10 New Dormitories for hill tribe children
At the start of the dry season, inNovember 2005, Samsara Foundation started the construction of new school facilities in the mountains of Mae Sariang. During the month of August, September and October Samsara Foundation raised in the Netherlands around 30.000 Euros, which was increased to 60.000 euros by the Foundations Wilde Ganzen/ ICCO.
With the amount of 60.000 euros 10 dormitories, 10 water purifications installations for 20 schools will be realised. Besides we can also stock 10 schools with schoolbooks, which they urgently need.
Samsara Foundation in close cooperation with the Department of Education in Mae Sariang and with the directors and teachers of the schools involved will start with the construction of the dormitories. Completion will take 3 to 4 months. The delivery of water installations and books will take place after that, as rain will not interfere with this donation.
In Amsterdam in October the Watergraafmeerse primary school raised more than 8000 euros for these projects. The students learn about daily life in Thailand and particularly the lives of such schoolchildren in the poor regions. They also organise fundraising activities such as a street market and a sponsorrun
Second term scholarships paid
In November 2005 the Royal Embassy of the Netherlands in Bangkok donated 9800 euros for the construction of 2 canteens and for furniture (tables, benches, kitchen equipment, plates and cutlery) for 4 canteens. Children live too far away from their schools and have to stay in dormitories and have their meals in canteens. Without these facilities the schools are unable to accept children at their schools.
Samsara Foundation visited those schools in the first week of December and discussed the design and means of payment with the directors. One week later the schools started the buildings. Completion will take 3 to 4 months.
Studiebeurzen voor de tweede termijn zijn overhandigd.
The first school term in Thailand starts on the 17th of May and continues until the beginning of October. The second term start the beginning of November and will end at the 17th of March. The summer school holiday in Thailand is from the 17th of March until the 17th of May.
Foundation Samsara takes care of the scholarship programme for 32 children at the elementary and vocational schools in Mae Sariang. The scholarships are paid for by individuals from Great Britain, France, Holland and Thailand and by the Foundations Samsara in the Netherlands and FERC( Foundation for the Education of Rural Children) in Thailand. Samsara Foundation visited the students in November, received their school results for the first term and paid the costs for the second term to the directors of the schools involved.
Opening ceremonies of completed dormitories
Two dormitories, which were already completed in June this year, could not be visited for the opening ceremonies because of the heavy rain that arrived early this year. Therefore the schools organised these events in the first days of December.
It is always great fun to see the happy children grouping together for a picture and the proud fathers and mothers who did a lot of volunteer work in construction the building dormitories standing nearby. Both dormitories are each located a 4-hour drive over very bad roads from the village Mae Sariang. But despite the condition of the roads they managed to build beautiful sustainable dormitories.
10 wheelchairs and 10 hearing aids for handicapped children in Mae Sariang
On the 1st of December Foundation Samsara handed over 10 wheelchairs and 10 hearing aids to the department of Education in Mae Sariang. There are no special facilities yet in Mae Sariang District for handicapped children. They have to be taken care of by the existing schools.
Needless to say, those schools lack the specific equipment needed for those children. The Hansje Sillevis Foundation from the Netherlands donated these most-needed facilities.
Funds raised by Samsara and enhanced by Wilde Ganzen/ICCO For the support of schools in poor villages in the mountains of Mae Sariang:
- Eight dormitories with beds and bedding
- Two study centres/libraries including cupboards and books
- Two canteens with furniture and kitchen equipment
- Two units of canteen furniture and kitchen equipment
- Twenty-one water tanks and water purification equipment
- Two units of electric equipment
- One toilet/shower/kitchen building for One medical unit
- Two units with book cupboards and shelves
Total49.000 Euro ( 2 447 610 Bath)
Funds provided by the Hansje Sillevis Foundation (Netherlands):
- One dormitory
- Mattresses and bedding for several schools
- Braille typewriters and paper for a school for the blind
- Wheelchairs, hearing aids and educational tools for handicapped children in Mae Sariang
Total 12.500 Euro ( 639 375 Bath)
Funds provided FERC:
- One canteen with furniture and one building with eight toilet €9.591 (470,000 baht)
- Scholarships €1.897 (93,000 baht
Individual contributions:
- One dormitory
€2,040 (100,000 baht) from one individual in Chiang Mai, Thailand - Nine scholarships
Total €1.020 (50,000 baht) from several donors
- Funds provided by Samsara and carried out in collaboration with Rotary Chiang Mai South for scholarships: €2.800 (140,000 baht)
- Funds provided by Department of Education of Mae Sariang:€880 (43,000 baht)