2/17/2005
Here is a link to a web site created by a Thai teacher working at the Wat Komaneyaket School in Khuk-Khak Villege, Takuapa District, Phang-Nga Province 82190, Thailand.
2/7/2005
Yesterday on my second to last day of the trip I had some fun. I had read about how the Elephants were going unfed because of a lack of tourists to go on "Elephant Safaris". I stopped by the local safari and they told me that they went from 50 tourists a day to zero after the Tsunami. Being an animal lover I volunteered to buy some food for the pachyderms. I was quickly whisked off to the vegetable market where I bought two truck loads of bananas and one truck load of pineapples. When they told me that bananas and pineapples are like ice cream to elephants they weren't exaggerating!
After the "buffet" I was treated to a ride on the elephant and the manager extended free elephant rides to anyone from Seattle who donated . So the next time your in Thailand look for the elephant safari place in between Karon and Phuket and tell them Mr. Ron sent you.
Any donations received after 2/8/05 will be given directly to the village we adopted named Ban Nam Kim. Thanks again for everyone's generosity
2/2/2005
Today I went to the Norwegian Consulate to deliver some personal effects of a family that we stood on the roof with during the Tsunami. They were a young couple with two small children and were on a nine-month trip around the world. Fortunately they all survived the Tsunami, but cut the trip short and returned home after the tragedy. Like so many people they left the hotel without recovering any of there personal possessions. Since we have been back to the hotel several times we collected some of there family photos, addressed postcards awaiting stamps and a diary that had daily entries starting 10/15/04 and ending 12/25/04 . I am sure that they will be very happy to have these few items as keepsakes. I also set up two appointments with schools where students lost their parents.
2/3/2005
This morning at 8 AM I went to two schools where nine students had lost one or both parents. At each school they had a semi-formal presentation at which I presented envelopes to the children and then posed for photos. I gave each of the children 3000 baht ($75) and a small note written in Thai describing our survival story along with where the money came from. One of the girls around 13 years old cried while she recounted the story of how her father had been killed.
One of my Thai friends told me one of the saddest stories I have heard so far. A Thai family of five along with their 26 year old American friend were eating breakfast at a hotel in Khao Lak. Someone called the father from Phuket, which had just experienced the wave, and told him that it was coming. Not realizing the danger of the situation the father told the kids and wife to go take a picture of the wave. Sadly the wife , two kids and the American friend were killed by the Tsunami. The father survived and is now living with the guilt of "having killed his own family." I have heard countless heart-wrenching stories of loss but this one is just unbelievably sad. I can't imagine being in his shoes
1/31/2005
We spent the last four days in Bangkok straightening out our passports, visas, and airline tickets. Rebecca left for the home and I have returned to Phuket and will be traveling to Khao Lak until my departure date of 2/9/05. To date we have distributed over $35,000 USD and helped countless people.
Here is a photo of nine-year-old Missy McDonough who has personally raised over $1300. Rebecca and I both want to say "Thank You" to everyone who has donated money and supported us. We will be hosting a slide show when we return and would like to invite everyone who has participated.
1/26/2005
Today we went to the Khoa Lak area again. We went to a school (ages 6-13) that I have been wanting to visit for a week; unfortunately the children had just gotten out of school so we didn't get to meet them. We did meet with the headmaster and a volunteer teacher from Bangkok and they told us that 50 of the kids lost one parent and 5 kids lost both and 32 students died. They said that what was needed was pocket money for each of the 55 kids so we gave them 1000 baht each which will last them about 90 days. I felt this has been the best use of the money so far as two girls about 12 years old read in unison a poem they wrote (in English) about the tsunami. I am trying to get a copy of the poem to post here, but it was so telling and heartbreaking. We also donated 10,000 baht to the school in general for supplies, lunches, etc.
We also went to a hospital and gave a pediatrician 10,000 baht to use how she saw fit. She suggested she wait until some of the other donations "dry up" and use it then, which we thought was an excellent idea.
1/26/2005
Today we went to the Khoa Lak area again. We went to a school (ages 6-13) that I have been wanting to visit for a week; unfortunately the children had just gotten out of school so we didn't get to meet them. We did meet with the headmaster and a volunteer teacher from Bangkok and they told us that 50 of the kids lost one parent and 5 kids lost both and 32 students died. They said that what was needed was pocket money for each of the 55 kids so we gave them 1000 baht each which will last them about 90 days. I felt this has been the best use of the money so far as two girls about 12 years old read in unison a poem they wrote (in English) about the tsunami. I am trying to get a copy of the poem to post here, but it was so telling and heartbreaking. We also donated 10,000 baht to the school in general for supplies, lunches, etc.
We also went to a hospital and gave a pediatrician 10,000 baht to use how she saw fit. She suggested she wait until some of the other donations "dry up" and use it then, which we thought was an excellent idea.
