01-24-2008, 02:01 PM
You all know me by now.. that crazy lady with some cause or other all the time. Yep, that is me. Well, here in Thailand, I am in a little village most of the time in the Omkoi district. This is in the North West part of the country, isolated from most everything. I am living with the people of National Geographic and have the photos to demonstrate that!
I have been graciously provided with a little house of my own in the village by a man from the UK. It came with a 16 year old girl to take care of me. Yikes!! Upon some exploration, I discovered a few things.
1. She was about to be discontinued in school. Her tuition has not been paid and hard as mom tries, she can barely feed her 5 chldren. She is a semester behind. Tuition is not that much but against food.... so of course I paid not only the past due tuition but all her tuition for three full years so she is guaranteed to graduate high school.
2. In investigating the family living situation I found a three room bamboo hut with the floor collapsing and leaning sadly to one side. Dad is your basic alcoholic, feeling helpless and hopeless. They are both illiterate. Culture here does not allow for her to leave him. These are the Karen Hill people, not regular Thai's. So, of course, I began helping mom with some food to supplement their 95% diet os rice. It is amazing what a little vegetable and fruit addition does.... For the first time since my week in the villae, I saw dad not drinking at 4 PM and instead sitting on the floor with his wife and children eating. Maybe a little hope goes a long way? Home made whiiskey is unfortunately available for less than food...
3. So why am I telling you this? To make myself sound generous? NOPE. And you probably guessed it. I NEED HELP. I have found a local builder who can keep the roof and the corner posts, tear out the bamboo walls and floor and replace them with wood. I need $1000. That's it. It's not much but a lot on my current budget. So, if anyone has any interest in helping out, even a $20 donation would make a difference. $100 would make my heart pound. Anything would really help me with this project right now.
Mom weaves cloth at night. A buyer comes through once a year and leaves thread, collects the cloth and pays her a little. With this she buys rice for the year. The odd jobs she does during the day include everyting from gardening to mixing cement... I have photos to show it. As hungry as her family may be, I saw the other day an old woman come by and ask for some lettuce from the garden. She did not hesitate but pulled two nice heads and gave them to her. With an interpreter I learned that the old woman has no family and begs food daily. She is 80 and alone. Everyone feeds her a little. This is truely a village.
Punaweb is a village too. I know I have no right, but I am asking anyway. If you can send anything at all, just mail it to Pam Lamont, PO Box 1264, mountain view, 96771. Mark the envelope "Thai Project" and husband Bob wll put it in the bank so I can draw it out here.
I know it is a lot to ask but you guys are the best. If we just get them sheltered a little better before the rains season, we are busy planting gardens for more vegetables, etc... the eldest girl is going to finish school and that will be the driving force for the rest of the smaller ones too. We can change an entire family's life here.
Feel free to email me directly if you have anything negative to say pslamont@yahoo.com . Let's keep things positive on here. I do understand that I am asking a LOT for a family that is not in Puna.
Thank you. (Khap Kun Ka'a).
Pam
Just another day in P A R A D I S E !!
I have been graciously provided with a little house of my own in the village by a man from the UK. It came with a 16 year old girl to take care of me. Yikes!! Upon some exploration, I discovered a few things.
1. She was about to be discontinued in school. Her tuition has not been paid and hard as mom tries, she can barely feed her 5 chldren. She is a semester behind. Tuition is not that much but against food.... so of course I paid not only the past due tuition but all her tuition for three full years so she is guaranteed to graduate high school.
2. In investigating the family living situation I found a three room bamboo hut with the floor collapsing and leaning sadly to one side. Dad is your basic alcoholic, feeling helpless and hopeless. They are both illiterate. Culture here does not allow for her to leave him. These are the Karen Hill people, not regular Thai's. So, of course, I began helping mom with some food to supplement their 95% diet os rice. It is amazing what a little vegetable and fruit addition does.... For the first time since my week in the villae, I saw dad not drinking at 4 PM and instead sitting on the floor with his wife and children eating. Maybe a little hope goes a long way? Home made whiiskey is unfortunately available for less than food...
3. So why am I telling you this? To make myself sound generous? NOPE. And you probably guessed it. I NEED HELP. I have found a local builder who can keep the roof and the corner posts, tear out the bamboo walls and floor and replace them with wood. I need $1000. That's it. It's not much but a lot on my current budget. So, if anyone has any interest in helping out, even a $20 donation would make a difference. $100 would make my heart pound. Anything would really help me with this project right now.
Mom weaves cloth at night. A buyer comes through once a year and leaves thread, collects the cloth and pays her a little. With this she buys rice for the year. The odd jobs she does during the day include everyting from gardening to mixing cement... I have photos to show it. As hungry as her family may be, I saw the other day an old woman come by and ask for some lettuce from the garden. She did not hesitate but pulled two nice heads and gave them to her. With an interpreter I learned that the old woman has no family and begs food daily. She is 80 and alone. Everyone feeds her a little. This is truely a village.
Punaweb is a village too. I know I have no right, but I am asking anyway. If you can send anything at all, just mail it to Pam Lamont, PO Box 1264, mountain view, 96771. Mark the envelope "Thai Project" and husband Bob wll put it in the bank so I can draw it out here.
I know it is a lot to ask but you guys are the best. If we just get them sheltered a little better before the rains season, we are busy planting gardens for more vegetables, etc... the eldest girl is going to finish school and that will be the driving force for the rest of the smaller ones too. We can change an entire family's life here.
Feel free to email me directly if you have anything negative to say pslamont@yahoo.com . Let's keep things positive on here. I do understand that I am asking a LOT for a family that is not in Puna.
Thank you. (Khap Kun Ka'a).
Pam
Just another day in P A R A D I S E !!
I want to be the kind of woman that, when my feet
hit the floor each morning, the devil says
"Oh Crap, She's up!"
hit the floor each morning, the devil says
"Oh Crap, She's up!"