Bangkok Patana | Tsunami Relief: Visits

With a safe flight and a pleasant ride to our resort, the first day was a success. We were greeted by the magnificent beauty and tranquility of Khao Lak, it was impossible to believe that such a place had previously lain in ruins from a natural disaster. In celebration of our arrival, we journeyed to the city centre so that we could submerge ourselves in the exquisite cuisines which Khao Lak had to offer (which mostly consisted of prawns, shrimps and crabs). The topics that night were as innovative as ever, ranging from unique tongue characteristics/talents which some of us possessed to discussing about some of our interesting historical backgrounds.

The second day, being our most crucial day, started with an early morning wake up. We set forth to our first destination, our objective, to paint a mural for the Chao Tai Mai primary school. It has approximately 147 students. Assisted by government through supplies and marginally funded by aid organizations; the school was a struggling community. Ever since the 2004 tsunami, parents have been unable to pay for their children’s tuition fees, creating a heavy impact on the much needed economic stability of the school. It was no longer able to rely on the donations from the community and had to call upon international aid. Nevertheless, the attendances of students were still remarkable. Many of the children suffered from basic needs which we take for granted, such as transportation and appropriate school clothing.

I was surprised to find that the United Nations had also made contributions to Chao Tai Mai. They had donated a large mound of basic sporting equipments such as footballs and volleyballs. We also found a Takraw (Thai football) which soon became the obsession for the trip. The sport basically consists of a small wooden ball which is not allowed to come into contact with one’s arms or hands. The ball must also be kept in the air at all times (usually performed with a kicking motion). We had a chance to meet with Mr. David Van Der Laan, 4Kali’s Foundation Project Director. He was a great guy who worked hard for the community and had earned the trust of the people. He was always helpful and willing to give up his time to assist others.

We then journeyed to a public playground where we had to blow a whole load of beach balls for the kids. The children arrived soon after and instantly forced us to engage in a game of Takraw, which they turned out to be extremely good at. They were extremely enthusiastic and eager to participate in the various activities which we had set up. We also had the opportunity to take kids from the ‘4Kali’s Support a Child Programme’ to a nearby beach, it was the first time they were able to pick up enough courage to swim in the sea ever since the tsunami. Many of the children had suffered the lost of a parent and were deeply traumatized by the incident. They were delighted and overjoyed to enter the sea once again. Unfortunately we had to cut the swim time short due to presence of jellyfish. Nevertheless it was a great day for the children and an even greater day for us. I can proudly say that we had helped out the community and brought joy to those children.

The mural had also been a great success, congratulations and thank you to Kami, Anusara, Preuw, Aum, Seung Mi and Miss Bletsoe for their hard work and effort. It was a beautiful mural which gave the school that colourful edge it needed. On our last day, we took a hike to the Tsunami Memorial site which was still under construction. However we did witness the 5 final possible designs for the memorial, they were all extremely impressive even though some seemed less feasible than others. We decided to cast our own votes and support the memorial which we thought was the best.

Overall the trip was a great success and a pleasant experience for many of us. We would like to thank Ms. Davies and Ms. Bletsoe for making this trip possible and for being so caring throughout the whole expedition. They had both put in a tremendous effort organizing the trip and keeping us safe and intact.