Wednesday

This morning we set off for the Fountain of Life children's project. We were taken upstairs and Sr Joan talked to us about their work with children from the slums. The children come to the project from the age of 3 until they go the school. Each child brings 1 baht for their lunch, 1 baht for children who are less fortunate than them (although this is hard to imagine for us), and 1 baht which is saved for them so that when they leave to go to school they will have money to be able to pay for shoes and other essentials. It also teaches the children and their families the value of saving even when they have very little. The children are also taught how to wash their hands before eating and how to brush their teach using a mug of water as they do not have sinks and running water at home. Older children who have never attended school are also at the project, they are taught to basic literacy and numeracy so that they can sit the exams to get their primary certificate. After sister had talked to us we looked round the chapel and then went downstairs to be with the children.

The children were divided into 4 groups according to their ages. One of the groups were older - they were doing cooking when we arrived. We were pleased to see some of the children from the Drop-in center and Street Kids' home in this group. There was great excitement when we went in with the youngest children because Condu was there and he started telling all his friends that we had taken him to Pattaya Park the previous day! There was also a little girl in the next class who clung to our girls because she was so thrilled to see them. We are going back to work with the children on Friday afternoon.

After lunch we were taken by bus to the School for Blind Children. We waited for them to arrive outside, and then each took a little one by the hand and led them down the road to the beach. The walk is fairly slow as it is quite difficult to negotiate with traffic and parked cars and motor bikes along the way. We also have to get the children down a flight of steps to the sand. When we got to the beach it was decided it was too hot (?) for the children to go in the sea, so we all walked along to some shade and then walked the children along to edge of the sea for a paddle. The had a good time splashing in the water. A kind passing gentleman gave me 1000 baht to buy all the children an ice-cream, so we all sat down and enjoyed eating them, except for Mr James who had an ice-cream filled with kidney beans! We then walked the children back to school, where they all went to the taps and washed their hands. We got back on the bus and returned to the center.

After a quick shower we set off to Luk Dod to do our souvenier shopping. We managed to get Mrs Amphlett onto the bus and she was so thrilled to join us on the trip, then we all back to have our supper. Another very full day.