For the first time in 52 years, I went travelling alone. I started my trip with two weeks of volunteer work in Thailand. It was an amazing experience! First of all, I was warmly welcomed by the project manager Rai, his wife, their children, and of course, not to forget, grandma and grandpa. From day one, they showed me everything and explained all about their organisation and life in the countryside.

It was an incredible experience!

Campus:

For the volunteers, they built a cosy campus, surrounded by beautiful rice fields and located on the main road to the village. On the campus, there are four small houses with bunk beds, a kitchen, a library, a language café, two showers, and two toilets. There’s plenty of space to relax. Bikes and tuk-tuks are also available.

English Lessons:

A few times, we organised a summer school at the temple, which attracted many children. It was fantastic to work with these enthusiastic, eager, and kind children. The schools were closed, so unfortunately, I couldn’t teach English at a school. The project really shows its results. I noticed this when I went out on the tuk-tuk. Children in other villages could hardly speak or understand any English. This was very different from the children in the villages supported by this project. They now understand and speak a fair amount of basic English words. For a better future, even more education is definitely needed. Volunteers are always welcome! Especially during the rainy season, there is often a shortage of volunteers.

I had an amazing time in Thailand!

Art Centre:

To make the rainy season more appealing for volunteers, the project is currently building an Art Centre. The main goal of this Art Centre is, of course, to give the children in the area a better future. I raised money from colleagues and family to also make a contribution in Thailand for the children and the project. With this, I was able to make a valuable contribution to the Art Centre, The Clay and Pottery Studio. I was able to have the three pillars that grandma had purchased installed. This allows the concrete floor (sponsored by another volunteer) to be poured at the end of October. After the pillars were in place, we organised a pre-workshop pottery session. Through videos, we prepared the children for the arrival of the professional potter. They also received a nice lunch. After this, I arranged for two potter’s wheels and the professional potter from Chiang Mai to come to the village. He and his wife gave two days of workshops to the children. This was extremely educational and lots of fun. The children were creative and enthusiastic for two days, sparking their interest in a skill they could turn into a career in the future.

Look No Further!

Are you looking for a good organisation and a great place to travel? Look no further. Here you can do all kinds of volunteer work. You can even improvise and adjust plans on the spot.

I had an amazing time in Thailand!

- Caroline