The Temple School in Rawai
In Rawai the temple school 'Wat Sawang Arom School' is situated. It is managed by the Buddhist monks on an idealistic basis.
There are 150 children, needing help due to the tsunami. They have got this partly from the monks' unselfish achievements and partly from 62 scholarships from the government. Among the 150 children 50 are sea gypsies from the south part of Rawai Beach. My first contact with this project was through an Irishman - Ted Gunningham - who described the sea gypsies problem as the most important. I visited the school and had his story partly confirmed, but I also found some discrepancies.
For the sake of control I have interviewed some people at grass-roots level in this region and learned that although many of these sea gypsy children have been placed in the school but since they do not feel motivated they do not show up and keep to the sea, which is their life. Thus I visited the school again and this time I met a teacher, who I interviewed. She first was a little nervous to give me answers to my questions, but after a while she was talkative. She half confirmed what I had heard. My general opinion about this is, however, positive. During our talk a furious woman entered the office. She represented the sea gypsies and remonstrated against that contributions only had been paid out once. Her anger hit all of us in the office. I wish I could talk Thai and were able to interview her.
The most significant need I found when visiting the school was the plans to build a kindergarten for these children. The cost for this would amount to 4.5 MB of which Germany has promised to pay 1.5 MB. I also saw the drawings:
These 3MB that are missing would be possible to get from some help organization. This is something I have been working with, but so far without any result. So, please help us to find some good solution. An interesting web-sight in this connection is 'Summary of relief operations ...'. Responsible for this building project is Mr Sundi, phone 0066 18952291. He talks English very good unlike the school director Mr Chaiyot Promat. This is why I did not note his phone number.
Before my trip to Phuket in November I wrote to the Phuket governor Mr Udomsak Uswarangkura about this problem and got an audience with him the 9th of November, which was referred to in Thai TV according to the web site:
http://www.thaisnews.com/printfriendly.php?id=149983:
A
Swedish national Knut Angstrom escorted by Phuket Education Area Deputy Director
Auayporn Sakulton and Rawai Sub-district President Arun Soros met with Phuket
Governor Udomsak Uswarangkura to discuss the organizing of a Thai traditional
festival of Loy Krathong. The group plans to raise funds for the construction of
a school building and set up a foundation for Wat Sawang Arom school, a local
school in Rawai on the south end of the island. The German national earlier
donated 1.5 million baht and now the group aims to raise at least 2.5 million
baht to meet a target of 4 million baht cost for the construction. The project
is expected to begin next year.”
In this report they missed ½ MB and the presence of Sidsel Svestad, Mantana Pornsiripithak (Noi) and the head master of the school - Mr Chaiyot Promat, who told me afterwards that he thought there were some chances to be helped by the Phuket Education Area Deputy Director due to this meeting. After the meeting with the Governor we had another meeting with him at his office:
Above left: Auayporn Sakulton and right: Me and Sidsel after the meeting at Phuket Educational Service Area Office.
In the year 2006 Rotary International donated money for building a kindergarten, which, however, was reduced a little. The total cost for the building was 4.3 MB:
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