For the Love of Children

I am often teased about living in Ban Chang.  To many club members, the 40-minute drive “to the country” seems to take an eternity.  While it really isn’t that far in terms of mere kilometers, its rural expanse and small town feel is a far cry from the traffic-filled streets of Pattaya.  While making the trek into the city for groceries can sometimes be a chore, I have begun to appreciate shopping at the wet market, getting to know many of the vendors, and having traffic consist of the occasional elephant blocking a narrow lane.  But, within the agricultural boundaries of Ban Chang, comes a level of poverty experienced specifically by the agrarian farmer, evident in the corrugated tin shacks set up on the edges of pineapple fields and mango groves.  Many of you may not know that there is a group of expat women in this area that have also established a club, the Rayong Ladies Circle (RLC).  As with the PILC, this club consists of a wonderful group of women from all nationalities, sharing good company, conquering the challenges of living in a foreign country, and working together to better the place that they live.  One of the ways they are doing this is through the food delivery program they have established in Ban Chang.  Working with the social worker at the local hospital, Khun Math, the RLC provides 5,000 Baht per month to purchase food for needy families in the area.

As the new co-ordinator for the RLC Welfare Committee, I have become very involved in this program.  In doing the monthly deliveries, the need of many of the children of these families became painfully apparent.  Many children are living with aged grandparents because their parents have died of HIV or are off working on construction sites.  The grandparents make a meager living at best, being limited in the type and amount of work they can do.  Many live in houses with no running water or toilet.  With families barely being able to provide enough food to eat, there is little money left for other needs, one of which is uniforms for school.  On a whim, I decided to find a way to provide uniforms for these children.  I am always amazed how one good work begets another, and how generous and giving people are.  On hearing of my intentions, two amazing benefactors came out of the woodwork to join me.  Working with my fantastic, English-speaking housekeeper, Khun Porn, and Khun Math from the hospital, arrangements were made to pick up 21 children and take them to buy uniforms.  On the first day, Leisbeth Reichert and I collected 12 children in Khun Porn’s truck and drove to the bookstore in Ban Chang.  It was a daunting process fitting all those children for pants, shoes, shirts, gym outfits and/or belts.  Figuring out grade levels and items needed would have been impossible without the kind staff at the bookstore and Khun Porn overseeing.  All of the children were on their best behavior and it wasn’t long before anxious faces were transformed with smiles as their arms were filled with clothing and shoes. 

On the second day, Debbie Cavanaugh joined Khun Porn and I, as once again we traversed the back roads of Ban Chang, picking up 9 more children.  The bookstore staff welcomed us as we ravaged the isles for the second time.  It is difficult to describe the elation we felt as we watched these children’s faces.  One little boy had his arms packed with items, but refused to put them on the counter, worried that he would not get them back again if he did so.  And of course, no trip would be complete without the requisite stop for ice cream. 

While the children and their families benefited greatly from the purchase of the uniforms, Leisbeth, Debbie and I also came away changed.  The amount of baht required for each uniform seemed very cheap.   The feeling of joy and satisfaction the children gave each of us would have made any cost seem trivial.

Mari Parino