The Fr. Ray Sponsor a Child Foundation is proud to support all the wonderful work of Sarnelli House
Sarnelli House Foundation received a total of 1,322,020 THB (37,500 USD) from Mr. Ron Small and his Foundation in April 2022 and May 2023. We are enormously grateful for these generous grants. As of August 1, 2023, 1,216,620 THB (34,500 USD) has been spent. The grants have gone a long way, with many aspects of the Sarnelli House project benefitting; from the children’s homes to their primary education; a family on the Outreach program living with crippling illness; a waste disposal unit; new beds; fans to allow outdoor mass; house painting and other renovations and maintenance upgrades.
Sarnelli House for boys
Work also took place at Sarnelli House for boys, with a new garbage location built, new beds bought and old beds recycled, and the plumbing and sewage systems was upgraded. Due to Covid, our weekly mass for the children had to be moved from the chapel to the outside pavilion and fans were installed there to make it cooler.
This year, we began our painting project. This will unfold over a number of years but the first house to get a fresh coat of paint was Sarnelli House for boys. 18 boys, aged from 8 to 15, live there. A local company did most of the painting with some help from the residents! This part of the project cost 230,970 THB (6,500 USD). We expect each of our houses to cost about the same.
Rosario grade school and kindergarten
All Sarnelli House children attend local kindergartens, schools and colleges, with 20 older teenagers and young adults currently studying in boarding schools and universities further afield. The total education budget for Sarnelli House in 2022 amounted to 2,699,100 THB (approx. 82,280 USD) Currently, 41 of our children attend Rosario Catholic grade school run by the St. Paul de Chartres nuns. This is a fee-paying school, and even though the nuns give Sarnelli House a discount on fees, the costs are climbing every year for uniforms, books, bags, sports gear, and shoes. For the school year 2022-23, the fees for this school came to 259,915 THB (7,910 USD). Sarnelli House used the Ron Small grant to continue to provide our children with a Catholic grade school education for this academic year.
During this past academic year (May to March), it was decided that the quality of teaching and care at the local government kindergarten attended by our toddlers was no longer at a sufficiently good standard. The children were not learning very well and there were also concerns regarding hygiene and safety. As a result, 19 small students switched to the kindergarten based at Rosario school. This is also run by the St Paul de Chartres nuns, and, unlike the government school, is not free. Thankfully, the nuns have kindly extended a one term scholarship for all our children to the new kindergarten arrivals, meaning our term fees are halved. The costs for the second term of the 2022-23 academic year were 60,292 THB. This did not include term fees which will apply in the first term of the next academic year and are expected to be in the neighborhood of 52,000 THB.
We chose to put this year’s grant from the Save A Child Foundation towards the continued Catholic schooling of our children. For the academic year 2023-24, this has so far amounted to 279,212 THB (7,900 USD).
Sarnelli House Foundation received 829,081 THB (25,000 USD) from Mr. Ron Small in April 2022. We are enormously grateful for this generous grant. As of February 1, 2023, 706,429 THB has been spent. The grant has gone a long way, with many aspects of the Sarnelli House project benefitting; from the children’s homes to their primary education; a family on the Outreach program living with crippling illness; a waste disposal unit; new beds; fans to allow outdoor mass; and other renovations and maintenance upgrades.
House of Hope Nursery
The first location was our nursery, the House of Hope. Here, a roof had become a nesting ground for birds, leading to droppings appearing on the floor of the nursery as well as damage to the roof tiles. The ceiling was taken down, the birds and their nests cleared out, the roof was repaired to prevent further access and a new ceiling was put in place.
1. Work on ceiling in House of Hope Nursery
2. Completed ceilings inside & outside
Repairs were also made to a crumbling wall in the laundry, and a new ramp was built for the disabled children who need prams and wheelchairs. A new gate was erected at the children’s playroom, which allowed the staff to keep them inside without having to close the big wooden doors. Old pieces of iron were recycled into beds, a portable laundry basket, kitchen storage, and a dining table for the children.
3. Laundry equipment from recycled iron
4. Children’s dining table recycled from used iron
5. Gate for Playroom
Sarnelli House for boys
Work also took place at Sarnelli House for boys, with a new garbage location built, new beds bought and old beds recycled, and the plumbing and sewage systems was upgraded. Due to Covid, our weekly mass for the children had to be moved from the chapel to the outside pavilion and fans were installed there to make it cooler.
6. Construction of & completed garbage unit
7. Upgrading of plumbing & sewage
8. New fans in pavilion for weekly mass
9. Old beds being recycled for the boys
10. Boys helping out
Work has also taken place at the house for teenage girls, at the offices, and the priests’ house. Sewage systems, light bulbs and a new electricity mother board have all been added or upgraded.
Home renovation
Figure 11. Kanom Ban
Kanom Ban is 10 years old and lives with a rare genetic disorder called Osteogenesis Imperfecta, or brittle bone disease. She has suffered countless fractures and breaks, resulting in contorted joints, constant pain and a permanent physical disability. Kanom Ban has been part of the Sarnelli House Outreach program for over six years. The Outreach team has helped with hospital appointments, transportation, and charges, paying for calcium injections and supplements. Two years ago, an electric wheelchair was purchased for Kanom Ban in order to give her more freedom from her mother and friends having to push her everywhere. This has enabled her to attend school (which she loves) with more independence. The family lived in a small hovel of a home, with leaky roofs, no flush toilet or ramp for entry, and narrow doorways. Kanom Ban slept on the floor and had to be carried into a separate room to be washed with water from a bucket. Sadly, Kanom Ban’s little brother has the same affliction and will need an electric wheelchair of his own in a year or two as he gets bigger and more difficult to manage. The Outreach team contracted a local builder to improve the condition of the family home. A sizeable new bedroom was added, suitable for two hospital beds making it easier for the parents. The beds have yet to be purchased, however. An adjoining wet room bathroom was also built with a more manageable toilet and shower facility. Doors were widened for the children’s wheelchairs and leaks in the rood were repaired. Ramps were also added to the house. The finished work came to a total of 116,349 THB (see table below)
Figure 13. New bathroom
Figure 12 Extension to home
Rosario grade school and kindergarten
All Sarnelli House children attend local kindergartens, schools and colleges, with 22 older teenagers and young adults studying in boarding schools and universities further afield. The total education budget for Sarnelli House in 2022 amounted to 2,699,100 THB (approx. 82,280 USD) Currently, 41 of our children attend Rosario Catholic grade school run by the St. Paul de Chartres nuns. This is a fee-paying school, and even though the nuns give Sarnelli House a discount on fees, the costs are climbing every year for uniforms, books, bags, sports gear, and shoes. For the school year 2022-23, the fees for this school came to 259,915 THB (7,910 USD). Sarnelli House used the Ron Small grant to continue to provide our children with a Catholic grade school education for this academic year.
During this past academic year (May to March), it was decided that the quality of teaching and care at the local government kindergarten attended by our toddlers was no longer at a sufficiently good standard. The children were not learning very well and there were also concerns regarding hygiene and safety. As a result, 19 small students switched to the kindergarten based at Rosario school. This is also run by the St Paul de Chartres nuns, and, unlike the government school, is not free. Thankfully, the nuns have kindly extended a one term scholarship for all our children to the new kindergarten arrivals, meaning our term fees are halved. The costs for the second term of the 2022-23 academic year were 60,292 THB. This did not include term fees which will apply in the first term of the next academic year and are expected to be in the neighborhood of 52,000 THB.
Figure 14. Grade school children
Figure 15. Kindergarten scholars
Financial Summary
