School bells are STILL ringing...

[bao-bao]

The new school year begins this month in the Pattaya area, and that means school fees are due for students wishing to attend this term. Unfortunately, there are many school-age children with families or caregivers that simply canтАЩt raise enough to pay them on top of the dayтАЩs food and shelter needs. ThatтАЩs where you can help, if you havenтАЩt already clicked away from this thread. If you are of a mind (or heart) to help make a lasting improvement to a Thai childтАЩs life, read on.

Those of you who have been members for a while have undoubtedly seen posts about the Pattaya Street Kids Support Project, a worthwhile effort launched after founder Don Ford stumbled over a child asleep on a jetty along the Pattaya shore on Christmas day 1999. The full story of the organizationтАЩs beginnings (and an update on тАЬStudent OneтАЭ can be found at: http://pattayastreetkids.homestead.com/ ... _2009.html

SGT member Dick has mentioned the New Year party in the past (hosted yearly by the PSKSP), seeking the small donation needed to allow a kid a day of music, food, fun and gifts тАУ but IтАЩm going to up the ante on his suggestion and ask you to give thought to going one step further and help make a difference that will outlive all of us: the gift of education.

For around $125US (81.5 British, 163 Australian, 91.3 Euro) you can fund a student for an entire yearтАж uniforms, books, and supplies. ThatтАЩs about 65 cents a school day, by my rough calculation. Sponsor for a year or two or threeтАж itтАЩs up to you. I personally have made the decision to pay the fees as long as the child wishes to continue with their education.

The PSKSP is not a large organization that burns through your donations via administrative costs or salaries; itтАЩs a registered non-profit in the UK, run by people who donate their time and energy to making a difference in the future of these kids. There is complete transparency via annual reports, available on their web site. They currently sponsor around 100 students, with the help of a few staffers at the Mercy Centre in Pattaya, a part of the Victory Family Church there.

OK, hold on nowтАж before you close your mind (as I nearly did) to handing money over to a religious organization, let me say that Pattaya Street Kids Support Project monies are NOT mingled with church funds and that PSKSP is NOT a part of any church, religion, or other group тАУ although the Mercy folks are good enough to help PSKSP out of the goodness of their hearts, asking for nothing in return.

Before committing to sponsorship myself I made a trip to check out the Mercy Centre operation, and through happy coincidence happened to be there the same time Don himself was there. He was able to explain the PSKSPтАЩs partnership with Mercy, the folks тАЬon the groundтАЭ who do the local footwork that the folks from PSKSP canтАЩt be there to do themselves. Liz Shepherd is the primary liaison, along with help from a couple of other Mercy staff members who make time in their own work days to help translate and act as go-betweens with the school staff and studentтАЩs families. As close as I could determine every baht goes directly to funding the students themselves.

I will say here, though, that the Mercy Centre themselves do honorable, magnificent work with their own projects - sponsoring and housing many, many children who would otherwise suffer, starve (or worse), and although I am of a faith a country mile away from being a Christian IтАЩve been more than pleased to have done volunteer work for them on several occasions and believe them to also be a worthwhile organizations for those interested in faith-based charity work. I have donated supplies and time to their efforts as a thank you for the help they (through Liz and others) give to the Pattaya Street Kids Support Project.

IтАЩm now involved with the futures of three students, all of whom IтАЩve met and had a chance to spend an afternoon with. Each has been taken out for lunch and a shopping trip (accompanied by Liz and another staff member or three) and IтАЩll tell you, money canтАЩt buy the feeling you get seeing the smiles on kidтАЩs faces while picking out their own socks, shoes, shirts, shorts, underwear and food staples for their family тАУ things we take for granted, but luxuries for those living hand-to-mouth lives in humble dwellings.

There are needy students at all grade levels, and they need your help now. With the global financial challenges help is needed this year more than others. Please give it some consideration тАУ and if you have other questions, PM me and IтАЩll do my best to try to help with answers.

Further information on sponsorship is available on their main web site: http://pattayastreetkids.homestead.com/navig1.html

bao-bao
(edited May 23rd to update the thread title)

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Does this organization try to convert the kids to be Christians?

[bao-bao]

Does this organization try to convert the kids to be Christians?

No, Francis - but thank you for asking so I can point that out again. It was also a concern of mine before becoming involved with the PSKSP.

The Pattaya Street Kids Support Project does no preaching, teaching or converting; it exists to help kids further their educations. Period.

The Mercy Center IS a well-run and compassionate Christian-based charity, but they - through their own generosity - only serve as liaisons for the PSKSP. The students you'd be supporting live by their own faith - almost always Buddhist, as you well know. The students have no other contact with the Mercy program(s).

Those Christian organizations have a way of getting their agendas across, even when they claim something to be non-demonational.

No money from the Bunny.

[a447]

BB, I'm sure this Christian organization would be as

happy as punch

if

you emailed them in a huff to tell them to take their

charity

and shove it. I know I would be if I

ran that organization.

That's not the way I roll.

If I don't want to give, I just don't give. If I don't want to stay at a hotel, I don't stay there.

In other words, I leave the pointless fat-old-queen rants to others...you know, like yourself.

[bao-bao]

Those Christian organizations have a way of getting their agendas across, even when they claim something to be non-demonational.

I agree with that thought, Beach Bunny, and that's why I checked the programs out in person myself before making the financial commitment. I've spent over a dozen different days with the good people from Mercy Center and Don from the PSKSP. I myself follow Buddhism and am greatly disturbed by pushy "missionaries" of any kind.

The Pattaya Street Kids Support Project IS non-denominational, The Mercy Centre is Christian-based.

The people at Mercy Centre do not lobby the PSKSP students. In other words, the students are not invited, encouraged or otherwise addressed about their religious beliefs during their interactions with the three liaisons from Mercy who help the PSKSP (and we sponsors). The only time any of the Mercy staff have even mentioned religion to me directly has been to answer my questions about their operations.

Again, The Pattaya Street Kids Project is a completely transparent (and independent) operation. Contact them through their web site and go visit for yourselfтАж but I warn you: once you see these kids and understand the position theyтАЩre in, youтАЩre going to have a difficult time walking away from them without helping.

[thrillbill]

Many times I am guilty of pre-judging an organization because it is religious affiliated. But there are some great organizations out in Pattaya trying to help the "street kids". If someone has experience with an "religious" organization and says it is doing great things, I will look into it. A long time ago when I was living in Africa one of the best organizations that was out there helping the locals was the Catholic Relief organization. Some of the people they hired weren't even religious/Catholic...whatever, hired because of their past experience. And (heaven forbid if the Pope ever found out) a Catholic organization was passing out free condoms to the Zairians because they (the nuns in charge) were worried about them catching HIV. --Different when you are in the trenches.

I can support what bao bao says 100%. I have zero tolerance for christians selling their superstitions....notice that I refuse to even use a capital c when witting the c word. Fred and Diane at Mercy Center do an amazing job with the kids. They believe in living their beliefs, not talking about them. Every penny given will go directly to the kids, and will make a real difference in their lives.

Pay no attention to Beach Bunny, she was dropped on her head at birth.

[pyro]

I think this sounds like a good charity and a good opportunity for those who want to donate. I looked at their website and emailed them with some questions. They were quick to respond and answered everything to my satisfaction. I also did some other web research and as far as I can tell, this is a very well run organization that does not use it promote their own religious agenda. The administrative costs are all paid by the trustees so 100% of the donation goes to the children. Thank you for the introduction to this organizattion BaoBao.