Bui Simon, founder of Angels Wings Foundation sits down with Hello Magazine at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Bangkok, Thailand as she presented a donation of 100,000 baht to Dr. Therawat Kulthanan, the Director of Sirirat Mahidol Hospital on behalf of the Siam Minthararat Foundation.
Khun Bui Simon is not only a beautiful wife and an amazing mother of her beloved children Sean and Sophie, but she also has an amazing heart and mind. Khun Bui began a non-profit organization by the name of Angels Wings Foundation in 2002 when she married Herb Simon.
Although she and her family reside in the U.S., she makes it a priority for the organization to visit her homeland of Thailand at least two times a year to check in on various schools and organizations that the Angels Wings Foundation supports.
Hello Magazine met with the former Miss Universe (1988) and her family at the Mandarin Oriential Hotel in Bangkok, Thailand as she presented a donation of 100,000 baht to Dr. Therawat Kulthanan the Director of Sirirat Mahidol Hospital on behalf of the Siam Minthararat Foundation.
We spoke to Khun Bui about the aid that she has provided though the Angels Wings Foundation. One of the most impactful aids for support occurred during the 2004 Tsunami. In response to one of the most devastating natural disasters to ever strike Thailand, Khun Bui donated funds to build boats for fisherman whose sole source of income is fishing, playground equipment for the children, a school to educate and house the orphans, and 100 new homes which were constructed in 90 days. In addition, to Angels Wings Foundation’s support, Khun Bui purchased a refrigerator and air conditioning units for each of the 100 homes built.
p1Angels Wings Foundation is a non-profit organization that focus’ on educating the underprivelaged children of Thailand. With the support of my friends, colleagues and other generous people in the U.S., Angels Wings Foundation will be able to provide provide 60 teaching scholarships in the next 5 years.
Angels Wings Foundation focus’ on the teacher program because we know that these students given the opportunity to receive a highger education, will then return to the underprivelaged community that they were from to take care of the next generation of future leaders. in the small provinces of Thailand, teachers are very important role models and are leaders who can empower the community. The teachers program by Angels Wings Foundation selects students based on their GPA, extra curricular activities and their intention to help others within their community. I would like the children to become local heroes ( the Heroes of their community ) So many abandon children write to me and I do what I can to help support them in their future endeavors. The children who have received support are so pround that someone noticed them, just knowing that makes me proud of what we do. I am called “Big Sister,” in local communities as I aim to provide that helping hand as a sibling would for their younger brother or sister.
I think when you help someone to become teachers you actually create a stronger foundation for your own conutry. I currently have two students who have received scholarships from the Angels Wings Foundation, one who wants to receive a degree in English and the other who wants to be a Physician both have grade point averages of 3.2. Each student is required to sign an agreement which states that they can not miss more than 7 days of class a year, and once they graduate they are to return to their community to become a teacher for 3 years.
Bui said “I love what I am doing, it comes from the heart and for me its about the bond that I have created with each and every child that has in some way been impacted positively byAngels Wings. Whether through educational support through scholarships or the construction of a school or an orphanage, it’s not the money but the children that I never forget. I can remember one of the children that survived the Tsunami by hanging onto a banana tree. The moment she saw me she smiled at me and from that moment forward we had created a special bond, that I will never forget. It is those smiles that are worth the time that I have to leave my children to spend time to help others, because I am a big sister I have to make sure to come back to Thialand to make certain these children are safe and growing up to be role models in their community.”
You are right. . . my kids were born with wings but those children they don’t have wings yet so I try to give them wings so they can fly with their own abilities. In the future Angels Wings will have a facebook page so that we can grow more support for the children of Thailand. Today all the time I have I give to my children. From the moment I wake up to cook breakfast, take them to school and prepare dinner to the moment I put them to bed. Which only leaves 10% for the children of Thailand. With the support of others, I hope to give more time to the children of Thailand.
Khun Bui said I never plan a long project I normally plan in short term and solve the problem at the time. Many people invite me to join many organizations but I can’t do it right now because I am a CEO of my house ( laugh) I have to take care my family, it is a full time job 5 days a week which is very busy. Before I married I used to be an embassador for the UN but now I don’t have enough time. With the time I do have after being a mother and wife, I give to supporting the Thai people, which I take pride in as a Thai woman.