another day, another shopping trip

[lonelywombat]

Pattaya street kids has made another post of kids who have been given sponsorship by generous members both of the gay forums and their friends.

This cut and paste includes a link to 15 photos of the two brothers who wanted soccer strips
and the food is to come later

http://psk.posterous.com/another-day-an ... pping-trip (http://psk.posterous.com/another-day-another-shopping-trip)

BTW Liz is the author and Sam who is disabled is the male employee[volunteer] both go with every sponsor's visit plus a council social worker.
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Jul 13
Another day, another shopping trip.
Today we were able to put big smiles on the faces of these two brothers, as we 'wined and dined' them at Maes Y Ruen where they ate Khao Man Gai and (in the case of the older boy) a further helping of chicken and noodles (he's a growing lad) and drank vivid pink and green Fanta.

The boys' sponsor, who unfortunately was unable to be in Pattaya, had asked about football strips and football boots for them, and so we went first to the Outlet Mall - but no luck there, so we progressed to Mike's Mall, where I'd bought things myself from time to time (albeit at a much higher price than Sam was charged today). Here we managed to get both Liverpool and Man United strips, and football boots and socks, so they were delighted, as you can imagine.

We weren't able to go anywhere else for grocery shopping (nor did the kids say there was anything else they would like) as we'd used up our time trying to find what they wanted, so we'll buy food separately and 'pad' out their monthly allowance with the more expensive items - milo, fresh meats, milk etc. I hope their sponsor will approve of that. It will be like having a special 'birthday party', won't it?

http://pattayastreetkids.homestead.com/ ... nsors.html (http://pattayastreetkids.homestead.com/childrenneedingsponsors.html)

[cdnmatt]

Looked at the site: http://pattayastreetkids.homestead.com/ ... nsors.html (http://pattayastreetkids.homestead.com/childrenneedingsponsors.html)

Extremely inflated monthly expenses. Enough to turn me off. Whatever the reasoning, be honest about the amounts.

[Beachlover]

Extremely inflated monthly expenses.

Inflated in what way?

[cdnmatt]

Inflated in what way?

Our last water bill was 110 baht, and out last electric bill was 1800 baht (and that's with two air-cons). I know of four people living in a house, who are total resource hogs, and their last water bill was only 250 baht.

So to publicly say poverty stricken families spend 600 baht/month on water, and 1500 baht/month on electricity is a joke. I have no idea how we could even get our water bill that high, and sometime I stand there and spray down the patio for 10 - 15 mins, just to take a break from the computer & work. That, and poverty stricken folk in Thailand collect rain water, and that's what they use for showers & laundry. They use tap water as seldom as possible. Plus, I'm certain a good 60 - 70% of our electric bill is due to air-con, and I doubt the people their supporting have air.

ehhh... whatever...

[bao-bao]

Looked at the site: http://pattayastreetkids.homestead.com/ ... nsors.html (http://pattayastreetkids.homestead.com/childrenneedingsponsors.html)

Extremely inflated monthly expenses. Enough to turn me off. Whatever the reasoning, be honest about the amounts.
You're certainly entitled to your opinion on any or all of this, Matt. However, without knowing the details it's doubtful you - in KK - are a reliable source on the utility costs for these families in Pattaya.

Some are squatters, some are being taken advantage of by true slumlords, etc. I've been there and seen it myself on any number of occasions. Perhaps there's even been an error in transcription or translation and a mistake was made as well - who knows?

If you don't wish to participate in the cause, that's entirely "up to you", but I'd ask that you be fair about it and don't try to tarnish the good work without the actual facts to back it up.

Thanks.

[quiet1]

Perhaps they are including buying bottled water for drinking?
They may well be "off the grid," and have no access to a municipal water supply at all. Those tanker trucks of water you see roaming the streets do not come cheap.

[Beachlover]

sometime I stand there and spray down the patio for 10 - 15 mins, just to take a break from the computer & work.

