An ISB team went to Khao Lak on the 14 and 15 of February to check on the well-being and progress of the children of Bang Sak school.
We spent many hours with the children at the temporary school and report that 116 children from pre K to grade 6 are attending school regularly. 23 of these children have lost one or both of their parents and they are considered orphans. Almost all of these children are in temporary shelters at Soi Taabtawan or Nam Tok Bor Hin. Only a few stay at their homes. A charity organization provides transportation for these children from their temporary shelters to school and back. The children all eat lunch provided by the school.
The name of the new school will be "Rajchaprachanukraw 35". While we were there foundations for the dormitories were being laid. We also visited the three temporary buildings, two holding four classrooms and one which is the common area. These buildings have partial walls and are located on the construction site. The children are so happy to be back together and at school!
Seven teachers have been working non-stop since the tsunami, not only for the children but also to help the families settle back into some semblance of a normal lifestyle. An organization known as "Open Mind Project" is kindly providing two expatriate volunteers, on 6-week rotation, helping in English language instruction. There are two janitors for the school. UNICEF sponsors one and the teachers are pooling their resources to pay the salary for the second one. The janitors have many responsibilities; being handy men, sorting, cleaning, doing electrical work, plumbing repairs, assisting teachers and much more.
ISB and its Network are continuing with fund-raising efforts. Many groups from the Network will be traveling to Khao Lak in the next few weeks to volunteer in the area and at the school. We are grateful for all who have contributed and continue to contribute to this ongoing project. We will update this site regularly.
For more information, please contact Usa Somboon or Benjawon Wattangkura (Ben).
Financial update | Donation to the Project | ISB Tsunami Relief Network Background
