For Christmas this year the Regents community embraced the ‘Gift of Giving’ by setting the target of donating 500 presents to our Community Partners.
Every Year Group in our school is associated with a Community Partner, from Early Years right the way up to Year 13. These relationships are not one-sided. The partnerships are a sharing of knowledge and understanding between two groups which come from very different backgrounds. Community Partnerships and the service-related experiences which they involve develop in our students an understanding of and appreciation for responsible citizenship and other valuable social and emotional life skills.
Here are some of the stories:
Fountain of Life
Year 2 embraced the Reverse Christmas Giving when they delivered 116 presents collected in Primary for the children at Fountain of Life.
They got into the Christmas spirit as they spent the morning down at the Children's Centre leading Christmas activities for their community partner to enjoy! They demonstrated wonderful responsibility in their planning and delivery of fun activities and made many new friends during this special day!
The fountain of life center was opened in August 1988 as a Drop in Center for the women and girls involved in the sex industry in Pattaya. A children's Center was opened in April 1993. This was necessary as many children are in danger of being drawn into the same industry as the women.
The activities at the Women's Center consist of language classes, skills training, cultural awareness, lectures on subject such as health and the law and counseling. The language classes are in Thai, English, and German. Skills training is given in computer skills, dressmaking, hairdressing and typing.
The main aim of our project is to improve the women's education and give them skills that will enable them to improve their lives in the future. They do this in an atmosphere of friendship, trust and mutual respect, which is in sharp contrast to the harsh realities of their lives. We also do a lot of counseling and hope this will have a lasting influence on their future. One of the main b-products of this project is to see the women's self-esteem improve as time goes on.
The Good Shepherd Sisters are involved in the running of the project, the administration and the direction it takes. Thai staffs are employed to teach dressmaking, hairdressing, computer skills and Thai language. Foreign languages are taught by volunteers from abroad.
Hand to Hand
Ms Margie from Hand to Hand came and collected over 100 presents for the children she helps.
Our children have shown great compassion and responsibility filling a shoe box full of items needed by the Hand to Hand children.
Many more of our Community Partners will also receive the same over the next week with our aim to donate over 500 gifts this Christmas.
Hand to Hand is a Christian organization that is based in Pattaya, who recognise that human rights apply to all age groups. They seek to protect those who are marginalised regardless of their race, age or religion. They achieve this by showing them the love of Jesus Christ through prayer and, on a much more practical level, by providing services such as helping them acquire legal documentation and offering food, clothing and educating the poor.
Haven Project
Children from the Haven Project visited Regents to receive presents donated by our students. Each child received an individual gift box created for specifically for them by Regents students.
Haven Project Children's Homes are a temporary respite from an often sad world and a place where orphaned, partially orphaned and those deemed to be in high risk situations can find a 'haven,' or place of safety.
Children are raised in loving family environments where they are fed, clothed and educated. House parents are taught basic first aid and regular health checks are also conducted by our medical personnel.
The homes function the same as any family home. The children eat, play, sleep and share chores together. House parents only have one group of children to care for. As their children grow older and leave home they are invited to take on different roles within Haven's programs. By protecting the family unit in this way we find they enjoy being involved in the lives of the children as parent and even grandparent figures beyond the homes.
Regents International School Pattaya
