The Rotary Club of Pattaya is supporting the Street Kids Home located in Soi Nernplubwan outside Pattaya.
As Pattaya becomes more popular as a holiday destination, more people move to the town to earn a living. Unfortunately the streets of Pattaya are not paved with gold, which means that many children who come to Pattaya are in danger of having to beg, steal or prostitute themselves to make enough money to eat.
The first Street Kids home was situated in the center of Pattaya, in a small run down house. Started in 1990, it was at first difficult to get the children to stay as there was too much temptation to go back onto the streets. Also, due to the home being so small, there was a limit to the number of children who could be accommodated.
In 2000, a new home was built on land several miles from the city center and all the boys were moved into it. Being in the countryside, which is where most Thais live, the boys settled down to a normal life. They grew fruit and vegetables, and kept chickens and fished in the stream running alongside the home. Within a year the home was extended to accommodate more boys.
Meanwhile, the girls were still living at the original home in the center of Pattaya, so it was decided that they should also have their own home next to the boy’s home.
In 2002, a new five-story building was opened and the girls moved into their new home. On the day they moved in, each girl was met by a young boy who gave them a red rose as a welcome gift, and carried their bags up to their new bedrooms. There is now room for 80 girls.
In 2003, it was decided that the boy’s home was too small, and so building work began on a new home for all the boys. The new boys home, when filled to capacity, will be able to accommodate 320 boys.
There are many ways we can organize projects to make life better for the children who have gone though such a hard life and bad experiences.
For further information or a pledge to support this project, please contact our club president Niels Colov on email: president@rotary-pattaya.com
