Its been a very eventful week!
We arrived in Khao Lak after a 13 hour overnight bus ride from Bangkok. We barely had any sleep so we were dropped off looking like zombies ready to collapse with all our luggage. We managed to stumble upon an incredible hotel right by the beach. Its low season here and everything is closed and the streets are empty. We made a deal with the front desk for a volunteer discount of 600 baht a night which is about 20 dollars.. but split amongst Me Elyse and Nikki it's nothing. So for three weeks we are at a beautiful 4-5 star resort soaking up the sun and the sandy beach for a grand total of $130. They have an amazing pool that's perfect after our tiring days at the schools and the room is fantastic. Its big enough that we can all spread our stuff and has a safe, big closet space, HOT water and air conditioning!! (haven't had that in over a month), king sized bed, a balcony, 4 English tv channels (woo!) and housekeeping everyday. We got a great deal.
On Monday we had an orientation at the Volunteer Centre we are working at. They drove us around to places they have been working on, such as a whole set of houses that are Tsunami proof and affordable for the locals to buy. Its incredible how much reconstruction has been done here. There are still little hints from the past.. broken trees, washed up coral beaches and a few boats that were washed up that are now a couple kilometres from the ocean. They even showed us a Resort that had opened up 5 days before the Tsunami hit, and every worker, and every customer perished.
Tuesday, we started our Volunteer work. It was a little intimidating coming into a school not sure what to expect or even what you are going to be teaching them-- as our coordinator tells us about 5 minutes before we have to teach--the first class was so loud. I had to scream in order to be heard. It was definitely discouraging, especially it being your first class of the day and week. We arrived at the orphanage later on that day, with a class of about 10 children and they brightened my day. They were all so sweet and affectionate. We were greeted with hugs and hand shakes and left with kisses. They were all so beautiful and so interested in learning anything. It lifted my low spirit.
The children all week have been great! i have learned a lot and had a lot of laughs with them. They are so easy going and open and they love when you teach them handshakes! I taught them a few that other kids in Chiang Mai had taught me and they loved them!
Yesterday, I was feeling really homesick. I had had a really bad dream even.. I think it being so close to me coming home now that I'm feeling a little anxious. But then last night, it was like a sign. I couldn't believe how beautiful the sunset was. Nikki Elyse and i just sat watching for half an hour as the sun fell in the sky lighting up the clouds in every orange and yellow color you could think of. It was absolutely amazing. I felt like i had seen a part of heaven. It made me realize that i am not quite done here.. i still have three weeks and i have to live it to the fullest.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Singburi Orphanage
What a week..
I think this week has changed my outlook on a lot of things.
Arriving at the orphanage was very overwhelming. We hopped out of the truck after a 30 minute back road and bumby ride and infront of us was the childrens' "front yard". I barely recocgnized it as a school and orphanage at first glance. The front yard was a mud hole. We had to walk to far edges of the yard to be able to get to the buildings where the kids play. Looking into the classrooms as I trip over a thick bit of mud that begins to swallow my shoe, I watch as kids begin to stack desks and chairs on top of eachother, things are tossed in the air, kids run in and out of classrooms chasing eachother and two boys see who can stand upside down on their heads the longest. My Jaw litterally dropped. I thought, "This is exactly what classrooms would look like with no teachers." --and thats because there isn't, in most of them. Their are nine teachers responsible for a total of 280 children under the age of 16.
John, our coordinator, showed us around the orphanage and what projects he was currently needing help with. John is a waundering spirit as we would like to say that originally lived in England but was robbed in Bangkok with a total of almost 600 pounds (1200 dollars). He fell upon this job shortly after. We could tell right away the passion he had for developing a better environment for the kids in the orphanage.
He showed us the rooms where the children slept everynight, which broke our hearts. The rooms are about the size of my bedroom back in Canada and were expected to fit at least thirty kids. There were no windows, mosquito nets (that protect against getting Malaria), matresses or pillows to lay on. They were cement floors. The orphanage is run by a group of monks and we heard them chanting everyday as we worked. John had told us that the previous volunteers had just finished building a medical clinic and they needed roofing. The orphanage is always in need of funding and they noticed that they could save some money because they saw a lot of extra roofing behind the temple. he asked the monks if they could use the roofing and they told him that he could -- 20 baht per shingle and he must make a 1500 baht donation to the temple on top of that. 1500 baht is about 45 dollars. It seems a little weird if the monks own the orphanage?
