Pattaya Food Drop – November

This month’s food drop took place on the 6th of November and although I have accompanied the Rayong Ladies team doing the same in the Ban Chang area on several occasions, this was my first time with the PILC welfare team.

I suspected it was going to be yet another eye-opening experience – a gentle way to describe it – and it was.  Ingrid and Alana ferried us and the food parcels around in their cars, for which a note of appreciation should be made, as we covered many miles and invariably ended up driving down well rutted dirt tracks, if that, at each destination – not so bad for Ingrid in her 4 x 4 beast, but much trickier for Alana in her more city-friendly Honda!

The recipients of these food parcels include, amongst others, around 15 destitute families who come under the umbrella of Kate’s Project, a large number of young teenagers from the Child Protection Development Centre, and around eight patients at the AIDS home by Lake Mabprachan.

Of course, each of the above mentioned projects are very deserving of our admiration in their efforts to assist the suffering and afflicted in the Pattaya area and, as we all know, there is absolutely no shortage to choose from.  But I have found on my previous Ban Chang visits, there is usually one particular person who stays in my mind for whatever reason, maybe through unbelievable suffering or perhaps through a show of great fortitude.

Yesterday it was the latter reason – a lady in charge of her four grandchildren, living in what can only be described as a shack, but still trying to earn her living by burning wood to sell as charcoal.  To make the story worse, the family had recently been evicted from their former shack, just 300 yards away, and so were now in the process of starting again in this present construction and needing to make it waterproof in the first instance.  Ingrid will be contacting Jesters to ask for their assistance, and I hope also PILC if they have any available funds.

We met one of the four children who was staying off school in order to help his grandparents – this happens often unfortunately, but I don’t know how it can be avoided in the circumstances.

The food parcels were duly handed over to this family and accepted with obvious gratitude, and then to our surprise, in return we were presented with several armfuls of coconuts just cut down from a palm tree by the grandfather as we stood and watched!  A humbling experience, to say the least!

Before I sign off, I would like to give a mention to Ingrid and all the wonderful work she has done in the welfare field during the last five years.  I think we are all going to miss her more than we know, and I take this opportunity to wish her and her family a prosperous and happy future – and hope her ’signs’ keep showing her the way!

Sue Wright, Dek Dee Early Learning Centre, Ban Chang