On December 26, 2004, a Tsunami devastated many parts of Southern Asia with over 300,000 casualties. Many children were left as orphans as thousands of parents died.

In January 2005, the Bermuda High School for Girls decided to lend a helping hand.

The students along with teachers supporting them launched a relief project with the ?Bands of Hope? as the major fundraiser.

The girls raised over $25,000 by selling the ?Bands of Hope?. Each band had the word hope written in the six different languages spoken in the devastated areas.

The students sold over 10,000 bands to cruise ship passengers, family and friends.

The project was entitled the BHS Round Square International Service Project in Thailand.

On June 17, 15 students and teachers travelled to Thailand to work at a school and hospital in Koh Phi Phi Don to help with the devastation.

Martina Nash, guidance counsellor at the school and co-ordinator of Round Square went on the trip. She said they partnered up with the regent school, another round square school called Bann Koh Phi Phi which was in the area.

?We did most of the work there. We donated not just time and skills but also money?.

Mrs. Nash said they spent money to help build two filtration units for portable water and to pump water. They also brought down two colour printers, three digital camera, printer papers, ?loads and loads? of school supplies including paper, pencils, rulers, crayons, paints and more.

The group also helped with a major fundraiser that the school does every year. Mrs. Nash said Bann Koh Phi Phi invites hotels in the area to come down and play football to raise money.

The school normally sponsors the event which means they don?t normally make a whole lot of money. Sponsorship includes T-shirts, medals, trophies, advertising and more.

Mrs. Nash said the group paid for the entire event so that the school could make a 100 percent profit.

The BHS group also bought lunch programmes for the rest of school year for 10 children and two months of lunch for students at Bann Koh Phi Phi.

One highlight of the trip was putting on a drama production what Mrs. Nash called ?Shakespearean type of stuff?.

She said the students walked through the streets and stopped to do a skit, then would continue walking and then do another skit.

?So many people go to the island and take take take but we wanted to give something back to the community,? she said.

The students also painted two murals representing Bermuda. They returned from their trip on July 8. Mrs. Nash said students are planning to go back next year to continue relief efforts.

The students posted a blog and updated it daily while they were in Thailand. To view their blog visit www.sawadeebermuda.blogspot.com.