We were approached by a group of UK schools in NE England to design a project which would enable the UK children to learn about the way their contemporaries live in N Thailand.
We made a short video of interviews with some schoolchildren explaining their way of life, their schools and their ambitions for the future. The video was shown in the UK schools.
The UK schools subsequently raised US$6,000 as a donation to help Thai and hilltribe children. The money is being used in a variety of projects, which so far include:
- Assistance with the cost of hiring an earth-mover to create an open space for sports and communal activities in the remote village of Ja Lae.
- Buying a DVD player, television and educational disks for a teacher in Ja Lae village which has just been supplied with solar-power cells, so that children can supplement their learning.
- Granting scholarships to 11 children so they can continue school beyond age 12
- Building climbing frames and swings for children in tsunami survivor camps in Khao Lak, near Phuket.
We would be interested to hear from other schools who would like to set up a cultural exchange programme similar to this one.
Children crowding round the DVD player and TV
Playing on the newly built sports field