EIL Intercultural Learning - Thailand

Washout at MTV Exit!!!

Amusicum — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 09:58:39 +0000

Hello all, My name is Aoife, reporting from the art volunteer base in Thailand! This build-up to the big MTV Exit event this Saturday was immense. The event, held at the 700 Year Stadium in Chiang Mai, aimed to raise awareness of human trafficking

Within the project, both staff and volunteers, had spent weeks preparing canvases for an anti human trafficking maze, which was to be set up outside the stadium, along with the many information booths. I myself helped in laying out what information was to go on each panel. After some summarising and minor alterations, the design was complete and we spent the rest of the week preparing the canvases (painting them white) and writing the chosen statistics/images on the canvases using permanent markers and paint. The introductory panels asked some central questions regarding human trafficking, notably 'What is human trafficking,' Why does human trafficking occur?' and 'How can human trafficking be stopped?' These panels were highly interactive, with markers provided for visitors to write down their own perceptions about human trafficking. Other important sections included a display of art from the children of Thai Freedom House, featuring powerful anti-trafficking images, and art work from the girls of the New Life Centre, displaying their hopes for the future.

At the centre of the maze was a papier mache globe, covered in black and white anti-trafficking images and with the countries of the world marked out in coloured wool and clearly labelled in Thai. The different colours of the wool corresponded to countries with high/moderate/low human trafficking levels in terms of country of origin and destination of the trafficking victims. Displayed around the globe were important statistics about human trafficking, written in both English and Thai, and hopeful messages to conclude. The maze was designed to be as interactive as possible, with some question panels, with pull-off covers to display shocking answers. A powerful anti-trafficking image designed by another Irish volunteer, Aisling, using the slogan 'Not for Sale' adorned the front of the maze, with a funny cut-out area for people to pop their faces through. Many people who came enjoyed this feature of the maze!On Thursday, we set up the whole maze outside the office and it all worked according to plan. Each canvas was attached to a bamboo pole at the corner and then attached to another canvas using thick string.

But alas, 'WHY DOES IT ALWAYS RAIN ON ME???', as Travis would holler! Well... when it rains in Chiang Mai during rainy season, it really does pour! At Saturday lunchtime, we left the office with bamboo sticks in tow. Just as we arrived at the stadium, little droplets of sorrow appeared on the window screen of the car. It was raining!!! We started assembling all the bamboo sticks in their correct places outside the stadium, waiting for the rest of the staff to arrive with the canvases. A few more showers ensued but we still held high hopes that we would get through the afternoon relatively unscathed in moisture terms. We started putting up all the canvases, the heavens opened and it started to POUR rain!!! Tarps were raised, in a hope that all could be salvaged, everyone ducking for cover under umbrellas and raincoats!!! Alas, after half an hour, the maze had to be abandoned, so as to salvage as many of the canvases as possible. Nevertheless, we kept our promotional stall alive, with our human trafficking globe still available to view, as well as the cut-out face image!

At this stage it is fair to say that we were all sopping wet and drenched to the skin! We hoisted the bamboo poles and canvases into the van and we were on our way again! Us three volunteers (myself, Niki and Aisling) decided to brave the concert. After all, water is a valuable natural resource (although not so much when you are wallowing in it!). We wanted to make the best of our day at the MTV Exit, so we stayed on to see and hear the hoard of Super Junior fans! And they came in droves!!!!! The event also featured the up and coming Australian singer, Kate Miller, who proved to be a particular hit with us volunteers! Just a few minutes before we left, Super Junior came on stage, to multiple screams from the crowd surrounding us! This was an entertaining end to what tuned out to be a very interesting day, which left us singing in the rain, quite literally!

Until next time!!!
Aoife

Nancy Ormond's Amazing Experience in Thailand

Caitriona — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 10:45:44 +0000

I left the Irish midlands in January 2011 to take up my first placement as a volunteer in Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand. I travelled alone with a mixture of apprehension, excitement and considerable optimism. I had been in Thailand before and knew I would return. Wad, the in-country coordinator met me at the airport and after a short drive to the volunteer house, followed by a short rest, he orientated me to help make my settlement easier. The other volunteers in the house were mostly young students who attended an art project at a different location from mine. There was one Swiss lady, Michelle who was attending my project for the first week or so that I was there. Michelle was a great source of support and filled me in on everything I needed to know. We also got along very well socially.

