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Well Zaks done it again, stealing the Directors Highllights spot.
While doing the Villa and Sport Project work, Zaks brother , Tai has been mixing concrete in a large plastic bowl. Unfortunately the bowl bit the dust this week, cracking and becoming unusable.
Zak then came up with this ingenious idea to help his brother mix without loosing water.
The children’s term break project is underway. Named “The Villa and Sport Project”, the children wish to concentrate on improving outdoor facilities for sporting activities as well as building an outdoor study and relaxation shelter (Villa).
These are unprompted ideas born of a Project devised to encourage planning and design skills along with teamwork with the added bonus of improving our facilities.
So far the main work is clearing the areas to be worked on but the Mattayom Project team have also spent time discussing their plan and making a “shopping list”.
With a 5000 baht budget to complete the whole project, which will also include revamped growing plots the children really need sponsors to join in and help by donating items they need.
The first request is featured in our new category in the online shop and there is a link right here on the front page to the right.
Please help the children with their extraordinary task.
Sadly it was Becas last day with us today but she has certainly left her mark with a fantastic idea for part of our kitchen walls.
The kitchen is a block built “shed” that is no rendered, and Beca suggested that we use each block like a separate ”canvas” for yet more Art.
A great idea that fits very well with the expanding Mural themes here at Stratton House. And so was born, The Beca Gallery.
The Mattayom students were home again today, so Gu and Bong were the first to try out their efforts. They worked with pencil sketching today, ready for using paint tomorrow.
The younger children were very keen to have a go as well when they got home from school.
Especially keen was Zak, who did a great sketch of our truck that was parked next to the kitchen at the time.
Sunday morning saw day 2 of our vegetable growing project.
There some more gravel to be spread first.
Its hard work in the heat of the morning, hats were a must.
But it was great to see everyone working with a smile on their face.
Then, after a well earned break, three volunteers set to scrubbing the garden walls clean, ready for painting.
The rest of the crew all took a paint brush and put first coats of paint on the concrete rings that will serve as the vegetable plots.
As usual veryone pitched in with lots of effort.
With two wall panels cleaned and first coats of paint on all the concrete rings we decided that everyone had worked enough for the day and broke for lunch before spending the afternoon at Huay Tung Taow.
For more videos please visit our youtube account here.
This weekend, with no visitors, we decided to get a start on our planned vegetable growing project. The food bill is one of our biggest expenses, so the more we can grow ourselves, the better.
As with everything here at Stratton House the plan is for the children to do their bit.
So on Saturday morning we set to preparing the ground for the first stage of the project.
First job was to clear the weeds from the chosen growing area.
Once that was done everyone piled into spreading gravel as the base for the growing area.
Once this was done we placed concrete “pipe’ sections, which will serve as individual vegetable plots for each child.
We also utilised some old garden fence, hanging the sections along the wall ready for climbers such as broad beans.
Today(Sunday), we will spread the remaining gravel and then allocate the vegetable “plots”.
The children will then paint their pots and paint their names onto their individual plots.
We have so much space available that it is hoped to extend this project in the future.
Possibly offering the chance for other children in the community to take part, splitting their finished vegetables 50/50 between The Foundation and their own family.
The concrete sections cost just 100 baht each, the gravel was 2000 baht for a full load that was enough for a 15 metre stretch.
We will need soil and of course vegetable seed. So if you feel like helping out, please do:)
As reported last week, the basic layout of the bike road around the house is now finished, after much hard work by the children.
It is rideable now but with a very rough shingle surface.
We would like very much to complete the road with either concrete or possibly sand and stonedust mix.
We estimate the full cost of this to be somewhere around 10,000 baht.
Our good friend and webmaster, Ally, has kindly offered 5, 000 baht if we can raise the other 5.
Any help towards this goal would be very much appreciated.
