In the future, the ASEAN Education Center will take care of around 75 to 100 pupils up to the age of 16 years. Education will be provided by two qualified teachers from Cambodian and Myanmar as well as by several Thai and English speaking volunteers.
At the beginning of next year, a second event – the official inauguration of the ASEAN Education Center – will take place in the presence of His Excellency the Ambassador of the Netherlands as a guest of honour.
Around thirty Rotarians followed the invitation to attend the opening ceremony in front of the new Center in the afternoon. Besides the guests, 80 migrant children from the construction camps and some of their parents joined the wonderful event.
In the beginning of the ceremony Mr. Martin Brands, the Charter President of the Rotary Club Eastern Seaboard Pattaya, welcomed all participants and guests, including Khun Toy. After paying respect in loving memory to His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the main part of the celebration started. Martin Brands and Khun Toy introduced and welcomed the HHNFT Board Members one by one, like Khun Sophin, teachers and the HHNFT staff, Mr. Peter Malhotra and Mrs. Elfi Seitz as representatives of the press as well as guests from the Rotary Club Eastern Seaboard Pattaya, the Rotary E-Club Dolphin Pattaya International, the Rotary Club Pijnacker-Nootdorp and especially Mr. Jan de Vaan and his wife Mrs. Renee Goosen as the main sponsors of the ASEAN Education Center.
The project is based on contributions from the De Vaan Goosen Foundation and Rotary Clubs in the Netherlands, as well as in Thailand. All in all a grant of 3.5 million baht was donated by the Rotary Foundation to establish a school and shelter for all the kids who have no possibility to achieve education in a normal Thai school.
In course of the introduction of the sponsors, the new passenger truck, which was also donated by the Rotary Foundation and which will carry the children to the center in the future, was presented to the gathered guests.
Even though, His Excellency the Ambassador of the Netherlands was prevented, he prepared a heart-warming speech concerning the need to pave the way for all children to gain knowledge and to achieve education.
Apart from all the speeches on this day, the children were not forgotten. In a break in the middle of the afternoon a magician enchanted the kids by showing some of his best tricks.
After the short break with some snacks and drinks the representatives of the different Rotary Clubs gave a brief speech. Mr. Aad Scholtes, a member of the Rotary Club Pijnacker-Nootdorp, Mr. Dr. Otmar Deter, Charter President of Rotary E-Club Dolphin Pattaya International, and Mr. Podney Charman, President of the Rotary Club Eastern Seaboard Pattaya, emphasized one more time the importance of a free access to education for all children.
Later in the afternoon the children performed a lovely version of “Tulips from Amsterdam”. As well as three Kids presented in two magnificent shows a Cambodian and a Burmese song to show the diversity of the center.
In the closing ceremony Khun Phim, the headmistress of the Drop-In Center, thanked all the guests and kind sponsors on behalf of HHNFT and all teachers.
After the official part of the celebration was over, the guests had the opportunity to see the different facilities and classrooms in and around the center.
Once again, we would like to say thank you to all our generous sponsors who helped us to come this far and to realize this huge project of the ASEAN Education Center.
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