Project 13 (December 07):
Meals and School Project – Ban Kok Nok School Phang Nga Province
CHF 7,500

Wolfgang Meusburger drew the attention of the Phuket Direct Fund to this project. This is an all-day school which provides education for 83 children of farmers and fishermen from the Phang Nga region. 28 of the children are less than 6 years of age, while 57 are between 6 and 12 years old. The school is located in Ban Kok Nok, around 75 kilometers from Phuket Airport (in Phang Nga province). It was severely damaged during the tsunami and has now been repaired.

As well as delivering educational services, the school also provides meals for the children. In order to ensure that the children receive a balanced healthy diet, the school has its own vegetable garden, a mushroom farm and a catfish farm. Despite these efforts there still isn't enough food for all the children.

The school also needs an appropriately skilled person to look after the 28 children under the age of 6.

And finally, the school is short of books and sports equipment.

The required funds are as follows:
- Annual amount for food CHF 8,260
- Annual amount for a kindergarten teacher CHF 3,300
- Books and sports equipment (one-off) CHF 3,440

The contribution made by the Phuket Direct Fund covered part of these needs. We will continue to support this school in coming years.

Continuation of Project 13 (January 09):
CHF 5,180

Ban Kok Nok School is an all-day school attended by 83 children from farming and fishing families from the Phang Nga region.

In addition to providing education and supervision, the school is also responsible for feeding the children. To guarantee them a balanced and healthy diet, the school has its own vegetable garden, a mushroom plot and a small catfish farm. Nevertheless, there is not enough to feed all of the children.

In association with the sponsors Holiday Inn Resort Phuket (represented by the director, Mr Wolfgang Meusburger) and bank zweiplus in Zurich (represented by board member Mr Niklaus Siegrist), the Phuket Direct Fund continues to support the school by providing additional food.

On 22 January 2009 Mr Siegrist visited the school along with Wolfgang Meusburger in his capacity of Phuket Direct Fund president. The delegation was welcomed by the children with a specially rehearsed folk dance before being shown how the donations were being put to use.