Take Care Kids

Let's go back to where we left off. In April I went to Koh Chang to relax for a few days and I had met some Cambodian children studying in a small school in the forest. These children, with their families (those who had them) live on the brink of survival. They stay in huts with no assistance whatsoever except for the support from one Thai man, who built a hut made of hay and wood and called it school.

I had promised him I would be back, I ppromised that Take Care Kids would have done something for them. I brought some clothes for all the kids, colored pencils, crayons, some little presents for the best students and most of all, 200 kg of rice (now they can eat at least once a day for three months).

Our volunteer Piero (an Italian volunteer living in Pattaya) was with me and we arrived on the island at the "perfect" moment. A very heavy downpour caught us the very evening we arrived. Everything was missing. Part of the little dirt rooad that leads to the huts and then to the school had collapsed and we later found out that the landslides from the rains killed four people!. The connection road between the huts and the school had turned into a flooded river. A couple of kids recognise me, say hello and then tell me there's no one at school. Everyone was trying to salvage the veyr few things they owned from the heavy rains. So I ask the kids where I can find the man who's in charge of the little "school". The kids help me look for him, and finally, close to a mechanic's shop I find Khun Uan. He hugs me and invites me to follow him to go get all the kids. We find them here and there, put them on mu truck and go towards the shool, trying to cross the river road again. At a certain point, the truck gave up on us so we carry everything by hand.

The school is in tragic conditions, the rains have taken their toll. But the kids who are there (many did not come to help their families) they were enthusiastic about all the surprises. The boxes (covered in black plastic bags against the rains) really thrilled them. When the kids saw I was taking clothes (which you donated) they sighed with relief, as if to say that they really needed them. So we started distributing, and everyone got what they needed and all clothes that were left over were kept safely in little cubby holes so that they could be given to those who were not there at the time. We also gave them all the school material they needed.In the meantime, outside the rain kept pouring, but the mood was really cheerful inside. The big black eyes just could not stop shining and smiling. Piero and I both felt happy. We were happy to give something to these kids who have received very little from life so far. When it was time for us to leave, we gave each kid a piece of chewing gum (oh well! mr. dentist hahah) and then we tried crossing the river road once more. At each hut we passed the kids and their families would wave good bye. What a feeling! They know we will be back because I promised them we would. And as we always say, we make promises.....and then we keep them. See you next time from Pattaya.

TCK