I didn't know what to expect on arrival at my project - a care centre for young single mothers and children. I was impressed with the loving care the children received from all concerned including volunteers from various nationalities and agencies. Some, who had little or no experience with children and yet bonded doing all they could to teach, amuse and see to all their needs.

There were ten children whose ages ranged from approximately two to nine years as well as baby “Ing” whose mother taught Thai and English to Vietnamese children and worked extremely hard within our group. The children were well cared for, good humoured and so good looking. Their situation seemed unique to me, given that they had a great start in life, but whose future may be uncertain. A few older Vietnamese children were waiting for school placements in Thailand. The Foundation was leaving no stone unturned in order to secure the education and welfare of these children from the various ethnic areas and groups.

The Foundation’s farm had previously been purchased from a farmer and was a considerable distance from Chiang Mai city. The farm was made up of chickens, ducks, and pigs and included a fishpond. There was a large garden growing vegetables, tomatoes, fruit and bananas. Also they had planted trees, shrubs and flowers. There were little thatched buildings, which served as offices, schools and living quarters for the senior American staff, the mums and children, and some volunteers. The thatch was worse for wear but posed no immediate problems, as heavy rain is not expected until October. In the meantime work was underway with new buildings being erected for school, offices etc. The construction was being done by Vietnamese refugees. Some had their wives at the foundation who participated in English lessons, jewellery making and art. I must add that all took part in the helping out of the garden up till about two o’clock when it became too hot. This was a sanctuary, where women from various troubled backgrounds, where some had suffered rape and domestic abuse could have their babies and live in peace and safety secure in the knowledge that they would be looked after for the immediate future with the kind help, and cooperation of all involved in the foundation.

My six weeks at the Foundation were among some of the most satisfying times of my working years. It opened up new horizons for me meeting the volunteers from various backgrounds who had come from Europe, America, Canada, UK and of course Ireland, all of whom were working toward the common goal of improving the quality of the lives of the women and children in their care, many of whom had previously been in dire circumstances suffering domestic abuse, homelessness and isolation. Some of the women were of mixed race and were from remote areas of Vietnam, Burma, Laos, and Thailand.

Superstition sometimes plays a part in some remote areas. A woman might be cast out from her family for some misdemeanour not necessarily by her immediate family but under pressure from the local chief or the community in general.

It has been a privilege for me to have shared in the endeavours of the good and women who unreservedly gave their time to Wildflower Foundation and to have had the opportunity to have played my own small part.

The memories of the smiling faces of the children will always remain with me and the realisation that with cooperation, determination and good-will it is possible for many of us to reach out and to share our time and love with those less fortunate than ourselves.

It is a privilege for me to have spent six weeks at Wildflower Foundation to have helped in my own small way and to have been part of a great team of volunteers from various countries.

The memories of my time spent with so many amazing people, whilst living and working in Chiang Mai will always remain with me.

Nancy Ormond

Art workshop

Lena — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 10:20:01 +0000

Dee working at the Art workshop on Childrens day at Orphanage. Photo by Deirdre Kelly, volunteer in Thailand

What determines success is in the word "VOLUNTEER"!

Lena — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 11:51:22 +0000

Deidre Kelly, from Co. Laois, spent two months volunteering in Thailand. Read her story...

