Phuket Sunshine Village Foundation

In the aftermath of the the Tsunami that hit Phuket on the 26.12.04, members of the Lions Club of Phuket Andaman Sea decided to be involved in a longer term project to help the victims of the tragedy. Helping Children in need became the main objective of the Club, and the idea of creating a village slowly became to grow. The fund raising began in earnest and the response was overwhelming. The Lions Club decided to contact “Child Watch Phuket”, a local organization with in excess of 10 years experience in child care and protection. Child Watch Phuket were pleased to join forces with the Lions Club of Phuket Andaman Sea to bring the charity project to reality, and run it for years to come. It was agreed to set up an independent Foundation with directors from the Lions Club of Phuket Andaman Sea and Child Watch Phuket. On the 17th of August 2005, the “Phuket Sunshine Village Foundation” was officially set up and legally recognized by the Thai authorities. Our Foundation was fortunate to subsequently secure an agreement with the French Red Cross, who financed and managed the construction of the village buildings. After the Foundation Stone Laying Ceremony on the 05.05.2006, construction started. The Village was completed after one year and officially opened on the 29.06.07. by the Governor of Phuket. The Village is now home to over 100 Children in need from Phuket and surrounding provinces. Dear Patrons and friends, we sometimes are mistakenly referred to as an “Orphanage”. However we would like to correct that assumption. We are actually a “Foster Home For Children In Need” as most of our children still have some family. The children are with us because their own family are currently unable to take care of them properly. For those children who have no safe options to live with relatives the Phuket Sunshine Village Foundation provides short-term and long-term family-based foster care guided by the principals of the Child protection laws of Thailand. All the children in our care are living in a family environment within the Phuket Sunshine Village. Many families who are living in poverty entrust their children into the care of various institutions, believing it will lead to a path out of poverty. However, institutionalization can have long-term and sometimes irreversible negative effects on a child’s development. Our staff at the Phuket Sunshine Village are regularly checking on the Children’s families and we are highly committed to help bring the Children back to their remaining Family and enable the Children to experience a normal Family life in a safe and caring environment. As long this is not the case, the (remaining) family of the children in our care can regularly visit the children at the village and if appropriate we do allow the child to stay with the family over the weekend. For More Information Visit: Phuket Sunshine Village