Lighthouse Club Pattaya has been supporting the Melissa Cosgrove Children’s Foundation which help with children that are within the construction industry.
Tracy Cosgrove, founder of MCCF writes…
When my husband died, my children were 6 – 8 years old the day after my husband died Melissa sat on my bed and said at least I had a daddy for 6 years.
Children from the orphanage don’t have a Daddy!
It broke my heart but I will always remember those words, they helped my children. As a family we regularly spent Christmas in Thailand, but the children didn’t get presents.
Instead we went to an orphanage and gave presents.
My kids knew these children had no parents and I knew I had to do something more.
Melissa Cosgrove Children’s Foundation is testament to that.
MCCF helps children of construction workers in Thailand and Burma with some projects been on the go for over 10 years. It has become an important part my life.
In the last 10 years I have built a boy’s orphanage, a girl’s orphanage, a nursery, a school in Burma plus we pay monthly wages and feed the children every month.
People say it’s hard to work in Burma… It’s not hard if you persevere and I have proved that. In Thailand I support Burmese construction workers children, many have been left behind as their parents have never came back to get them.
Everything I have built in Burma has been handed back to the people.
In 2004 over 1 million pounds worth of brand new goods from the UK was donated from Harrods and many other companies for the Tsunami victims. In 2005, we opened the first orphanage in Burma while many people thought it was impossible to do.
In 2008, I was one of only a few foreigners allowed into Burma after Cyclone Nargis. There is still a lot to do in Burma and I will continue. I also went to the UN and Asian conference with 52 Countries being represented.
I also build day care centers which are open 365 days a year for the Thai Migrant Workers, providing a safe clean fun learning environment. I wish to open more of these as the benefit to all is amazing. These workers are living in 6 ft x 6 ft tin houses with no windows. Sharing a toilet and bathing area, babies were often sick and development stunted. Now the children are flourishing.
The oldest children who I have worked with for 8 years have now reached 18 and now hotel training is being provided and there are some amazing stories of success happening as the days pass.
One person can make a difference and with the help of many friends we can all be proud of ourselves. I am the lucky one. I see what a difference we are making. I cannot operate without all the sponsors who are wonderful. And there is always more sponsors needed. It’s hard work, but how can I not do it.
Lighthouse Club Pattaya doesn’t only offer financial support but guidance and moral support as well.
One day I followed a construction workers truck we have all seen them packed with workers going around town… So I followed it and found the camp and the company CEO name. he next day I went back and pretended the CEO had sent me. The camp boss showed me the raw sewage flowing in the the camp, they showed me everything, then as we passed a house I heard a whimper, I thought it was a dog.
They said, “No it’s a child”. The tin door was locked with a padlock. They cut off the padlock; inside was a little girl who smiled when she saw me. The tin house with no windows and no air, she had a bowl of rice and a bowl of water like a dog. Her parents had locked her up for her own safety.
The more nursery’s we can build, the more children we can help.
The next day I rang the CEO amd met up with him and the first nursery was being built! What made me do it, I don’t know. I just wanted to know where all these people were going!