1/25/2005
Today we would like to share an email from one of the many people who have donated money to the Thai people through us.
In a message dated 1/25/2005 9:42:18 PM Eastern Standard Time, "Miriam M" writes:
Hello,
I live in Seattle and saw you on CNN. I am so impressed what you are doing for the people there. It has been so heartbreaking to watch on TV - almost unbearable to watch. So I can't imagine what the hundreds of thousands of people have been through and how they are coping.
I have just donated $100 to your cause. I am inspired to give as I know the $s are going DIRECTLY to the people, no red tape, from your hand to theirs. I hope this will help someone to have some hope for the future.
Thanks to both of you for what you are doing. I am glad your story got out so I could give!
Thanks,
Miriam
Hi Miriam,
Thank you so much for your donation. We have been very fortunate to be able to stay and help this way, thanks to people like you. It is your money that allows us to see hope in these people's eyes. The government is supposed to give each person in the tsunami 5000 baht ($125), but some were given less or overlooked for some reason or are still waiting. It has been a pleasure to give people in the hospitals this amount. I think they are a bit shocked that two Amercians would walk in and give them money, no questions asked. It is soooo fun to see their faces light up. Thanks again!
Sincerely,
Ron and Rebecca
1/24/2005
Today we went with a crew from the CBS show 48 Hours to the Khoa Lak area. They are putting together a special that will air the night before Easter. Their intention is to remind people that even four months later, people still need help in these affected areas. The focus will be on children, so mainly we visited children's camps and gave away toys--soccer balls, badminton rackets, beads for necklaces, balloons and stickers. We made donations to the camps for drinking water as a volunteer told us the donations are already slowing down and they were running out of water. We gave them enough money to buy water for 90 days. We also stopped at one hospital where there was one patient from the tsunami. She had worked at the Sofitel Magic Lagoon, which reportedly had the largest pool in Asia. She was one of few survivors there and we gave her one month's salary to help get her back on her feet. She said the money "meant everything to her."
1/21/2005
Today we went to PhangNga Hospital which is about one hour from Khoa Lak. We ended up there two days after the tsunami--this is where we were first able to use the internet and phone for free. We also received toothpaste, toothbrushes, a comb, water and free food. A woman at that time helped us find a hotel room for 300 baht ($7). When we were there that day, there were injured people everywhere, mostly tourists. We decided to go back today and see if there were any Thais still receiving treatment--there were seven.
A woman in her 40's was in a van with nine other people when the wave hit. It knocked the van over but she was thrown out of the van. Though she couldn't swim, she managed to make it. All nine of the other passengers died.
A 76 yr old man had been living alone and could hardly walk when the wave hit. His daughter found him swept into the backyard and he had swallowed a lot of water. She will now move him in with her as his house was destroyed.
A man in his 40's was working in a floating fish farm with his 24 year old son and younger brother. He said that the water of the farm receded almost to the bottom and they all went toward the water to see what was happening. (In case you haven't heard already, before the wave came, the water retreated back out to the sea, like a low tide, but in fast motion--a sure sign of a tsunami coming) The man lost both his son and brother and his fish farm.
A nurse at the hospital was also involved. On the way to visit her family in their seaside village, she saw people running toward the road. She stopped the car and asked what was happening. People were screaming about the big wave, so she started running too. They ran to the roof of a petrol station and sat there watching the "crazy, black water" rising. She said people were crying and the people on the ground were disappearing under the water. She later found her mother in the hospital who said she and four other family members tried to escape in the car. The car was pushed into a lake and they were able to break the windows but then got sucked into the water. No one could swim because of the strength of the water so the two year old in the car drowned. The rest of them held on to trees and waited four hours for help.
We also visited a tent city and made a donation to the children's fund there. There were tons of kids playing and riding bikes and having fun. In the daycare center the kids were asked to draw pictures of the tsunami as a type of therapy. The Thai culture is to smile and be happy no matter what and that seemed to be the case in this village. They just accept their fate whatever it may be.
1/18/2005
With the help of our friend June, a local Thai who has been acting as our interpreter, we visited the local university where 27 students lost one or both parents, their homes and other family members. June's father is the vice-president of the school and he set up a somewhat formal meeting with the dean of the school, the 27 students (in uniform) aged 16-20, photographers and a translator. Ron and I were asked to say a few words, which neither of us were prepared for, then we were presented with a plaque and two handmade batik pictures the students had just made. We gave each of the students 7000 baht which will cover their living expenses for about 3 months. We were taken by surprise at the formality of it, but this is Thailand and they are very respectful in that way. We heard some of the students stories and they were heartbreaking, parents and siblings gone, houses gone, unsure of whether they can even finish school now without money. We hope that we helped them a little so they can stay in school as education is highly revered here.
