took two of their sponsored students Tuey and Jay to visit the Non Nooch Tropical Gardens in Pattaya, also invited along was Tong who is Tuey's sister.

The full photoset of the visit can be seen on our Facebook page.

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.311517762268702.75913.100002314415860&type=1&l=8da7a3662f

100 Years From Today

It will not matter how big your bank account was, the sort of house you lived in, or the kind of car you drove. But the world may be a little better because your help touched the life of one child.

Thanks to money received from donations made by audiences of the Lady Boys of Bangkok shows we are now helping these two sisters who were surviving on leftover food from school by making a monthly food delivery. Each delivery costs in the region of £25. The first delivery took place a few days ago. We are now looking at buying some bedding for the children.

Vanvisa age 10yrs and and Wanya age 14 yrs

The parents of these children are separated, so they live with their grandparents.  Grandfather is handicapped and cannot work and grandmother has rheumatoid arthritis and is unable to walk.

They live in abject poverty in a small, airless concrete room with corrugated metal roofing and door.  They sleep on a raised wooden platform covered with linoleum, with mosquito nets.  Father sends £40–£60 per month, as he is able.  The girls are sometimes given leftover food from school – if there is any. They need urgent help with education and food.

100 Years From Today

It will not matter how big your bank account was, the sort of house you lived in, or the kind of car you drove. But the world may be a little better because your help touched the life of one child.

www.slumkids.org

Two boys and two bikes

As a treat before the new school year got under way Ed the New York based sponsor of 'Film' and Salawat sent some money to be used however the boys wished.



So on Monday morning Suky went shopping with Salawut and Film.  After lunch at M.K. restaurant (rather her than me) and an enquiry about what was "missing from their lives" it transpired that both boys wanted bicycles, so a visit to our favourite bike shop in Naklua was called for.  In addition to the bikes they got helmets and locks, so hopefully they and the bikes will be safe!

I felt sorry for Film today.  Pai brought him into the office for us, and he had his little list already made out since Pai had asked him to think about what he might like, but his tee shirt was so old, and was never made for his size - I turned up the sleeves for him and they were wet.  I wanted to rush out and buy him a new one.  (Maybe we'll do that anyway when we're shopping next.)  At least his shorts looked bright and new - if big.  They had Pooh Bear motifs on them that were almost as big as he is.  

100 Years From Today

It will not matter how big your bank account was, the sort of house you lived in, or the kind of car you drove. But the world may be a little better because your help touched the life of one child.

www.slumkids.org

Shopping trip for student.

 Suky took "Palm" shopping on Monday afternoon to spend the money sent from Steve and Dan. She was just thrilled, and although it took time to find the right size and style for a tall teenager, she found two very pretty, feminine dresses an...d some underwear. Suky was also in her element since she loves to shop for Stefanie, and has lots of experience under her belt.

It was interesting that when they picked her up from home, her little brother asked her if she could buy him a transporter, and after checking with Suky if it would be O.K., she did. As you can see from the photo she made one little boy very happy.

 Suky took "Palm" shopping on Monday afternoon to spend the money sent from Steve and Dan. She was just thrilled, and although it took time to find the right size and style for a tall teenager, she found two very pretty, feminine dresses an...d some underwear. Suky was also in her element since she loves to shop for Stefanie, and has lots of experience under her belt.

It was interesting that when they picked her up from home, her little brother asked her if she could buy him a transporter, and after checking with Suky if it would be O.K., she did. As you can see from the photo she made one little boy very happy.

Since there was some money left over, a box of Dunkin' Donuts to share with the family completed her treat, and she sends big Thank You's to her sponsors.

http://www.slumkids.org/

 100 Years From Today
It will not matter how big your bank account was, the sort of house you lived in, or the kind of car you drove. But the world may be a little better because your help touched the life of one child.

 

Three boys in need of help.

This is a family desperately in need of help.  There are 7 in the household, including the three boys, and everyone who can, works.  Father and grandparents work as casual labourers in the construction industry and Mum works part-time preparing food for a vendor, as needed.  They rent the land and erected the house themselves.  It's quite roomy in that they've made three partitioned bed spaces and a small living area with a T.V. set and there is a small toilet/bathroom area, and a partially covered outside cooking area.  Clothes are on racks down one side of the interior of the house or on hangers around the place and they have a refrigerator, electricity and a tank to provide water.  The floor is concrete covered in part by pieces of lino. Mum keeps it as tidy as she can.

As you can see from the photographs it's hardly a palace.  They've used corrugated sheets, wooden crates, stiff board and advertising materials as walls and roofing.  There are holes everywhere in the original roof which have been silicone sealed to prevent the rain coming in, but there are areas where rain comes in through the gaps between the top of the "walls" and the roof.  Windows are pushed out pieces of wood held in place by supports. There are no insect screens.  You can see in one part of the roof they channel the incoming rain into the toilet/shower area.  All around the outside is piled high with trash that's been collected to be sorted and sold.  To get to it you are well off the main road, and I hate to think what it must be like today after the storm we had last night.   It's a humbling experience looking into other people's lives and realizing how hard life can be for them.  It certainly puts my woes in perspective!

When the original assessment was made, they had a debt of 10,000 B on which they paid 6000B per month - interest only. Last week there was a violent storm and half of the roof blew off, so they borrowed another 10,000 B to get it fixed.  We don't yet have the details of how this will impact the monthly budget, but the Social Worker will look into it.  They are also making repayments on 2 motorcycles.

When we looked at the file initially the income was approximately 24,000 B and the basic expenditure 20,417 B.  Mum opened a storage container (an old paint tub) and showed us a handful of very poor rice - all she had to feed the family.  I wanted to cry.  How can they ever get out from under? We sent over 10 Kgs rice and some fish sauce, tinned fish and cooking oil this morning.

The boys need kitting out for school, so Suky will speak to Nok and we will arrange for them to be taken over to Naklua to get what they need.

http://www.slumkids.org/

                                               100 Years From Today
It will not matter how big your bank account was, the sort of house you lived in, or the kind of car you drove. But the world may be a little better because your help touched the life of one child.