T-shirt Project - progress update

Another 18 t-shirts heading to Tokyo.

Thanks Ray for co-ordinating sales in Tokyo.

Convoy for Kids Day 2007

The Convoy for Kids Day outing to Safari World was held on Sunday 25 November.

Sister Joan was invited to attend with families from the slum communities whom she assists.

A few photos have been added. More soon.

Trying on the t-shirts

Queuing at the Safari World entrance

A wave to the camera before starting the day.

Group photo

Enjoying the day

Thanks to the organisers of the Convoy for Kids Day for allowing the children from the slum communities to attend and enjoy such a unique experience.

T-shirt Project - progress update

34 t-shirts were donated to those attending the Convoy for Kids Day.

Everyone looked great in the shirts!

T-shirt Project - progress update

Another 3 t-shirts heading to Italy - the first Sister Joan t-shirts in Italy!

Phuket Plus TV program - A Unique Pie Drive for Charity

To view the Phuket Plus program on the Sister Joan Pie Drive, go to the Phuket Plus website, click on Archives, scroll through the program list until you find Week 34 (Sat 14 April) and click play.

The Pie Drive is the first segment (from 0.55 seconds to 14 mins 30 seconds).

The segment also includes sections on the T-shirt Project and Sister Joan's Milk Run.

Phuket Plus TV program transcript - A Unique Pie Drive for Charity

A transcript of the Phuket Plus program is now available on Sister Joan's website.

See - Phuket Plus - A Unique Pie Drive for Charity.

A few excerpts:

GENEVIEVE BULLUSS: The pie drive came up over Christmas. I still hadn’t organised to get the pies yet and so asked her could we do it as a fundraiser. I had been working with Sister Joan a little bit and I knew she always needed money. Her big aim is to get the children out of the slums and into school.

SISTER JOAN EVANS: This is going towards education, education of the children, who are all very poor. It may contribute to the uniforms but, on the other hand, it will most probably go into books and school fees and even fares and food that will enable them to go to school every day.

ROD MCNEIL: Sister, can we say that this is an all Australian effort?

SISTER JOAN EVANS: I think it is an all Australian effort.

.....

ROD MCNEIL: It certainly is. Sister, you’ve been working to this same end for a long time now, haven’t you, in Bangkok?

SISTER JOAN EVANS: I have. I’ve been working with the children for 15 years now.

ROD MCNEIL: I suppose when people get to hear of your work, they really want to assist if they can.

SISTER JOAN EVANS: I think so. They seem to be moved by the fact that particularly children are being educated and given an opportunity. And they are the children of the poor and mainly the children of the very, very poor. Children that otherwise would get very little opportunity.

.....

ROD MCNEIL: One regular appointment comes on a Friday and it’s a great help to some of the young mothers in Klong Toey. Babies arrive by the armful.

Sister Joan’s supporters, usually from Australia and New Zealand, are there ready to assist with the record keeping as well as helping fund the supply of milk formula, mainly through their organisation, the Australian and New Zealand Women’s Group. The atmosphere is both friendly and helpful and life-supporting.

What’s it costing to set up a truckload like this to give away on one morning?

SISTER JOAN EVANS: A truck load of this would be about 24,000 baht - 25,000 baht.

ROD MCNEIL: Is that how much is here this morning?

SISTER JOAN EVANS: That’d be right, yes.

ROD MCNEIL: That’s quite a lot to give away in one morning isn’t it?

SISTER JOAN EVANS: It is. It is.

ROD MCNEIL: Has it taken a lot of organisation to get this flowing in a proper manner?

SISTER JOAN EVANS: Well, it’s grown. To begin with, I used to carry the milk, just in a bag. In a bag - to the mums, two or three and then four and five. That goes back to about 1992, 1993.

ROD MCNEIL: So then you devised this system where they would come here.

SISTER JOAN EVANS: We’ve had various venues. They come every two weeks. I can’t afford milk every week. We had a book one year, a big exercise book. We’ve had other sorts of cards other years. But now we’ve come down to this.

ROD MCNEIL: So you’ve really got a proper record of what’s going on, haven’t you?

SISTER JOAN EVANS: Yes, we have and we need that because people donate the money for the milk and it needs to be spent properly.

.....

Copyright 2007
Phuket Plus
Capital TV Group

T-shirt Project - progress update

Two t-shirts heading to Vietnam - thanks Staffan.

Google custom search engine added

We have added a Google custom search engine to the side bar of the blog.

This will allow you to search the content of both the Supporters Blog and Sister Joan's website.

Education - An Investment in Thailand's Future

This short article on Sister Joan's Education Project appeared in the Australian-Thai Chamber of Commerce's Advance Magazine (November 2007).


Sister Joan Evans: Education - An Investment in Thailand's Future

by Edward Dever

On an April morning, you’ll find Sister Joan Evans sitting on a bench at the Klong Toey market in Bangkok scribbling numbers in her notebook. Enduring temperatures in which many would wilt, she calmly collates the morning’s purchases. School uniforms for 45 children, shoes for 30, school bags for 15.

Each amount she records represents an investment in Thailand’s future.

Sister Joan’s annual Education Project enables underprivileged children and young adults in Klong Toey and other slum communities in Bangkok to attend school or university. Students receiving assistance age between 3 (starting pre-school) and 22 (attending university) with the majority at primary or lower secondary school. Without Sister’s assistance, it is unlikely they would be able to gain an education.

Education is a core mission of Sister Joan. She believes there is a real need to help children and young adults to the point where they can help themselves. Her Education Project provides an opportunity for students to receive an education which is vital if they are to ultimately break out of the poverty cycle.

During April and May this year, Sister Joan provided school uniforms, shoes, socks and bags for over 600 students at an average cost of 685 baht (approx. A$25) per student. On any particular day, Sister may outfit between 10 and 50 students. It’s an enormous task but also an important one. Getting these students into school and university is vital if they are to achieve their potential. And if high grades on report cards and graduation ceremonies are a benchmark, then Sister’s work is indeed a success.

Special thanks to:

• DFAT and the Australian Embassy in Bangkok who donated 100,000 baht from their Discretionary Fund towards this year’s Education Project.

• the Australian-New Zealand Women’s Group (ANZWG) who also donated 100,000 baht.

The remaining funds for this year’s Education Project were provided by donations from supporters of Sister Joan’s Presentation Slums Mission Bangkok.

How you can help

Sister Joan’s donation philosophy is simple – a little bit of money goes a long way.

Donations can be made online (via PayPal), by cheque or by direct bank deposit – see www.sisterjoan.info for details. Offers of volunteer help are also welcome.

Sister Joan Evans PBVM
Presentation Slums Mission Bangkok
PO Box 28, Kluai Nam Thai PO
Bangkok 10115 Thailand
Email: milkrun44@hotmail.com
Website: www.sisterjoan.info



Click here - Education - An Investment in Thailand's Future - for a pdf version of this article.