My stay in Phuket was short but sweet. The fabulous picture of me at the pool that overlooked the beach was my only two short hours of relaxation, as the next morning we left that hotel and went in to the town of Phuket for Rotary duties all day long.
First, we helped deliver 885,000 baht to 11 local fishermen who were affected by the tsunami (about $22,000).
They will get brand new boats or repairs done to old boats which will enable them to get back in business. This was made possible by four Rotary clubs- Laurie Beach Sunrise, East Idaho Falls, Magkang, and Phuket.
This is a picture of me introducing myself to the group (in English of course and then translated by Ma)-
Afterwards, we went to lunch with the District Governor (DG) and several other leaders in the Rotary Club of Phuket at the "Islamic" restaraunt of the President. I was surprised to learn that about 80% of the Thai population on this island are Muslim, which explains why I see so few Buddhist shrines here. Many women use the traditional head scarves to stay covered up, which is such an interesting contrast to the flood of tourists who walk around in shorts and a tank top.
Afterwards, we went to a ceremony for the change in leadership for the Interact Club (a Rotary-sponsored service club for high schools).
I was so pleased by the presence of so many Rotarians- three of the 6 clubs had their presidents their, as well as the DG, and about 10 other Rotarians.
That evening, we went to the installation ceremony for all 6 incoming presidents for the Rotary clubs on the island. This is a picture of me with some Rotary Youth Exchange high school students. You can tell by our jackets that are covered with pins that were gifts from Rotarians or other exchange students from around the worl that we get to meet a lot of people!
One of the clubs, in Patong Beach, is comprised of mainly foreigners and conducts their business in English. It was amazing to see the slide show of all of the work that these 6 clubs have been able to accomplish on the island since the Tsunami struck.
The following photos are from Kamala Beach. It is a smaller area and not damaged as much as some other beaches on the island, but almost all of the building that were here were obliterated and had to be rebuilt.
Although many of the shops, schools, and houses have been rebuilt, empty lots or newly beginning construction sites are pretty normal to see around the island.
This plaza is only finished halfway-
One of several monuments on the island-
While talking with the new president of the Patong Beach Club, he said that rebuilding the infrastructure on the island is pretty much complete and that luckily, the hilly geography of the island kept many parts of it undisturbed. One thing that the club has identified as a source of need which will be ongoing, is to offer educational scholarships to young children who lost one or both of their parents in the tsunami and cannot afford the low cost of education. His club is currently sponsoring about 250 children which will guarantee them schooling throughout grade 12.
First, we helped deliver 885,000 baht to 11 local fishermen who were affected by the tsunami (about $22,000).
They will get brand new boats or repairs done to old boats which will enable them to get back in business. This was made possible by four Rotary clubs- Laurie Beach Sunrise, East Idaho Falls, Magkang, and Phuket.This is a picture of me introducing myself to the group (in English of course and then translated by Ma)-
Afterwards, we went to lunch with the District Governor (DG) and several other leaders in the Rotary Club of Phuket at the "Islamic" restaraunt of the President. I was surprised to learn that about 80% of the Thai population on this island are Muslim, which explains why I see so few Buddhist shrines here. Many women use the traditional head scarves to stay covered up, which is such an interesting contrast to the flood of tourists who walk around in shorts and a tank top.
Afterwards, we went to a ceremony for the change in leadership for the Interact Club (a Rotary-sponsored service club for high schools).
I was so pleased by the presence of so many Rotarians- three of the 6 clubs had their presidents their, as well as the DG, and about 10 other Rotarians.
That evening, we went to the installation ceremony for all 6 incoming presidents for the Rotary clubs on the island. This is a picture of me with some Rotary Youth Exchange high school students. You can tell by our jackets that are covered with pins that were gifts from Rotarians or other exchange students from around the worl that we get to meet a lot of people!
One of the clubs, in Patong Beach, is comprised of mainly foreigners and conducts their business in English. It was amazing to see the slide show of all of the work that these 6 clubs have been able to accomplish on the island since the Tsunami struck.
The following photos are from Kamala Beach. It is a smaller area and not damaged as much as some other beaches on the island, but almost all of the building that were here were obliterated and had to be rebuilt.
Although many of the shops, schools, and houses have been rebuilt, empty lots or newly beginning construction sites are pretty normal to see around the island.
This plaza is only finished halfway-
One of several monuments on the island-
While talking with the new president of the Patong Beach Club, he said that rebuilding the infrastructure on the island is pretty much complete and that luckily, the hilly geography of the island kept many parts of it undisturbed. One thing that the club has identified as a source of need which will be ongoing, is to offer educational scholarships to young children who lost one or both of their parents in the tsunami and cannot afford the low cost of education. His club is currently sponsoring about 250 children which will guarantee them schooling throughout grade 12.
posted by Rebecca | 6:42 PM
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