PSC ASSISTS HELPING HANDS

Wat Koh Lanta is located on Koh Lanta Yai in southern Thailand 's province of Krabi .

OVERVIEW

• Wat Koh Lanta is located on Koh Lanta Yai in southern Thailand 's province of Krabi .
  
• 232 students attend the school from three main villages - Ban Na, Hua Laem and Sri Raya.
  
• There are 10 teachers, including one teacher of Agriculture, at the school.
  
• Teachers, parents and students will work together to produce vegetables, chicken and fish under guidance from PDA 1 . Some of the produce will be used for lunch and some

UPDATE

Visit by Kylie Grimmer and Rosanne Diamente on Tuesday 31 May 2005 .

A project committee of school representatives, village leaders, and housewives has been formed. This committee will be responsible for successful operation of the project and the newly formed ‘Housewife Group’ will be responsible for the preparation of the food in the school kitchen.

Fifty families/households from the three villages, (Ban Na, Hua Laem and Sri Raya), will be initially involved in the project as they are the families of the eldest students at the school that will be involved directly in the project, (grades 4 – 6).

Half a rai of land (800sqm) on the school premises was being prepared for planting. The Royal Thai Navy (RTN) had donated use of a backhoe to clear and turn the land.

The vegetables to be grown include morning glory, chillies, small eggplant. kha na, (leaf vegetable) and mushrooms. First harvests are expected August 2005.

The chickens will be raised for meat and the project will commence with 200 hens and chickens. Construction of the chicken house was underway with expected completion of mid June.

The school has four existing casings for catfish raising, however they will be expanded upon in the scope of this project.

Consideration of two possible water supplies is underway, ie, deep well versus water tanks.

PDA are planning a training course to cover vegetable growing, seed care, insects and transplanting in June 2005, along with a study visit by students and parents to Krabi.

1. The Population and Community Development Association.  Founded in 1974, PDA is one of Thailand's most well-established and diverse non-government organisations. Operating from Bangkok, 16 regional development centres and branch offices in rural Thailand, PDA's programs are based on the belief that local people are best suited to shape and sustain their own development. PDA has pioneered grassroots growth marked by extensive villager involvement not only as beneficiaries but also as planners, managers and leaders.

Progress Report for Pattaya Sports Club

Bernie Tuppin

· Bronwyn Little and Kylie Grimmer visited Wat Koh Lanta School to inspect the progress of the Lunch Farm on Thursday 18 August 2005.

· Children from grades 4 to 6 have been allocated small plots in the garden and given the responsibility of tending to the growth of the vegetables. Each plot is marked with the child’s name and grade and parents assist their children during the weekend and holidays.

· Of the vegetables being grown, pak bung (morning glory) and mushrooms are harvested daily for school lunches. Long bean, cucumber, eggplant, lemon grass, chilli, basil, white cabbage and kale are included in the vegetables planted, but not yet ready for harvest.

· The mushroom house is completed and is housing 1,000 bags of mushroom, providing from 1kg to 4kg of mushrooms per day. Some of the mushrooms are sold at the local market, providing initial income for the project to become self-sustaining in the future.

· The chicken component of the original proposal has been denied by the Department for Livestock and HHP are awaiting further details of the allocation of this budget (B30,000).

· The well has been dug and the pump is set up for the water system in preparation for the arrival of the concrete holding tanks. It is anticipated the installation of the irrigation pipes and water tanks will be completed within four months. In the meantime, the children are watering daily with watering cans.

One Year On...

A time for Reflection.

While Christmas is a time for celebration for many, it is also a time for reflection, especially for so many of the people we are working with.

Helping Hands Pattaya, Kylie, Rosie and Bronny, as we are known to each other and our friends, are 3 women who came together with some crazy idea that they could

change the world, in some small way for some of the people who had been so traumatized by the event on December 26th 2004.

We are grateful and give heartfelt thanks to all the wonderful people we have come to know this year. We cannot name you all, but we want everyone who has contributed to understand a little of the amazing outcomes.

The staff and children at Sang Ga U school, the teachers at Wat Koh Lanta School, and the children 4th – 6th grade, who built the first lunch farm have all been generous in their time to work together with us. Khun Daeng, who gave us the original idea.

The staff at PDA, without their knowledge and expertise and hard work the school lunch farms could never happen. Thank you.

.Pattaya International Ladies Club, with support for both milk programs and school lunches.

Pattaya Sports Club, who were instrumental in funding the first lunch farm, which has enabled so many more to be funded. Jesters Care for Kids, who supported in the school lunches, all the individual donors who gave personally. This is a big thank you to everyone, who put up their hand to help, and to be involved. You have helped to make a difference in many lives.

Bronny Kylie, Rosie,

After the devastation of the 2004 tsunami the psc assisted the helping hands to establish school lunch farms on the island of Koh Lanta . the funds that were allocated for the chicken component were redirected to a small fish farm which at last is taking shape and looks like being successful. and other work refered to ABOVE has been completed. the whole operation has been a resounding success. I would like to thank the ladies of PILC FOR ALL THERE HARD WORK AND TRAVEL TO ENSURE THE SUCCES OF THE PROJECT.mEMBERS CAN BE ASSURED THAT OUR B220,000 WAS WELL SPENT.