Barbara Ellington, Acting Lifestyle Editor
BANKOK, Thailand:
AS MANY of Thailand's citizens brace themselves for the onset of a typhoon this week, survivors of the December 26, 2004, tsunami are slowly getting their lives back on track. One such community is an island in Panang Province, near Pukhet, whose citizens were the recipients of US$28,000, donated by Jamaica earlier this year.
The money was raised through the efforts of Mrs. Thalia Lyn, Honorary Consul General to the Kingdom of Thailand, corporate citizens, students and members of the media, who made appeals for assistance to tsunami victims. The cheque was presented to Ambassador Kasitt Piromya when he visited Jamaica early this year.
Mrs. Lyn is currently leading a delegation of Jamaican businessmen on a trade mission to Thailand. Ed Pirom, managing director of Pongpom Limited, told The Gleaner that Jamaica's donation was used to repair and purchase new fishing boats, restore a pond that keeps water for domestic purposes, purchase fishing equipment, fix schools, repair a badly destroyed pier, build new communal bathrooms and purchase a bus to transport children to school and adults to the doctor.
"I have been working as a volunteer for seven months in the Panang province and my task included monitoring the committee of eight villagers who were charged with the responsibility of spending the money," said Mr. Pirom, who travelled from his home in Bankok to the tsunami-ravaged coast up to three days weekly.
PEOPLE'S MORAL BETTER
He said that the over 20 badly affected villages in the province are slowly returning to normal and preparing to return to sea at the start of the upcoming fishing season in October.
"The morale of the people is better now and what we need is to teach the people how to start businesses on their own and give them more expertise in building houses made from mud blocks," Mr. Pirom said.
On Monday, three members of the Jamaican delegation were interviewed by Radio Saranrom at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. They also met with executives of the 65-year-old Loxley Public Company Limited, whose 30 companies are involved in manufacturing and distributing a wide range of goods and services. The also met with Mr. Khwankeo Vajarodaya, chairman of the Rajprajanugroh Foundation, established 44 years ago to assist Thailand's orphans.
The Jamaican delegation returns to Jamaica on Sunday.