Prior to departing for my volunteer experience, i was anxious but for the most part i was excited about the work that awaited me.24 hours after departing Ireland i arrived in Chiang Mai in Northern Thailand. I was meet by the In country director "Wade" who drove me to the Volunteer house which would become my home from home for the duration of my time in Thailand. The house was located Chianf Mai city centre.
There was 9 volunteers in the house over the period of time i was there, Volunteers from different ages and origin. Most evenings were spent having many wonderful conversations about the people, the culture and indeed the experiences we were all encountering on a daily basis as part of our volunteer experience. I found the volunteers who i lived with amazing, i truly enjoyed living and sharing so many wonderful and sometimes bittersweet memories with them, we lived as a family and every Thursday we would have "family dinner". There would be a meal prepared for us all and the In country director and coordinator would join the volunteers for dinner and a chat.
The day after i arrived i began orientation along with 3 other volunteers who had just arrived. Orientation included an introduction to Thai culture,the customs, the do's and don'ts of Thai lifestyle. It was an amazing day and already i knew i would love my experience in Thailand.
Later that day i had my first of 4 Thai speaking lessons. The lessons were difficult and there was a need to study / practice Thai in between lessons. I found the lessons hilarious!!!I have to say I certainly cannot speak Thai fluently but i did get the basics and very much enjoyed practicing new words and sentences with the general public.
The second day I went to the home for single mothers in crisis. The home is run on a voluntary basis. Its vision is to rehabilitate the women, provide education in various different areas to enable them to cope and earn money to support themselves and there child / children in the future.
The women all came from different crisis situations, from pregnancy out of wedlock,severe poverty, physical abusive relationships, sexual abusive relationships the list went on and on...
On the first day i meet the Volunteer co-ordinator who walked me around the facility and together we agreed on my role for the next couple of months.
I took care of preschool children from ages 1-5. In the afternoon i taught English in a 1:1 style class. Sometimes i took care of the smaller children (under 1 year old) while there mothers attended class.
During the course of my time there i taught English to the children by singing songs like "Head,shoulders,knees and toes" The "Hokey pokey" Played games like "Twister" and "the traffic light game", i used pictures to teach animal names and body parts.
I supervised naptime, I played with Play dough, coloured, made decorations, made jewellery, I danced a lot!!!! I took the children on field trips,took them to the homes garden,we planted flowers and sowed seeds,i did face painting, body art,painted nails and on my last day i took the children to Chiang Mai zoo as a special treat.
Other work i did was set-up a fundraising committee, Cleaned the store room,taught English to 3 wonderful students,facilitated a art workshop on Children's day at an orphanage, facilitated at a Puppet show at an orphanage. Made a donation of a garden tiller to the home with the help of family and friends.
The experience was amazing, and its actually difficult to put into words.
I thought when i came home that the "volunteering abroad" experience would be "out of my system"..However i found that this is not the case. I am a lot more knowledgeable now about volunteering and i want to do a lot more work in this field.Fortunatly i have remained in frequent contact with the Wildflower home and continue to support them. I also remain in contact with many of the people i meet. Sadly a group of Vietnamese persons from the home are currently been held in an International Detention centre but i hope by writing to tem and sending them what they need i am helping them...
I did see many volunteers work for sometimes only 1 week and they did make a difference. Time is not the factor that determines how successful you will be as a volunteer. What determines success is in the word "VOLUNTEER".
Promoting good, improving the quality of living for others, been proactive, flexible and of course enjoying the experience.It is true that things may go wrong and things you witness may be difficult to cope with for example abuse, poverty,culture shock, aloneness, helplessness,getting sick....I experienced all of my examples and they only served to make me a stronger person,better able to facilitate EIL and participate in future activities with EIL.
Overall it was an experience that was without douth worthwhile, beautiful and defiantly worth doing...So good luck to all future volunteers....Enjoy it all.
It is an experiance that will change you for the better.
Deirdre Kelly.xxx

Volunteer in Thailand

Piers Meynell — Thu, 13 May 2010 11:12:49 +0000

Volunteer Abroad

Individual volunteering

Thailand

Description:

Whether it is the excitement and energy of Bangkok or the beautiful beaches and islands dotted around the coast, Thailand has long held a draw for travellers to South East Asia. The only country in the region never to have been ruled by a European power, Thailand is renowned for its Buddhist traditions, friendly people and delicious national cuisine. Economic growth over the last two decades has been impressive. However, huge disparities remain, and the benefits of economic progress have not been shared by all in Thailand. This is particularly true for ethnic minorities, migrants and refugees. Volunteers can contribute their time and energy to a wide range of projects in the region of Chang Mai, while gaining a real understanding of the country, its culture and the challenges faced by local people. Placements are available in the following areas: teaching and education, health and HIV/AIDS prevention, women's empowerment, refugee education and assistance.

