But it does not stop at just handicrafts. Wherever she travels, a mobile team of volunteer doctors accompanies the Queen to provide free medical check-ups, to advise people on health issues, to treat the sick and to dispense much needed medications to those who can ill afford them.
Her Majesty also shows continuous concern for educational opportunities of children in remote areas and always works with an aim to enable illiterate people in rural areas to read and write.
She set up the "Foundation for Supporting Non-affordable Students" in 1963 with the money from her own privy purse and donations from the public. This had enabled them to finish compulsory education or higher.
Queen Sirikit's humanitarian work is widely known and internationally recognised today, as is manifested by various awards internationally.
Besides people's welfare, she is also concerned about the promotion and improvement of environmental conditions and had initiated several projects that achieved remarkable success.
These activities are praised by worldwide conservationists.
Other interesting projects of HM Queen Sirikit include Pa Rak Nam (Forest Preserving Water) Project which is aimed at protecting watersheds, reviving deforested areas by planting new trees, developing the villages and improving the villagers' way of life, and promoting an efficient agricultural management among them.
The Queen's Ban Lek Nai Pa Yai Project (Little Houses in the Big Forest) was organized to protect fertile forests from being destroyed, to revive the destroyed forests by planting trees, and to improve the livelihood of the villagers who live in the forests of disaster.
In view of the exemplary role of Her Majesty as a mother, the government decided in 1976 to designate the birthday of Queen Sirikit on August 12 as National Mothers' Day of Thailand. It is indeed a most befitting tribute to the most beloved mother of the land.
On the occasion of Her Majesty's birthday, we wish Her Majesty Happy Birthday and Long Live the Queen. |
