Happiness Giving Project - Tuesday & Wednesday 20/21 May 2014 at
The Beaumont Ruam Pattana School in Chaiyaphum, N. E. Thailand.
The Beaumont Ruam Pattana School in Chaiyaphum, N. E. Thailand.
Eddie Haworth, aka Clown Eckie, founder and director of the Foundation, Simon Balmer, project photographer, and myself, project scribe, set off from Bangkok on the morning of May 20th, 2014 for a visit to The Beaumont Ruam Pattana School, Chaiyaphum, and performance there by Clown Eckie. Despite martial law having been declared earlier that morning following months of political disturbances, and this having meant that representatives of Harrow International School, could not come along as previously planned, we set out with no real problems apart from some delays caused by military check points set up around Bangkok.
It takes a lot more than a bit of military activity to deter Clown Eckie!
It takes a lot more than a bit of military activity to deter Clown Eckie!
© Photos; Simon Balmer
The journey to the “Beaumont School”, for ease of expression, passed without event, although as we were running somewhat behind time we were obliged to skip lunch on the way so that we could get there in time. We arrived around 1.30 pm and were met by school head, Doctor Rose Rojjana Klechaya, Beaumont Foundation Chairman Tim Beaumont, and other school and foundation representatives. Some members of the Australian-Thai Chamber of Commerce, including Peter Skinner, and Austrade, including the Thailand Trade Commissioner, Greg Wallis, were also in attendance. Whilst Eddie and Simon commenced the set up for the show, the AustCham and Austrade visitors and I were given a tour of the Beaumont School facility by Tim Beaumont.
The school sits on around 130 rai of land in the rural/farming district of Bamnet Narong in Chaiyaphum province. It has been running for 6 years now and currently has 160 students from Anubal 1 to Prathom 3. The number of students and range of years is scheduled to increase each year as the first intake progresses to a new level each year and new students come into Anubal 1. Students are taken from a radius of 26 kilometres and all are from local farming families. They are transported to and from the school each day in vans. Each day at the school they receive lunch, plus a morning and afternoon snack.
The curriculum is the standard Thai one, as required by the Education Ministry, but supplemented by additional courses and teaching techniques taken from international practice so that the children receive a far more comprehensive and well-grounded and –rounded education that is usual for Thailand – most especially rural Thailand. Dr Rose has Australian teaching and educational experience, as do some of the other teachers, and the school is trying to foster an up-scaled English language environment (albeit instruction is, naturally in Thai). The other focuses of the school project are:
It was not long before Eckie had them all but eating out of the palm of his hand and the continued laughter and smiles showed that every one was having a great time. Audience participation is a hallmark of Eckie’s routine and, whilst the first few attempts to get the children to come up and take part were met with a degree of reluctance, it was not long before those at the front were leaping at the chance. By the end of the show a dozen or so had done so, the stage table was bare and the floor littered with props, just about every one of them having been used at some stage.
The school sits on around 130 rai of land in the rural/farming district of Bamnet Narong in Chaiyaphum province. It has been running for 6 years now and currently has 160 students from Anubal 1 to Prathom 3. The number of students and range of years is scheduled to increase each year as the first intake progresses to a new level each year and new students come into Anubal 1. Students are taken from a radius of 26 kilometres and all are from local farming families. They are transported to and from the school each day in vans. Each day at the school they receive lunch, plus a morning and afternoon snack.
The curriculum is the standard Thai one, as required by the Education Ministry, but supplemented by additional courses and teaching techniques taken from international practice so that the children receive a far more comprehensive and well-grounded and –rounded education that is usual for Thailand – most especially rural Thailand. Dr Rose has Australian teaching and educational experience, as do some of the other teachers, and the school is trying to foster an up-scaled English language environment (albeit instruction is, naturally in Thai). The other focuses of the school project are:
- Community engagement, including the construction (under-way) of a community activities building as a site for local activities. It is planned later to initiate classes for parents;
- Sustainable development, with the school planning to ultimately grow a lot of its own food, and the development of an accommodation block that will be a centre for hospitality industry based vocational training programmes and eco-tourism. Construction of the accommodation block is underway and will also provide a stream of revenue for operational costs. The school has a 5-year sustainability target and a plan for how to get there.
It was not long before Eckie had them all but eating out of the palm of his hand and the continued laughter and smiles showed that every one was having a great time. Audience participation is a hallmark of Eckie’s routine and, whilst the first few attempts to get the children to come up and take part were met with a degree of reluctance, it was not long before those at the front were leaping at the chance. By the end of the show a dozen or so had done so, the stage table was bare and the floor littered with props, just about every one of them having been used at some stage.
 The Beaumont Partnership |  CEO Tim Beaumont |
The show ended with a rousing “Kawp khun khrap, (Thank you very much) Clown Eckie” from the kids, and a visibly flushed and dripping Eckie proceeded to cool down with several bottles of water.
After packing up we proceeded to the nearby town of Bamnet Narong where we were hosted for dinner by Tim Beaumont and joined by members of the school staff. We then over-nighted at a nearby motel, the Penpimol Resort (good, very reasonably priced rooms and a decent breakfast), before heading back to Bangkok the next day.
This was my first time to join a Gift of Happiness project and I was particularly impressed by the dedication of Eddie Haworth (for a start it can’t be easy or comfortable cavorting around in his clown outfit in the heat of tropical and rural Thailand), the delight of the children is seeing a small taste of a form of entertainment they have never experienced before (which is especially important in terms of their future development, apart from any immediate amusement), and the special attention paid by Eddie to the reporting, financial and fiduciary requirements of his activities under the Gift of Happiness Foundation. It is, of course, extremely important to show supporters and sponsors that their efforts and contributions, especially financial contributions, are being used both wisely and properly, and Eddie is most conscious of and attentive to that.
"All personal expenses of Simon and myself regarding this project were met by ourselves and it was my pleasure to be a part of this project and I hope to join others in the future".
Report written by:
Gary White.Retired Banker; Past President and Honorary Member, AustCham 22 May, 2014.
After packing up we proceeded to the nearby town of Bamnet Narong where we were hosted for dinner by Tim Beaumont and joined by members of the school staff. We then over-nighted at a nearby motel, the Penpimol Resort (good, very reasonably priced rooms and a decent breakfast), before heading back to Bangkok the next day.
This was my first time to join a Gift of Happiness project and I was particularly impressed by the dedication of Eddie Haworth (for a start it can’t be easy or comfortable cavorting around in his clown outfit in the heat of tropical and rural Thailand), the delight of the children is seeing a small taste of a form of entertainment they have never experienced before (which is especially important in terms of their future development, apart from any immediate amusement), and the special attention paid by Eddie to the reporting, financial and fiduciary requirements of his activities under the Gift of Happiness Foundation. It is, of course, extremely important to show supporters and sponsors that their efforts and contributions, especially financial contributions, are being used both wisely and properly, and Eddie is most conscious of and attentive to that.
"All personal expenses of Simon and myself regarding this project were met by ourselves and it was my pleasure to be a part of this project and I hope to join others in the future".
Report written by:
Gary White.Retired Banker; Past President and Honorary Member, AustCham 22 May, 2014.
One small point for future visitors to the Beaumont School.
The sign posting directing a new visitor to the school is rather poor. In particular the sign at the turn off from Route 2217/2069 is in a shaded area that makes it hard to see until you are right on it. This is compounded by the writing itself, which seems too small to read easily when travelling in a vehicle.
All the kids at Beaumont School are very well dressed in great new uniforms.
Lets make it the same happen for thousands more children in Thailand!
Lets make it the same happen for thousands more children in Thailand!
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