Living Waters Phuket Foundation – Building Brighter Futures

 

Weekly Highlights:

Emergency Food Relief Efforts – Another week occupied with Life Bags and emergency food distribution; with over 2,500 Super Life Bags and 1,000 Special Life Bags being packed and distributed in Phuket.

Funded Initiatives Update – This week saw the completion of works to greatly improve conditions at the Baan Lung Pitak day Centre including a new school roof and kitchen upgrades to provide a safer environment for children aged 2-5 years to help them start their social and educational journey.

Phuket Red Cross – LWPF saw the delivery of 200 wheelchairs, which is part of the funded initiative with the Phuket Red Cross. The first of the 1,800 wheelchairs are to be distributed in Phuket and throughout Thailand.

Seeds Of Change – Large or small grant applications will be considered, and sometimes it is the smaller grants that can make the greatest difference. Recently Seeds Of Change (SOC) had a modest request when they applied for two new sewing machines and some sewing consumables to start a vocational training program for disadvantaged young people coming through the BanYa Literacy Centre.

LWPF was happy to help with both money and expertise, and with the arrival of the new machines, SOC has gone from strength to strength with partnerships forming with the Foundation as the catalyst. They have 8 eager learners who are well on their way to gaining valuable and marketable skills. The students and their trainers produce eco-chic items, crafted from repurposed and remnant fabrics.

Encouraged by the sales generated by partnering with Phuket Nature Elephant Reserve selling their fabric elephants, last week saw the opening of SOC’s first shop; an Instagram-worthy shop based in the Novotel Phuket Kata Avista Hotel and Spa, (this space was kindly donated by the hotel). This new shop extends student training to work experience; once students are qualified, they have the opportunity to help run the shop and demonstrate their skills.

In addition, the hotel has kindly offered to take 10 students from BanYa Literacy Centre on internships to learn about hotel work.

This is just a snapshot of what SOC has achieved with the help of LWPF. They are now literally, “Making a difference one stitch at a time.”

Phuket and beyond need your help. Please DONATE towards emergency food relief efforts: Weeboon

Networking in the Community:

This week LWP Foundation met with some notable community leaders including:

  • The Vice-Governor
  • Phuket Red Cross
  • LDS Charities

Food Security Update:

Life Bag Packing / Distribution Update

  • 2,500 Super life bags were packed and distributed in Phuket
  • 1,000 Special Life Bags have been packed and distributed in Phuket during the last week (up to 15th April)

Media

On Friday 15th April, a half-page editorial coverage will come out in the Phuket News newspaper covering the Marriott and Living Waters Phuket Life Bag collaboration.

Fundraising

Our Weeboon campaign for Life Bag Food Supply has raised a grand total to date of 574,325 THB. In addition, we are very grateful to report that donations made direct to Living Waters Phuket Foundation now total 1,031,475 THB.

Approved Funded Projects:

  • Liamsiri Mar Hill Association

Their grant has been received and donations directed for a new fence at this center for people with Psychosocial disabilities. This organization aims to work together to create a welcoming environment and treat everyone with respect.

  • PHBGTU

A grant has been awarded to help fund English teaching for around 220 students at the Phuket Has Been Good To Us Kamala School, for the school year 2022 to 2023.

  • The Red Cross Phuket

This project saw funding to purchase 1,800 wheelchairs for use in hospitals, clinics and vaccination centers across Thailand to assist those with mobility issues.

  • Life Home Project

Education assistance funding was provided, with this project helping with educational opportunities for HIV-positive Thai Children at this charity. The 2nd progress report has been received.

Completed Projects:

  • Baan Lung Pitak Day Care Centre

Grant and works have been completed for a new school roof and kitchen upgrades to provide a safer environment for children aged 2-5 years to come every weekday, as the start of their social and educational journey.

  • Seeds of Change

Funded sewing machines were delivered to the Vocational Sewing Centre, located at Good Shepherd Migrant Work Centre Phuket (GMSW). This initiative provides employment alternatives and skills development for young Thai or migrant people.

  •  Koh Samui Life Bags

This project raised funds through donations in order to purchase food, pack Life Bags and distribute to communities in need on the island of Koh Samui. Over 1,800 ‘super’ life bags (supporting around 7,200 people) were packed and distributed across Koh Samui over a 3-day period in March 2022.

  • The Good Shepherd BanYa Literacy and Learning Centre

This project saw record speed completion for the purchase of ATK test kits for over 400 children in order for testing to take place to allow the school to reopen. This completed project was achieved in under a week, making it a rapid and successful project for everyone involved.

  •  The Red Cross Back To School

This completed partnership between Living Waters Phuket and the Red Cross where LWP provided equipment necessary to allow for 390 students across 13 schools in Phuket, to get back to school. Prior to this funding project, these students were unable to attend school as they did not have uniforms, school supplies, funds for transportation and the minimal fee to go to school.

  •  Disadvantaged Students Project

The Foundation has provided funding for Phuket Has Been Good To Us to allow 500 disadvantaged students access to a new computer lab. This project is now completed.

  • Under Privileged Children

The provision of portable water for 300 students at the Coconut Island School, as well as critical equipment for the school’s kitchen including a fridge, freezer, and fans, is completed. The acquittal report is currently being prepared.

  • The Good Shepherd

The project for The Good Shepherd for Solar Panel Installation for the Good Shepherd Phuket Town (GSPT) Learning Centre is now completed.

  • Sustainable Farming and Food Production – Phase 2

The Kathu Wittaya School’s phase 2 funded project is now complete. This was around sustainable education for farming and food production and the provision of buildings to help store and sell the food from the funded phase 1 project.

  • Tambon Phunai Koh Yao Yai Orphan Education Funding

The Foundation funded the purchase of school supplies for parentless children from this Orphanage in January 2022. LWP donated funds for school supplies and this directly allowed the children to return to school to get the change to continue gaining an education. Funding will cover 1 full year of schooling needs for around 35 children.

  • Kathu Wittya School

The Sustainable Education on Farming and Food Production (phase 1) is complete. This long-term initiative was designed around teaching almost 1,000 children how to farmland using proven Thai techniques and processes in order to produce and harvest food.

  • Phuket Has Been Good To Us

Living Waters Phuket Foundation completed this project to fund and provide brand new IT equipment for over 500 disadvantaged children for the school. This project helped teachers, volunteers and administrators to be able to deliver their English classes more effectively and efficiently.

  • Super Life Bags

This completed project was the largest single order of life bag supplies in the last 22 months and saw over 8,700 large bags packed and delivered to Phuket and the surrounding areas in November 2021, helped by Government officials and 5 Star Marine.

LWP remains 100% devoted to helping the most vulnerable communities.


Please contact us for more information.

Living Waters Phuket

+66 99 341 6799 | [email protected]

Facebook livingwatersphuket

Instagram livingwatersphuket

Twitter livingwaters_th

Donate to help us build brighter futures: Weeboon

Shaun Stenning is a founding member of Living Waters Phuket. After spending 2 years purchasing, packing and delivering Life Bags Shaun Stenning and his family set up Living Waters Phuket to further there efforts in supporting the Phuket and wider Thailand Community.