Thailand

Volunteer

asia

teaching

education

health

women's empowerment

migrants

refugees

Chang Mai

HIV/AIDS prevention

Naomi Meani from Cork volunteered for 4 weeks in a centre for single mothers

Anton — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 15:16:43 +0000

Naomi Meany, a student in social science from UCC in Cork, volunteered for 4 weeks in a a centre for single mothers with her friend Ciara Slattery:

I volunteered for four weeks at Wildflower Home in Northern Thailand. It was a home for pregnant women and mothers and their children who have found themselves in crisis situations. It was a great place to volunteer in and was a much-needed organisation. The women and children came from both Thailand and neighbouring countries including Vietnam, Laos and Burma. My time was mainly spent in the day-care centre with lots of children running around and playing. Which meant that I got to spend my time running around after them and playing games with them. We spent the time dancing, reading, doing arts and crafts and even taught them a few games that we used to play when we were younger. It was great to see them get excited over a new game and to be greeted by their smiling faces everyday.

I also taught an English class to some of the women in the afternoon. The classes were pretty difficult at the start but once I was settled into them they were great fun and I really started to look forward to them everyday. The language barrier was an issue at times but having Thai lessons really helped with this and the women and children tried to teach me Thai as well! So got a chance to pick up a lot of words thanks to them. They were great teachers! We had great support at all times and the volunteer co-ordinator was always available if you ever had a problem or a query.

The volunteer house was great and well situated. I really enjoyed living in a house with lots of other volunteers from all over the world and it was good to have people around that you could talk to at the end of your day. There was always lots of support available and the food was amazing!

My time spent at Wildflower Home was great fun. The women and children were very welcoming and lots of fun. They were both great to be around and I truly learned a lot from them all, including the importance of organisations like WFH. I’m not going to lie and say it wasn’t hard at times, in both physical and emotional ways. Some things I came across were quite startling, particularly some of the women's stories. However, having said this, I am 100% sure that I wouldn’t have swapped this experience for anything in the world. I learned so much from lots of different people, especially the women and children, and I got to meet some amazing people, while being able to spend my time acting like a child, playing away happily. It was a unique experience and one that I will never forget.

Ciara Slattery from Cork volunteered for 4 weeks in a centre for single mothers

Anton — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 15:19:31 +0000

Ciara Slattery, a student in social science from UCC in Cork, volunteered for 4 weeks in a a centre for single mother with her friend Naomi Meany:

For my volunteer placement I spent four weeks volunteering in Wildflower Home located outside of Chiang Mai city in Northern Thailand. Wildflower home is a residential centre for unemployed tribal pregnant women and single mothers. I loved every minute working here as the women and children were very welcoming and friendly and the day was very varied and busy. I arrived at 9am and spent the morning in the day-care centre with eight very active and energetic children and the afternoons teaching English to some of the mothers and helping in the garden until 4pm. There was much to do throughout the day and the work was certainly challenging at times, especially in relation to effectively communicating with Thai toddlers! However, after being given some help to learn some very basic Thai, we spent many enjoyable mornings doing dance, arts and crafts and other activities. Some of the older children also enjoyed teaching us various Thai words!

My afternoon was spent teaching English which was a little daunting at first but which became the highlight of my day very quickly. It was wonderful to see how well the women progressed and became more confident speaking English. I also spent some time helping in the garden, where the women grow vegetables. There were also various construction projects in progress at the time so I assisted with these, which ranged from carrying bamboo to helping to fix a leaking roof. There was a volunteer co-ordinator who was available to talk with at any time and who provided excellent support and advice. Although there were certainly times whilst volunteering which were frustrating or emotionally difficult especially with regards to some of the harsh backgrounds which many of the residents had come from, seeing the importance of the work done by Wildflower Home has taught me the importance of the work of NGOs. However, I have also learnt much from the women and children themselves as a result of their enthusiasm and compassion, and I very much hope to return to Wildflower Home sometime in the future. My time in Thailand was truly an eye-opening experience and one which I believe will be very influential in my life in the future.

Local families

Anton — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 15:42:14 +0000

Eileen and friends

Anton — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 15:34:06 +0000

The volunteer house in Chiang Mai

Anton — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 15:31:41 +0000

The home-base is located in a safe, conveniently situated neighbourhood. It is a clean Thai-style accommodation with shared occupancy rooms. An in-house cook will provide three delicious, home-cooked Thai meals per day.