Is that 10 - 15 mins of continuous spraying or 10 - 15 mins culminating in a spray? :blackeye:

sometime I stand there and spray down the patio for 10 - 15 mins, just to take a break from the computer & work.

Is that 10 - 15 mins of continuous spraying or 10 - 15 mins culminating in a spray? :blackeye:

It all depends on the amount, and what blended whiskey he has been drinking.....

[Beachlover]

I think it depends whether Kim's home to help out... LOL

[lonelywombat]

Looked at the site: http://pattayastreetkids.homestead.com/ ... nsors.html (http://pattayastreetkids.homestead.com/childrenneedingsponsors.html)

Extremely inflated monthly expenses. Enough to turn me off. Whatever the reasoning, be honest about the amounts.
You're certainly entitled to your opinion on any or all of this, Matt. However, without knowing the details it's doubtful you - in KK - are a reliable source on the utility costs for these families in Pattaya.

Some are squatters, some are being taken advantage of by true slumlords, etc. I've been there and seen it myself on any number of occasions. Perhaps there's even been an error in transcription or translation and a mistake was made as well - who knows?

If you don't wish to participate in the cause, that's entirely "up to you", but I'd ask that you be fair about it and don't try to tarnish the good work without the actual facts to back it up.

Thanks.


I sent an email to Don the person that provides a lot of the frive for Pattay Street kids.
I received this reply overnight.



Message subject: Re: The joys of sponsorship
From: PSKSP
Sent: Thu Jul 29, 2010 10:31 pm
To: lonelywombat
Message
Hello.
Thanks for your message. someone else copy & pasted the comment to me earlier today and I did look at making a direct response to the forum but it seems to be that so many of the posters are only intent of attacking or slagging people off so I decided I would not get directly involved in posting to that website.

The facts are that the majority of the people we are helping have no direct connection to main water supplied by the city nor to mains electric supplied by the local electricity companies. Water has to be brought in by either tanker lorry but this is often not possible as the families do not have enough money to make a tanker's journey worthwhile or purchased in smaller amounts as and when they have sufficient money available,so they tend to purchase potable / bottled water in small quantities or in many cases they are hooked up to a supply of water from the landowner for which he charges any figure he feels like charging. The same goes for electrics, where the families do have electricity the majority are connected to an illegal supply hooked up by the owner of the land and again are charged exorbitant prices for it. It is 'Hobson's Choice' either pay what is asked or go without. I have personally seen some of charges that have been levied and they are many many times in excess of what the local utilities charge. It is also why so many of the families get into debt with money-lenders

As for the comment about 'aircon': I would love to take the person who made that comment around some of the slums, the houses-I use that term in its loosest meaning of the word- are often built of GI sheets, no windows only a door and the heat that builds up inside as you can imagine is horrendous and a fan is the only thing that brings some relief and that running for hours on end when connected to an illegal highly priced supply of electricity soon bumps the monthly cost up. I assume the poster lives in a proper house with doors and windows that can be opened to allow an air flow, the slum dwellers do not have such 'luxuries'.

There will always be detractors trying to pick holes in facts and figures without bothering to research the facts first. Of course anyone who does want to know anything only has to ask us and we will be happy to answer, we are confident of our figures and those given to us by MERCY.

Thank you for taking the time and trouble to bring the comment to our attention and for your posting details about the charity and the sponsorships to Sawatdee Gay forum, please feel free to use what I have written in any way you consider appropriate and again our thanks for your concern.

Regards
Don

sometime I stand there and spray down the patio for 10 - 15 mins....

Incontinence is a bastard isn't it



:rolling:

[bao-bao]

I sent an email to Don ... I received this reply overnight.

Thank you. I heard from him also and was glad to learn more of the "how can this be" detail. :cheers:

[lonelywombat]

On my last trip I met with people who were providing volunteer work for slum families. They told me that one slum dweller had the only water connection and meter and charged the dozen families ridiculous prices per bucket of water. They were negotiating to get additional meters installed which would more than halve the cost per family.


I believe that has successfully been completed.