Chiang Mai International Rotary Club (CMIRC)-Kru Payu and Safe Child Thailand Children’s Water Safety and Drowning Prevention Program
Sponsored By CMIRC, Safe Child Thailand Foundation, Australian Direct Aid Program, and the British Community in Thailand Foundation for the Needy
July has been a busy month for the CMIRC Children’s Water Safety and Drowning Prevention Program; school is in session, so we have programs going in several locations.
Australian Direct Aid Program GrantWe just learned that the Australian Embassy Staff will be visiting Chiang Mai on August 9 and 10, so we are busy planning a certificate ceremony in Phrao for the 128 children from the Ban Chaeng Khu Ruang Municipal School (ร.ร.บ้านแจ่งกู่เรือง) who completed the survival swimming and water safety course in Phrao this year. The ceremony will take place on Friday, August 9 at around 3pm. The Phrao program was funded this year by the Australian Direct Aid Grant Program. We learned that in addition to the visiting Australian Embassy staff, Ron Elliott the Australian Honorary Consul here in Chiang Mai, will also be able to attend the ceremony on the 9th.
The final swim course for this Australian Direct Aid Grant will be at the BanYa Migrant Learning Centre in Phuket in late August.
Phetchabun We are happy to report that with the help of the Safe Child Thailand Foundation and the Rotary Clubs of Lom Sak and Phetchabun Muang, 58 children have completed our survival swimming and water safety course. We hope to continue to work with the Rotary Clubs in Phetchabun Province to expand and improve this program this coming year.
Patong Beach
The Rotary Club of Patong Beach (RCoPB) Larry Amsden Swim Safe Programme, under the leadership of program chair, Johan Storck, is continuing the program with the Ban Sai Nam Yen School this year, with approximately one-hundred 4th-graders. Final plans are in place for a special swim teacher training program for September 12 to 16 when Eve Fraser and her trainer-volunteers from the Oz Swim Aquatics/Global Swim Aquatics will provide Australian Swim Coaches and Teachers Association international certification-level courses for our Larry Amsden Swim Safe Programme team in Patong Beach. Lead teacher Gob and Rotary Club of Patong Beach Past President Karen are also actively involved in the planning.
The Rotary Club of Patong Beach (RCoPB) Larry Amsden Swim Safe Programme, under the leadership of program chair, Johan Storck, is continuing the program with the Ban Sai Nam Yen School this year, with approximately one-hundred 4th-graders. Final plans are in place for a special swim teacher training program for September 12 to 16 when Eve Fraser and her trainer-volunteers from the Oz Swim Aquatics/Global Swim Aquatics will provide Australian Swim Coaches and Teachers Association international certification-level courses for our Larry Amsden Swim Safe Programme team in Patong Beach. Lead teacher Gob and Rotary Club of Patong Beach Past President Karen are also actively involved in the planning.
British Community in Thailand Foundation for the Needy program in PhraoWe have received the funds donated by the British Community in Thailand Foundation for the Needy (BCTFN) and we are ready to start swim programs for the 4th-graders at the Ban Chaeng Khu Ruang School (ร.ร.บ้านแจ่งกู่เรือง) in August and teach all 140 4th graders there from August to November. In Phrao, we organize the survival swimming and water safety courses with our partner organization, the Warm Heart Foundation.
Chiang Mai, CMIRC-Sponsored ProgramCourses for the 2019-2020 Rotary Year continue, we have already taught nearly 100 4th-graders in 3 of the 11 municipal schools we sponsor. All 11 will be completed before the school break in March.
Swiss Lanna Society Chiang MaiFinally, the Swiss Lanna Society donated the proceeds from the tombola raffle at their Swiss National Day Event on August 1st to our Children’s Water Safety and Drowning Prevention Program in Chiang Mai. The ticket and raffle sales were brisk and they raised an amazing 100,000 baht at the event, enough to sponsor 5 of our 11 Chiang Mai municipal schools this year. This was a wonderful event, with food and music, and entertainment. All nationalities were welcome at the Equestrian Skill Center Chiang Mai. We very much appreciate the support of the Swiss community in Chiang Mai.