Category: MLTV

Thungprue Pittayakom School

August 16, 2023 DaLaa Leave a comment MLTV

“Creative English teaching” DaLaa MLTV project – code: 2303 Available: from June 2023 to February 2024 (at least 2 to 5 months) Expected number of volunteers: 2-3

SHORT DESCRIPTION
Dalaa became acquainted with Thungprue Pittayakom School after being introduced by the director of Prang-moo School. Additionally, Dalaa organized several mini work camps that Thungprue Pittayakom School participated in. As a result, Thungprue Pittayakom School is now eager to extend a warm welcome to volunteers who are interested in contributing to the students’ development by organizing activities to enhance their language skills and other areas of expertise. Moreover, volunteers will also have the opportunity to engage in local community activities.


HISTORY and REASONS OF THE PLACEMENT
Thungprue Pittayakom School, Songkhla Province was founded in 1957. It has 5 school buildings, 2 buildings for teachers to live in, a multipurpose building, and a cafeteria. Additionally, there are 4 temporary buildings provided by the public, 3 toilets and each school building has 2 bathrooms. There are currently 224 students from kindergarten to lower secondary (6-15 years old), and there are a total of 16 teachers along with a janitor. The kids have very few chances for interaction with foreigners and English language is more and more needed for their future.
AIMS of the Placement
1- To exchange culture between the volunteers and students.
2- To encourage the student to learn the English language and develop a good perspective of the English language to students.
3- To encourage the parents or guardians to send their child to school.
4- To create good English skills for students.


WORK AND ACTIVITIES
Engage in collaborative teaching and coordination with class teachers to facilitate the English language learning process across all academic levels.

Khoksalung Village

March 8, 2023 DaLaa Leave a comment MLTV

Khoksalung Village

(Crafts- agricultural and sufficiency lifestyle)
(Thai Bueng Community, Lopburi province)

DaLaa MLTV project – code: 2302
All year round
Maximum 4-5 volunteers

SHORT DESCRIPTION

Would you join the local Craft Products and agro- tourism lifestyle of Thai Bueng community? We have 25 years of experience and dedication of activities for kids and newcomers. You will participate in the community-based tourism and join  local crafts production like weaving and organic agriculture in the very safe, warm and beautiful environment of the village. You would be welcome to support  English teaching as a communication tool for locals.

HISTORY and REASONS OF THE PLACEMENT

Thai Bueng community, Khoksalung village (sub-district), Pathana Mikhom district, Lopburi province is a a big Buddhist community, with more than 3,000 houses and about 10,000 people. Most of us have extended families and many relatives around us.  There are 5 temples, 4 primary Schools and 1 high School. The village is surrounded by a big dam named Pasak Chonlasit Dam.

 We still preserve and revive our traditional culture through a respectful community -based tourism welcoming outsiders. Our team has worked in the village for over 25 years on these issues. We emphasize local wisdom to develop new quality products. Our main skills and tools are weaving, nature color dying, agriculture and inland fishery. We use quality communication, the so-called “Dialogue” between all the actors, After Action Review (AAR) to constantly improve and other tools like System Thinking, Networking and Strategy within our team and with outside stakeholders. We organize regular meaningful activities together with locals including children and outsiders, both Thai and foreigners and would be pleased if the volunteers can teach English for communication both for children and adults interested.

We started to promote this volunteer placement through DaLaa association in 2023, after we met with Mint, a young social activist who joined our volunteers activity a month. She is the main host for the volunteers who will sleep in her home. After she graduates a few years ago, she decided to go back to her village to support the local initiatives mentioned above. She is herself joining the activities of the community since she was a kid and her determination to go on with this project is very communicative. She is surrounded by her close family (4 people), her extended family and community and an active team of 6 people with who you will join daily life.

AIMS of the Placement

 – Enhance culture exchange between volunteers and Thai Bueng community.

 – Support the Community-based tourism  to preserve the local way of life and economic stability.

 – Support organic self sufficient agriculture through active participation of the volunteers 

– Manage our team daily life in a meaningful and respectful way.

