Duang Prateep Foundation

Monthly Newsletter for July 2015

Tisco Bank host lunch for underprivileged children

On the occasion of 10th

Anniversary of Tisco

Bank Public Company Limited. The

administrators and staff came to feed lunch to

the students at Duang Prateep Kindergarten. Ms.

Prateep Ungsongtham Hata, Founder &

Secretary-general welcomed them. The Tisco

team also visited Klong Toey Cooperative and

walk -toured to see the daily life in the slum.

Farewell to Mr. Ron van Wagtendonk

Mr. Ron van Wagtendonk, chairperson of the Wings of Support

Foundation (WoS) visited the Duang Prateep Foundation (DPF) and

also introduced the new coordinator of WoS to the foundation.

WoS has over 10 years of supporting the poor, underprivileged

children around the world, especially the poor children in slum

Klong Toey run by DPF. Mr. Ron van Wagtendonk, a staff member

of KLM Airlines, has tirelessly led WoS for ten years. He recently

welcomed on board Mr. Frank Hop, also from KLM, who will be

taking over WoS’s great work in the years ahead. Funding for their

worthwhile projects comes entirely from the generous hearts and

goodwill of KLM staff members, with logistical support from the

KLM company. In Thailand, WoS has initiated numerous projects

benefitting children in the care of DPF, and bringing happy smiles

to thousands of kids. DPF gave a farewell ceremony for Mr. Ron

van Wagtendonk and welcomed Mr. Frank Hop, the new

coordinator. After that they visited and saw the progress of the “Children’s Back-to-School” project

supported by WoS at the ChumchonmoobanPattana School next to DPF, and met 4 teachers who

received “Good Teachers- Role Model of the Community” awards from DPF.

Ex-Trainees of Asian Social Welfare Workers Visit DPF

Forty ex- trainees of Asian Social Welfare Workers from

Japan National Council of Social Welfare (JNSCW) from

many countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia, Sri-lanka,

Philippines, Japan and Thailand came to join the

Regional Seminar for JNCSW Ex-Trainees on Community

Based Social Development and to set up networks, on

14-17thJuly 2015. This seminar was arranged for them to

visit all the organizations at which those representatives

were ex-trainees. Duang Prateep Foundation also was

one place where all ex-trainees paid a visit and learnt

the issues on Klong Toey Community problems, and

Klong Toey Model project. One DPF staff was an ex-

trainee of JNCSW.

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Lifeworks Internationals: new challenge

DPF welcomed to Thailand a group of

twelve youths from USA and Canada as

part of the Lifeworks International cultural

exchange program. This is the eleventh

consecutive year that international students

have come to learn more about our

country. During their 3-week stay, the boys

and girls engaged with Thai youths in a

range of cultural activities through DPF.

Such visits are an excellent way to promote

two-way knowledge, understanding and

friendship.

Lifeworks International is an American teenager group, which

offers incredible community service, summer programs and

overseas travel for high school students. Programs combine

adventure travel, cultural immersion, community service, and

global education during extraordinary expeditions around the

world. Lifeworks students are aged 14-18 years old. This year

12 youths and 2 coordinators from Lifeworks came to do

environment activities such as mangrove tree planting,

learning, Thai traditional cooking, playing sports with

children, training in saving lives in emergency incidents,

planting rice, learning Thai traditions, painting and

decorating a community children’s center etc.

Friendly Football Match

Sunday, 19th

July was the day of the big, friendly

football match between Thailand’s national

women’s football team and the Channel 3 All-

Stars. The venue was the stadium of Thai

Premier League club, Port Authority F.C.

Despite the players’ keen competitiveness, it

was all for a good cause – to raise funds for the

work of two development NGOs in the Klong

Toey slum communities. Both organizations,

including the DPF, benefitted from generous

100,000 Baht donations. Ms. Nualphan Lamsam,

manager of the Thailand national women’s football team, was on hand to present the donations.

of course, the Thai women trounced the All-Stars 5-3.

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Bid farewell to Mr. Izawa

Emeritus Prof. Sant Hathirat, Chairperson and

Mrs. Prateep Ungsongtham Hata, founder,

held a luncheon to bid farewell and thank Mr.

Osamu Izawa, Political Minister at the

Embassy of Japan in Thailand on Thursday,

23rd

July. He has been promoted to a higher

position in Australia.

DPF also conducted a Thai traditional

ceremony (Bai Sri) to wish him and his family

a happy and safe journey and successful work

in the future. DPF has been helping the underprivileged children and slum people for 38 years

with the help of those benefactors and kindhearted people who understand the slum conditions.

We would like to express our deep appreciation for all Mr. Izawa’s kind and generous support during his

time in our country

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The “Five- Precepts-Village Project” in Klong Toey

On 25th

July, the Director of Klong Toey

District office joined with Wat Klong Toey Nai

Temple and organizations in Klong Toey

including DPF, military officials, and local

policemen to participate in Buddhists activity:

"The five - precepts - village" which was

initiated by His Holiness Somdet

Phramaharatchamangkhlachan, Acting Supreme

Patriarch of Thailand. This activity promotes the

five precepts to be used as a guide to create

happiness in the people and the nation. The

convoy consisted of a school marching band,

employees, students, soldiers and residents in

the area. 600 people started the procession from the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center to

Wat Klong Toey Nai temple. A better understanding of the purpose of the precepts will enable

people to practice the precepts correctly for maximum benefit, and to the benefit of the true

precepts.

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Candle Procession on Buddhist Lent Day

On 29th

July, students, elder citizens and guardians

joined the annual candle procession ceremony on the

occasion of Buddhist Lent on 31st

July. The ceremony

started with monks conducting their religious ceremony,

after that participants set up the procession before

marching around the community. Four children

representatives wearing traditional Thai costumes sat on

the parade float. All participants walked and danced at

the head of the procession.

A Candle Festival on Buddhist Lent takes place in all

parts of Thailand. Buddhists usually perform merit

making: giving alms to monks, attending sermons and

participating in candlelight procession and believe that

offering bathing robes (garments worn by monks) and

candles to monks as a means of light will also brighten

up their future.

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Duang Prateep Foundation, 34 Lock 6, Art Narong Road, Klong Toey, Bangkok 10110 Thailand

Tel: (+66)2-671-4045~8 Fax: (+66)2-249-5254 Email:dpf_found@hotmail.com