Wanderlust: Expat Life & Style in Thailand December 2014 / January 2015 | Page 42

Life & Travel

Giving Back to Phuket
Text and Photos by: Frei Schrijver-Bollen

It’s the time of year when many of us are buying gifts for loved ones
near and dear to us. Some of you might also have room in your hearts
and purses to give to underprivelged people or to animals that need
help. Please take a look at some of the charities on the island in the list
below. Perhaps you will be able to make a difference to one of them
either through donations or by giving your time.
PHUKET HAS
BEEN GOOD TO
US FOUNDATION
The mission of the Phuket Has Been
Good To Us (PHBGTU) Foundation
is to improve the economic opportunities and life chances of young
people by funding and implementing high quality, practical English
language education in government
schools on Phuket Island.
The Foundation is the brainchild
of Tom McNamara, a local
restaurateur with a vision
for the future. In 2005, in the wake
of the 2004 tsunami disaster, Mr.
McNamara approached a local Thai
schoolmaster to inquire how he could
best help the school on Kalim Beach.
Both men desired something longterm and sustainable for the island.
The Headmaster of the school
expressed his concern about
the quality of English education,
so the idea to set up an English
language program arose.
The PHBGTU Foundation
now provides programs
for developing English skills through
formal education as well as through
after school and non-curricula
activities. The organization teaches
English to over 1,000 children ages
3–18 in three government schools.
Their extra-curricular program,
the Coconut Club, is for the 130
orphaned children who live in
the Rachaprachnukroh School. In
the afternoon and on weekends,
teachers plan arts and crafts, cooking
classes, and team building games.
On weekends, they bring the kids
for swimming classes in local hotels
or at the beach. They also run sports
activities and organize regular
birthday parties. The Coconut Club
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gives the children an opportunity to
do fun activities outside the routine
of their school lives in a safe
environment. At the same time, the
club exposes them to more English,
which improves their language skills.

WHAT CAN YOU
DO TO HELP?
PHBGTU receives no government
funding and relies solely on the generosity of people to continue its work.
They organize many great fundraising
events throughout the year, which
always sell out quickly. Proceeds
from ticket sales, auction, and raffle
prizes go directly to the Foundation.
Besides attending PHBGTU fundraising events, there are many other
ways of supporting this foundation.
You can:
1. Donate money
2. Sponsor a