We then visited another hospital where there was one patient remaining from the tsunami. She is a 26 yr old masseuse who was working at the beach when the tsunami hit. She was very surprised that we came there to see just one person, and I think she felt very happy about that. We asked a nurse and doctor who else we could help--she told us that the hospital needed money to buy bandages and the like to change dressings for those wounded by the tsunami who had already gone home. We gave her money directly, then she told us about a small village of people who were living under a bridge when the tsunami hit.
We went to this fishing village and they were still living in the same place amidst the rubble. They showed us where the 15 houses had stood, all of them completely gone. There were 31 adults, about 10 children 10 dogs and we had some fun laughing and talking with them through our friend June. Then they got in a line and Ron handed out 2000 baht to each adult which is about 1 month salary for a fisherman. They were very grateful and courteous and invited us back to their camp when they have a proper kitchen set up so they can cook for us.
Ron and I thought this was a great day as we felt we were able to help a lot of people and make a lot of people smile.
1/17/2005
Today we went to the hospital that was closest to the hard hit area in Thailand, Khoa Lak. Most people there were being treated for infected injuries, broken arms and legs and some head injuries. Most people we talked to lost some family members and most also lost their homes and jobs. Here are a few of the most memorable people we met:
A 15 yr old boy from the fishing village of Baan Nam Kim lost his mother and his two brothers, his 2 sisters and father are alive. he had a broken arm and other minor injuries. Since their village is wiped out the plans for the family are to move north and open a shop that sells clothing. They were a fishing family before. His name is "Popong" which means protection. He told us that it will be now be his job to protect his sisters and father.
A man in his 40's also from Bann Nam Kim lost 2 sisters, 1 brother, his mother and 6 nieces and nephews. His home was destroyed. he does not know what his plans for the future are.
A 55 year old woman sustained injuries when she took her 6 month old granddaughter to the beach to look at the "big wave" everyone was talking about. She wanted to see the spectacle for herself but unfortunately was caught by the 2nd wave and lost hold of the child. Her face showed the immense grief and remorse she felt.
A woman in her 60's lost her home, her daughter in law and all of her grandchildren in the wave. She was almost too grief-stricken to talk. Tears rolled down her face as she talked and her appreciation fo the money was obvious.
Also from Baan Nam Kim was a family whose main patient was an autistic woman in her 30's. The mother usually cared for this daughter but was killed in the wave. The younger sister now had to care for 7 members of her family somehow, she doesn't know how yet. All of the family members were living in the hospital even thought they were healthy. She slept under her sisters hospital bed.
A man of 39 lost his wife, her whole family and their beach front restaurant. He will now raise their 14 yr old son by himself. He expressed his desire to find DNA results on his wife so he could mourn her death properly. All ten of his restaurant staff died. Our Thai interpreter said that he wanted to cry when we gave him the money but he could not in front of his son.
A woman in her 40's was trapped in their house when the water came. She thought she would drown but the roof came off and she was able to escape that way. Her husband worked as a preservationist at a resort that is now gone. He told us he keeps envisioning all of the tourists he had gotten to know and imagined most didn't make it.
A man in his 30's worked at a hotel and out of 30 staff only 6 survived. He tried to help 3 of his co-workers but couldn't. He sat high in a coconut tree unitl the water went down.
A 65 year old woman said she floated back and forth in the waves for 2 hours before she was rescued. She said she was "still tired" 3 weeks later.
A couple in their 30's lost their 3 yr old girl. The woman said she missed her daughter's talking but it was getting a little better each day. She cried when she was given the money and expressed how nobody had ever given them anything before.
A man in his 40's lost his wife and 5 yr old son. They were found holding on to each other under the sand. He still has two older children. His 90 yr old mother survived when one daughter in law made sure she was attached to a tree, then the daughter was lost in the wave. The man and his mother were sharing a hospital room. He expressed his gratitude for the money most eloquently when he said "Deep in my heart I want to say thank you for your kindness. You will have a lot of good things in your life now.. You have given a man an opportunity and direction when he didn't have any." This man's story was the most touching to Ron and I, we both held back tears.
We gave all of these people about $200-400, which is the equivalent of 1 to 4 months salary, depending on their profession.
1/15/2005
In the last several days we have volunteered as follows ; we went to Phi Phi Island and fed cats and dogs, we bought 300 coloring books and distributed to Thai Kids in the village of Ban Nam Kin, we paid for 10 days of school lunches for 125 kids (75 of which lost there houses 35 one parent 10 both parents), we bought 20 school desks 2 book shelves and 2 gas out door cooker's and today we visited with around 20 Thais in a hospital and gave away around $1200. One of them in particular touched both Rebecca and I, he had lost his leg and every material possession he owned - his wife was living with him in the hospital and they seemed very down and ejected. We gave him the equivalent of three months salary and he told us it the first time in his life that anyone had given him any thing. He was very very thankful and we are certain that it will make a big difference for him in his life.
We want to say thank you to all of our friends in Seattle for helping us raise over $20,000 to date.
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