The Children of Takuapa continue to write letters in thanks for the support provided by the Tsunami Relief Fund effort and donors throughout the world ...

Click HERE to see the actual letter from Nutchada ...

My name is Nutchada Choopet of Pratom 6, Baan Bang Dong School.

If the school would have got the money for the luncheon program they will be able to provide food for me and my friends. I have to buy food for lunch for 10 Baht a dish. Sometimes I don't pay because my mother has no money. The school can't give us free food because they also don't have money. If I would get this money I can use it to pay for my lunch and spend the rest for gasoline.

I have to walk to school from home, I would be very tired and I can't concentrate on my study. If my father has money to pay for gasoline, he can give me a ride to school. Now my father has no job because of the heavy rain and strong wind, he can not go out and catch fishes. His boat, nets and fishing equipment were swept away by the Tsunami.

He went to enlisted for help, they told us to wait and months went by, help arrived at last. My Grandpa's equipments were all gone too but he said he will not go and enlist because they will not help him. Therefore, my father has no money to give us to go to school. I have 4 brothers and sisters and all of us are in school.

If I get this money, I'll be able to pay for my lunch and me and my friends will be very happy. I would like to thank you for your kindness.

Nutchada Choopet

Click HERE to see the actual letter from Abdulgordesh ...

My name is Abdulgordesh Wongchareon of Pratom 6, Baan Bang Dong

School. I live at 26 Moo 5, Bang Nai See, Takuapa, Phang Nga. I go to school with Sam Lor [a motorbike with side car] but if the Sam Lor broke down or have no gasoline I have to go with neighbor's. The distance from my house to school is 5 km., with 3 km. pave road and 2 km. asphalt road. My mother gives me money to school 5 Baht per day. But sometimes if she doesn't have money I would get very few to school.

Sometimes I have to bring my lunch to eat at school because my father earns very few money. His boat and fishing equipments were swept away by Tsunami. The Government that came in to help told my father they will buy a new set of equipments for us. But it has been months since then, we still see no sign.

The man who buy crabs from my father was missing from the Tsunami when he was in Baan Nam Khem. His relatives still can't find the body. My father has to find a new buyer but he can't sell for good price any more. The money he earns is not enough to pay for me and my 6 brothers and sisters.

I'm studying at Baan Bang Dong School, and because of short of budget the school have to charge us for luncheon. If I would get this money I will be able to pay for my lunch and spent the rest to buy gasoline.

I would like to thank you to the kind donors for donation that will help pay for my lunch and also for my 6 brothers and sisters.

Thank you very much.

Click HERE to see the actual letter from Piromporn ...

My name is Piromporn Homhual of Pratom 5, Baan Bang Dong School.

I am 10 years old and I have 6 brothers and sisters. Mostly we got money to school 5 Baht per day but food for lunch is 10 Baht. Sometimes we don't have money to pay.

After school I have to walk home. My father catches and sells prawns. When that [Tsunami] happened his equipments were all swept away. He lost his job and has no money.

If I would get this 500 Baht, I will pay for my food at school and give the rest to my parents. If they get this money from me, they will be very happy.

If there was no Tsunami that day, my father wouldn't have lost his job.

Click HERE to see the actual letter from Prasert ...

My name is Prasert Chareonrak, I am 10 years old of Pratom 5, Baan Bang Dong School.

My father doesn't have much money. I go to school with money 5 Baht a day but it's not enough to buy food for lunch. Therefore I help my father to work as a fisherman, such things as catch fishes and crabs. But sometimes we can't sell what we caught, the teacher helps us and buys them.

After school I have to wait for my father to pick me up. Sometimes I have to walk home from school because my father has no money to pay for gasoline. My house is 3-4 km from school and it takes us about 1 hour to walk back home. When we arrive at home I help my father work, put the net down in the water, to earn extra money for the family.

Thank you for your kindness.

Click HERE to see the actual letter from Jiraya ...

My name is Jiraya Ha-Ngor of Pratom 6, Baan Bang Dong School.

My house is very far from school, I have to walk about 2.5 km. to school because the gasoline price is very expensive. I got money to school 5 Baht a day. I have to bring my rice from home to eat at lunch because the food at the school is very expensive, like 10 Baht a dish. I have to bring my own food for lunch but sometimes I only have plain rice because I have nothing to eat with.

This time my family have no money. Even my mother is not a fisherman but she is also effected by the Tsunami. Sometimes when I go to school I don't have money at all. After school, sometimes there is a transfer back home but I don't go with them because I have no money to pay. Therefore I have to walk from school back home 2.5 km. everyday.

When I'm home I'll do the cleaning, the dishes. Then I eat dinner, I only have plain rice. But whenever I have good food to eat I'm very happy. If I would get this money, I'll have money to buy delicious food and I can pay for a transfer from school back home and don't have to walk. I will have good food to eat at school and I will be very diligent and concentrate on my study. I will help my mother work and get more money so when I grow up I will have good job.

I would like to thank you for your kindness.

Jiraya Ha- Ngor

Click HERE to see the actual letter from Pisek ...

On Sunday [December 26, 2004] my father went to work in Bang Sak. When the big waves struck he ran up to the higher building, so he's safe. My Grandma lived in Tai Muang, we still can't find her body.

My mother and father have arguments a lot. She took my brother and ran away, now she has a new boyfriend in Krabi. My father lost his job and then he's got the new job in Bang Yon. He has to go to work and come back home very late.

Sometimes I have no money to go to school. My house is 4 km. from school. The teachers help me by lend me a bike to ride to school and back home everyday. Some day when my father works late I have to stay home alone, I have no good food to eat. I have to make rice and eat with fishsauce. When I have time, I go out and catch crabs, sometimes I catch 5 or 6 crabs. I bring them back home and boil them and eat.

If I would get this 500 Baht I will be very happy. Because I can use this money to pay for my food and I can help my father too. I am so sad and very pity of him that he has to go to work very far away and has no time to stay with me.

Pisek Saweksakorn, Pratom 4, Baan Bang Dong School.

Click HERE to see the actual letter from Roya ...

My name is Roya Jinda of Pratom 5, Baan Bang Dong School.

I am 10 years old. I have a younger brother. My brother and I got money to school 5 Baht per day. After school we have to walk back home. Sometimes I don't have money to pay for lunch because it is 10 Baht.

On the day of the Tsunami, my father's boat was destroyed, all the equipments, nets, fishing rods were swept away. If I would get this money I will be able to pay for lunch and give the rest to my parent. I will be very proud to help them.

If there was no Tsunami that day my father wouldn't have lose his job. I want to help them as much as I could and I am proud to do so. If I get this 500 Baht I'll save in the bank to use when we need money.

Thank you for your kindness to give me money this time.

Click HERE to see the actual letter from Wasinee ...

My name is Wasinee Klamnakorn of Pratom 5, Baan Bang Dong School.

I'm 10 years old, we are 3 children in the family and all of us are in school. My parents are construction workers and earn 100 Baht per day [equivalent to $2.50 US] My father has no money. If I would get this 500 Baht I will give some to my parents. Sometimes when they don't have money they have to go around and borrow money from friends.

My parents have no home to stay, we have to stay at the teacher's house because my house is old and wrecking. My brothers and I got money to school 5 Baht per day, I have no money to pay for my lunch because it's 10 Baht.

Thank you for your kindness.

If you'd like to help spread the word about the Fund, please download a PDF copy of our Relief Poster below to print out and post on your local public bulletin boards, or send to your friends.