Rotary Club of Patong Beach Community Services Projects
Scholarship Report Prepared by Dr Peter W Harris Chair
of the Scholarship Committee
“We can lift ourselves out of ignorance, we can find ourselves as creatures of excellence and intelligence and skill. “His sorrow was not solitude, it was that other gulls refused to believe the glory of flight that awaited them; they refused to open their eyes and see” Jonathon Livingston Seagull “
Preamble: The Scholarship program in the 2107/18 Rotary year funded 127 recipients which is very significant intervention and “Making a Difference” which aims at assisting students to be “creatures of excellence” with independent skills to live a meaningful life.
Thanks: The RCoPB thanks the original donors, current donors, directors and staff of agencies, PP Larry for his initial working of setting up the programme, Boon who followed, Hans for his meticulous accounting, Songkran Kongmuang for his interpreting and communication, and the many teachers who are involved in teaching, which gives these students a chance.
Background
After the program had been operating for some ten years, and most of the tsunami directly impacted students had completed schooling, I took the opportunity to visit every center (and the famous Kronkei toilet) to assess the current status of the project and whether changes should be made to the scholarship fund. Essentially RCoPB distributed the funds to centers and schools who then undertook to distribute and check all the compliance requirements.
With the help of a Thai translator I checked:
(a) That the students on the lists were actually at school and attending.
(b) The money had actually been paid to the families via a bank passbook (an important requirement to ensure there is no breach of the US tax law.
(c) What were the educational programs they were engaged in.
(d) What did the directors suggest, as ways of improving the scholarship project.
(e) What were the identified costs in each different location.
In summary I found:
(a) That the Mercy Centre, Andaman Discoveries, Home and Life and Child Watch acted very professionally and should be recognized for their efforts.
(b) Government schools had many staff and director changes, and it was more difficult to maintain regular communication.
(c) The agencies all believed they would prefer more scholarships rather than an increase for inflation.
(d) All the agencies were supportive that the scholarships be used to allow students to complete secondary and enter technical or university education.
(e) PP Larry argued that the original commitment to Child Watch with Inflation, and change of year level scholarships added, should be continued. Child Watch is also based in Phuket Town area where education costs are significantly higher.
(f) The actual costs varied depending on what was being provided. (i.e. books, travel, accommodation)
As a result, in the year 2016/17 the scholarship numbers were reduced from
101 to 75. Many students had left, and many young girls left for marriage. Forty of the students were Moken.
All the original documents have been archived and stored with Jaspal Singh.
New Scholarship project 2016 Report.
(a) This commenced in 2016, and confirmed all the existing students, less those removed, i.e. 75 and a new set of files were established.
(b) The new program targeted the needs of individual students, and each student was personally interviewed.
(c) A new Excel spreadsheet, called “Recipients” was prepared, which records the students, the institution, the academic year and with some help of Mr. Peter Dolphin, some financial modeling was undertaken. These have been tabled at regular board meetings.
A capacity was determined from the interest received, for the board to determine should there be a requirement to pay for compliance costs.
(d) At the September 22, 2017 Board meeting, the Scholarship Committee Report was tabled and included all the recipients, support for environment management students (PSU) and the need to focus on literacy (incl English) in the Patong region.
(e) To celebrate the life of the former King, a post graduate scholarship was established in the area of environment management, at the PSU University @ 125,000 Baht per year, for two years with potential continuation, and a 50,000 Baht donation from Shousen Hill (Hong Kong) for two years each for resources was received. Ten other undergraduate awards were made in environment management, as a long-term investment in Tsunami protection.
(f) There remains a capacity to respond to cases in need, and support is provided for two students, whose mother was murdered, one girl with a hole in the heart and one with a special disability.
A report was tabled at the AGM on December 15th 2017, and raised the issue that within the next 5-year time frame whether the RCoPB should:
(a) Continue as it is.
(b) Discharge all future liabilities.
(c) Establish a new scholarship program.
It was left for the 2019 /2020 Board to determine
The Future:
The Scholarship project is a diversified engagement in education which provides for students from the Andaman area, poorer students from the Phuket Town region and is now extended through literacy projects to Patong and Kalim. The fund continues to support students with disabilities. With advice from the centre directors and a desire to encourage students to keep going to school, vocational training and university environment management the fund supports some 17 in advanced learning which are included in the overall number of 118 at a cost of 860,000 Baht
It is a wonderful effort.
Dr. Peter Harris
Rotary Club Dinner Out at Naughty Nuri's in The Forest
PP Sam was very much involved and remains on the Child Watch Board 
