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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