A WISH COME TRUE : Special Children's Day lunch for whole school

A WISH COME TRUE : Special Children's Day lunch for whole school.

Story by PRAPAIPARN RATHAMARIT, AYUTTHAYA

It's a dream come true for Pornpimol Yadee, a Prathom 4 student at a local school in this central province. Yesterday she finally tasted fried chicken and french fries for the first time, during Children's Day festivities. Pornpimol's dreams were revealed in a Bangkok Post article on New Year's Day. She told the Post that although she had seen advertisements for franchised fried chicken and french fries, she had never tasted them.

''Just a small bite would be great,'' she said.

Her comments moved Bangkok Post staff, who joined hands to organise a Children's Day lunch for Pornpimol and her friends at the Wat Nakhon Prod Sat School in Ayutthaya's Ban Phraek district.

The story also touched readers. Students at Rajini Bon School set aside 2,700 baht for the lunch.

Reader Sawartwimol Polcharoen turned up with her parents and a friend to donate two television sets to allow the school to receive education programmes from His Majesty the King's Klai Kangwol transmission. Twelve other readers gave two notebook computers, cash and other gifts.

Yum Restaurants International, holder of the KFC franchise, provided 85 cartons of chicken nuggets and another 85 sets of chicken pop. At first, the fast food chain was reluctant to give french fries. It was worried the fries would lose their flavour during the long drive to the school. In the end the company agreed _ just to make the children's treat complete.

And complete it was. Donors could see the students waiting eagerly as they approached the small wooden school.

Teacher Pornipa Phankhem arranged the students into rows to receive their gifts. She and other teachers had initially kept the chicken treat a surprise.

Some students did not want to eat it all at once. They shyly put the package to one side after nibbling at only one or two pieces. One of these was the girl who started it all, Pornpimol.

The chicken, she said, tasted even better than expected.

''But I want to save it to take home, so my parents and brother will be able to share,'' she said.

Bangkok Post
Sunday January 14, 2007