The Rotary Club of Petaluma

Helping Children in Thailand

Jim Becker sent these photos in December 2013 demonstrating how the Petaluma Rotary Club, working with other Rotary Clubs from around the world, is improving the lot of Thai children by providing potable water and school supplies.

Welcome to schools as students lined the entrance with flags and banners as our team from Australia, China, Thailand and USA arrived.

Within 4 days, we visited 18 schools and delivered English-Thai Dictionaries along with needed sports equipment and fruits and juices, shared fresh clean water for students and local residents of their community near Ubon in Eastern Thailand.

Typical Water System installed in each school funded by Rotary Matching Grant cost about $2,700 USD. Local schools and community leaders and volunteers provide the slab, house for system, and build the fountain for water drinking and usage.

Each school visited received an ample supply of English-Thai Dictionaries and was received as much needed to assist the English teachers in helping the students learn English.

Dictionaries played a large role in this Project. We now have International Interest to produce a similar Dictionary in English-Mandarin (Chinese) and also produce a Dictionary for Nepal. There has been further discussion by the Rotaract Club to develop and create a tri-lingual Rotary dictionary or in English-Mandarin-Thai.

This local Teacher loves our English-Thai Dictionary so much that she wants every student in her school to learn English and graduate bi-lingual!

Each school has this sign posted on the Water Filter System that clearly states our Club’s "Petaluma" name and our District 5130 along with the other Clubs participating in this Global Matching Grant. Our Club has clearly had a very positive impact on the youth and citizens of these 18 communities where we installed water systems and delivered school supplies.