26th December 2004: A deadly wave, called a tsunami, hit the coasts of Thailand. We, Katja and Thomas from Germany, with our son Niklaus, stared at our TV screen and could not believe what we saw.

This wave with all its destruction shocked us. It shocked us so much because we have friends in Thailand and visit this beautiful country with its friendly and helpful people every year. We were sitting in front of our TV and the tears began to roll. Above all, our son was crying when he saw all the damage and the chaos. One thing was clear within the first two seconds: We had to help somehow! But how? We did not want to donate to one of the big organisations because you never know where money goes at the end. We wanted to give direct help. Flying to Thailand was impossible. We both have jobs and our son has to go to school.

Then our son had an idea:

"Children help children

He goes to a private catholic primary school, the Martinus Grundschule in Mainz-Weisenau. Here, whenever anything bad happens in the world, his school starts collecting donations for people who need help. However, because it was the Christmas Hollidays we had to wait until school started. The first school day we went to the director of our son?s school and told her about our plan to help the Tsunami victims with direct help and without any of big organisations. The school director did not think about our plan for more then just one second before she sai:d 'Yes. Do it! Go and organise everything. If you need any help, just let me know."

So our idea for a partnership between our school and any Thai primary school became true. We immediately started sending lots of emails to our Thai friends asking for help in finding a primary school in a Tsunami affected area. After some hours, one of our friends, Nantawan, who works in a hotel in Phuket, told us about OpenmindProjects. She told us that she heard about this organisation taking care of children, and teaching English and computer skills.

Thankful for this brilliant information, I started to search the internet for Openminds and found everything I needed! I contacted the director, Sven Mauleon, and told him about our idea with the school partnership. Sven answered directly and gave me the name of my new contact person: Chapanee Boonsom (Mui). Thank God (and Buddha and Allah! In the end, it is all the same, isn't it?) I met this great woman!!!!!! Very quickly she started looking for primary school which needed help. She travelled all around the south of Thailand to find a school and while she was searching we started to collect money.

The children in our school had an idea how to collect the money. They planned a little school party and invited all the teachers and parents. The children baked cookies and cakes and started selling it with coffee and tea. The money they earned was for the school in Thailand. We also opened an account for donations.

My husband Thomas and I presented Openminds to all the teachers and parents and explained to them what happened in Thailand. We showed them lots of pictures from before the Tsunami hit the coast and after. I collected everything I could find and made a huge presentation where I talked about Thailand, the people there, infrastructure and of course about Openminds. To the children here in Germany I explained what a Tsunami is and what powerful and destructive force this is ? and of course I explained to them what happened to the schools in Thailand an to all the children there.

All the time I had close contact to Mui and during this time we became some kind of ?Email-friends? ? I really like her very much and can not wait to meet her in Thailand!

Then Mui found a school: The Klong Din Neao School in Koh Yao Yai, near Phuket and Krabi.

I sent Mui some pictures from the children here in Germany and she sent pictures back from the children in Koh Yao Yai.

To make sure that all the donations go to ?our school in Thailand? Mr. Kiriya, director of the school in Koh Yao Yai, and Mui opened a school account in Phuket for the money our children collected.

Finally the money was transferred to Thailand. At the end our children collected THB 61.905,88 with selling their self baked cookies and cakes.

The Klong Din Neao School and Mui sent us a letter and some more pictures from the school. They told us that they take the money to renew the school building and for building new stairs to the school house, because the House is on a little hill and the children could hurt themselves without stairs.

When the children here in Germany saw what the teachers in Thailand planned to do with the money they where happy that they could help their new little friends in Thailand. Some of the children and parents here in Germany are planning to go to Thailand during the next holidays. They asked me if they can visit the school in Koh Yao Yai so that the children can meet each other. I promised them to do my best and talk to Mui when the time has come.

We think that it is important that children of this world get to know each other and learn about other children and their way of life.

At the end I want to say a big THANK YOU to Mui! She made all this happen. And of course we keep the partnership going on. It was not meant to be just one relief

action ? it was one first step and other steps will follow.

At the end we want to wish everyone a successful and above all a healthy year 2006!

Lots of love and take care all of you out there!

With the best wishes from Mainz, Germany,

Katja & Thomas Kuplent with our son Niklas