During our first visit to Khao Lak in March 2005, Mr. Tavich Chitprasarn, headmaster of Ban Nam Khem school, asked us if we could provide his students with technical drawing sets.

We were told that the school is trying its best to provide a better basic education to give students a better standing at vocational colleges later on.

We were most impressed by this approach and by the initiative displayed by the school.

We therefore asked STAEDTLER Nuremberg for help and were delighted with the generous support offered by management.

In July 2005, four months after our first visit to Khao Lak, we revisited Ban Nam Khem school to deliver what we had promised: drawing and technical pen sets as well as ink and drawing paper. When we arrived at the school, we were surprised to see how much had changed in such a short time. Three new buildings had been constructed in record time sponsored by the French retailer Carrefour. The headmaster informed us that teaching would soon be able to begin in the classrooms. A kindergarten for younger children had also been constructed within the school compound and the Thai Red Cross had sponsored a playground.

We are convinced that the students of Ban Nam Khem school will now have a much better future than ever before.

Volunteers from all over the world are helping to teach a variety of different subjects. Technical drawing classes are taught by Mr. Panya who has been teaching this subject for the past thirty years already. He proudly told us that he has always used STAEDTLER technical pens and, as a result, is very familiar with the products.

It now only remains for us to pray that this region will not be hit by another tsunami.

We ended our visit, happy to have been able to witness that international aid efforts really can make a difference.

We at STAEDTLER Thailand found it most satisfying to know that, supported by our head office, we had been able to play an active role in this international relief operation and help survivors of the devastating tsunami disaster to have a better future.