Anyways, although we were only able to help out for a week, we managed to help with the foundation for a kitchen. --Yep, the orphanage doesnt even have a kitchen. We mixed the cement and layed it ourselves which was extremely tough work. We painted a whole building of windows and frames and the walls of the big communal room. I found out on the friday i was leaving that John was looking for an artist to paint murals! I was a little broken after hearing that. But i still felt i helped out where i was needed and I tried my very best!
On our last day, Elyse and I decided to use a little bit of the money that we raised (thanks to all you guys supporting me by the way) to buy mosquito nets and matresses. We were able to get 35 mosquito nets that are able to cover at least 150 children and ten matresses with blankets and matching pillows for 200 dollars. It was the most incredible feeling buying all of that at the shop. I couldnt stop smiling and it shocked me that only 200 dollars (which is barely half a weeks wage at home) could do so much. Giving it out to the children the next day was undescribable. I felt I was just glowing with happiness. I knew that we were actually changing children's lives, and making them just a little bit better. Little kids lined up and I pulled each mosquito net for them to carry off to their bedroom. They had huge grins on their faces and they ran off with their new presents. I will never forget that moment in my life.
I think this week has changed my outlook on a lot of things.
Arriving at the orphanage was very overwhelming. We hopped out of the truck after a 30 minute back road and bumby ride and infront of us was the childrens' "front yard". I barely recocgnized it as a school and orphanage at first glance. The front yard was a mud hole. We had to walk to far edges of the yard to be able to get to the buildings where the kids play. Looking into the classrooms as I trip over a thick bit of mud that begins to swallow my shoe, I watch as kids begin to stack desks and chairs on top of eachother, things are tossed in the air, kids run in and out of classrooms chasing eachother and two boys see who can stand upside down on their heads the longest. My Jaw litterally dropped. I thought, "This is exactly what classrooms would look like with no teachers." --and thats because there isn't, in most of them. Their are nine teachers responsible for a total of 280 children under the age of 16.
John, our coordinator, showed us around the orphanage and what projects he was currently needing help with. John is a waundering spirit as we would like to say that originally lived in England but was robbed in Bangkok with a total of almost 600 pounds (1200 dollars). He fell upon this job shortly after. We could tell right away the passion he had for developing a better environment for the kids in the orphanage.
He showed us the rooms where the children slept everynight, which broke our hearts. The rooms are about the size of my bedroom back in Canada and were expected to fit at least thirty kids. There were no windows, mosquito nets (that protect against getting Malaria), matresses or pillows to lay on. They were cement floors. The orphanage is run by a group of monks and we heard them chanting everyday as we worked. John had told us that the previous volunteers had just finished building a medical clinic and they needed roofing. The orphanage is always in need of funding and they noticed that they could save some money because they saw a lot of extra roofing behind the temple. he asked the monks if they could use the roofing and they told him that he could -- 20 baht per shingle and he must make a 1500 baht donation to the temple on top of that. 1500 baht is about 45 dollars. It seems a little weird if the monks own the orphanage?
Anyways, although we were only able to help out for a week, we managed to help with the foundation for a kitchen. --Yep, the orphanage doesnt even have a kitchen. We mixed the cement and layed it ourselves which was extremely tough work. We painted a whole building of windows and frames and the walls of the big communal room. I found out on the friday i was leaving that John was looking for an artist to paint murals! I was a little broken after hearing that. But i still felt i helped out where i was needed and I tried my very best!
On our last day, Elyse and I decided to use a little bit of the money that we raised (thanks to all you guys supporting me by the way) to buy mosquito nets and matresses. We were able to get 35 mosquito nets that are able to cover at least 150 children and ten matresses with blankets and matching pillows for 200 dollars. It was the most incredible feeling buying all of that at the shop. I couldnt stop smiling and it shocked me that only 200 dollars (which is barely half a weeks wage at home) could do so much. Giving it out to the children the next day was undescribable. I felt I was just glowing with happiness. I knew that we were actually changing children's lives, and making them just a little bit better. Little kids lined up and I pulled each mosquito net for them to carry off to their bedroom. They had huge grins on their faces and they ran off with their new presents. I will never forget that moment in my life.
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