Living Waters Phuket Foundation – Building Brighter Futures
Weekly Highlights:
This week, the Intercontinental Hotel in Kamala distributed the final life bags as part of the Phuket Hotels Association joint initiative. It was heartening to see finally, that demand did not outstrip supply. A sign that hopefully the island is starting to get back to some kind of normality.
Recently, Living Waters Phuket Foundation (LWPF) helped migrant children get back to learning at The Good Shepherd Learning Centre. ATK testing kits, uniforms and books were provided to enable this. Due to the pandemic and the political situation in Myanmar, the Learning Centre has found itself at bursting point with far more children wanting to enrol this year than expected. With their policy of never turning a child away, the school has had to find creative ways of accommodating them all. This week LWPF met with the founder, Sister Lakana and Peter Lyons, a member of Grumpy Old Men (GOM) to explore possible solutions. GOM previously successfully partnered with LWPF to fund the solar panels at the centre.
These sorts of partnerships allow LWPF to help with more projects and are greatly appreciated. What struck us most about this and previous visits to the Learning Centre, was how happy the children were to be there; whilst respectful they show plenty of spirit. One tiny girl stood at the glass panel office door and with a huge smile made a heart shape with her hands before running off. Another in the playground was desperate to practice her excellent English with us. She dreams of being a doctor.
It is the ongoing generosity of our wonderful supporters that makes funding projects such as these possible. To each and every one who has donated to any of our projects, we and the people you have helped, send a huge thank you. You have without a doubt contributed to a brighter future for each and every one. Thank you!
You can donate to LWPF education and community projects here: Weeboon
Networking in the Community:
Our Foundation continued to meet and connect with contacts for information gathering, project assessment and needs assessments, this week it included the:
- Phuket Red Cross President
- Kamala OrBorTor
- Cherngtalay OrBorTor
- Thepkrasattri OrBorTor
- Sister Lakana from the Good Shepherd
Fundraising:
Our LWPF Weeboon campaign has raised a grand total to date of 596,336 THB.In addition, donations made direct to LWPF now total 1,256,475 THB. Donations this week through Weeboon to Pay it Forward (Retired Working For You) remained the same; totalled 4,559 THB, with direct donations to date totalling 9,489 THB.
Marketing:
A half page editorial page ran in The Phuket News, featuring a final thank you piece for everyone involved in the Life Bag project over the last 2+ years; distributing over 1,000,000 bags in total.
Approved Funded Projects
- iCare Thailand
Work is due to start soon on the building and equipping of a new dormitory next to a school to give children facing a 6 – 7 KM trek a safe place to stay while they study. It will serve Huai Poo Kaeng, a marginalised long necked Karen Hilltribe community located in Mae Hong Son.
- The Good Shepherd Learning Centre
Funding has been given to The Good Shepherd Learning Centre (GSLC), under LWPF’s ‘Back To School’ initiatives, including helping to pay for ATK test kits and school uniforms to help the children return to education by the end of May.
- Baan Na Yai School
A grant has been approved and work is about to commence to convert existing structures into an IT lab and library.
- PHBGTU
Children returned to school on May 23rd, after a grant was 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 centres across Thailand to assist those with mobility issues. The first wheelchairs are now being distributed.
- Life Home Project
Education assistance funding was provided, with this project helping with educational opportunities for HIV positive Thai Children at this charity. The last progress report has been received and budget has been revised.
Completed Projects:
- The Man That Rescues Dogs (TMTRD)
This project is completed, which supported this shelter’s feeding and care in addition to expanding the care facility. TMTRD helps sick, neglected, and abused dogs, all those rescued are medicated, vaccinated, and sterilized; as well as rehabilitated and socialized in an attempt to rehome the dogs.
- Liamsiri Mar Hill Association
Work has been completed on the new fence at this centre for people with Psychosocial disabilities. This organisation aims to work together to create a welcoming environment and treat everyone with respect.
- 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 week day, as the start of their social and educational journey.
- Seeds of Change
Funded sewing machines were delivery 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 school supplies for children from this Orphanage in January 2022. LWP donated funds for supplies and this directly allowed the children to return to school. 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 farm land 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.
Please contact us for more information.
Living Waters Phuket
+66 99 341 6799 | [email protected]
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