January 11, 2005
Dear friends, this is an opportunity to help and a call for money.
While helping deliver supplies and food to some 250 families on Khao Lanta, Thailand, we discovered that most of the boats these villagers need to survive were damaged or destroyed.
I want to help. I hope you will. You can help them repair their boats and reclaim their livelihood. With repaired boats, they become self sufficient again quickly. This is a direct application of your help to individuals who really need it. They are "4th world" Sea Gypsies who often fall outside the umbrella of government aid. As I said, we delivered needed food.
I will personally meet with each fisherman, (I met some of them yesterday), document the damage, and arrange for purchase of materials. They will do most of the repair work themselves.
I've recruited a local woman who is out today gathering detailed information.
I plan to relocate to Kho Lanta for about a month for this project.
I've never taken on anything like this; I'm nervous to ask you & aware of the size of this project, but its the need, so I'm going to try.
Please help with money as you can and pray for them (and me) too.
I need to have an idea of what I'm working with, so please
1. Click here to send me an email telling me what you will give, put FISHING BOATS in the subject line of your email
2. send a check to my bank (address below). Make the check out to William Francis, put Fishing Boats in the Subject line and FOR DEPOSIT ONLY on the back.
I've arranged with my bank to deposit donations into my savings account. They will wire the money to me here in Thailand and I'll distribute it.
My bank's address is:
Greenfield Savings Bank, 400 Main Street, P.O. Box 1537 Greenfield MA 01302
Thank you for all you are doing and continue to do to help.
in service,
bill francis
P.S. I mentioned this to a stranger this morning here in Phuket and he returned with $100 US dollars. People are amazing.