(Thriving through Authenticity, Responsibility and Inclusion as the image of an harmonious global community  we wish for)

WORK AND ACTIVITIES

  • Prepare work shops to welcome the tourists.
  • Agriculture  in the communities garden
  • Teaching English  for children and local people.
  • Activities with kids such as games , art , sport

Other practical information

  • The volunteers will cook and live together with the  host family.  (Mint)
  • Simple sleeping material is provided : a small mattress, pillows and a mosquito net
  • There are events and activities in the village almost every day and in other provinces occasionally. Most locals cannot speak English but Mint can translate for international volunteers.
  • Khoksalung is situated in Lopburi province, about 200 km North of Bangkok”. From Bangkok , there is only one train a day that stopped in Kok Salung village (Nong Kai destination). There are regular mini-vans from Mor Chit 2 (Northern Bangkok bus station) with destination of Khoksalung – Lopburi”province which takes about 2-3 hours. 
  • There is an internet Wi-Fi in the host’s house and the activity area.
  • There is an ATM in the village and the banks are about 20 km away in the district Pathana Nikhom
  • There is a health center in the village and a hospital in Pathana Nikhom town.
  • There is Police station in the village
  • There is Local market every day, groceries around and Super Market in Pathana Nikhom.
  • We have a washing machine. 
  • If you have special need, please inform us in advance.

Yod Rak organic farm

February 28, 2020 DaLaa Leave a comment MLTV

DaLaa MLTV project – code: 2001
All year round – At least two months 
Expected number of volunteers: 2-3


SHORT DESCRIPTION

We are a family of 2 working on sustainable and organic farming in Trang province, South Thailand. We are nursing many kinds of vegetables and trees for our network of organic farmers and organizing the Cinta green market of the next town (Trang). We are involved in many kinds of alternative stuff and are willing to welcome volunteers interested to support us and willing to learn.

AIMS of the PROJECT:
– to learn and support organic farming, self-reliance, cooking and local culture
– To join the life in the village, and possibly exchange culture and language with neighbours and local kids.

WORK- ACTIVITIES

  • Agriculture (seeds conservation, planting, potting, caring, collecting, weeding, watering, composting…)
  • Learning about food processing
  • Sell vegetables or fruits from the garden at green market.
  • Learning how to make shrimp paste and natural tie-dye clothes.
  • Activities with kids in the local small school.
  • Thai cultures and Thai language learning.

REQUIREMENTS

This project is for volunteers who interested in organic agriculture, self-reliance, and Thai traditional cultures. The volunteers will learn more about green market and community network building.

Volunteers should be ready to adapt to the Thai, local way of life, and willing to create relationships with volunteers’ friends, hosts and local people. Some difficult points could be mosquitoes and insects, eating rice at every meal, language and culture barrier, missing feedback, changing plans often.

Volunteers should be able to stay in a remote environment, without public transport.

Volunteers should be able to take responsibility for themselves and the team by taking care of their health and security and be fully involved in the daily tasks.

** Clothes worn in the village- schools and temple: skirts or shorts long enough to cover your knees also when you are sitting. Women should wear tops that cover their shoulders, no low neckline. Bikinis are not appropriate to swim if you go on holidays. Please wear long shorts and a top instead.

FOOD and ACCOMMODATION

  • We will cook meals together, suitable for vegetarians.
  • Volunteers will stay at the hosts house/ Yod Rak garden, either in tents or a small clay house (to be built)

You will be in the middle of a Muslim village- the hosts are Buddhists. The relationships are very good between everyone and people close to each other’s.

  • Mosquito nets, pillows, blankets and mattresses are provided.

OTHER PRACTICAL and LOCAL INFORMATION

  • We live in Thung Krabue Yan Ta Khao District, Trang province which is quite multicultural. We are a mix of Thai-Buddhist, Thai-Muslim, and Thai-Chinese. Therefore, there are various traditions such as Chak Phra Festival – Celebrates the return of Buddha from heaven to earth and to be greeted by multitudes. Celebration takes place every year immediately after the end of 3-month rain retreat, about October. It is celebrated in many parts of southern Thailand. Eid Mubarak Day – is a religious holiday celebrated by Muslims. The Qingming festival – is a traditional Chinese festival.
  • Krabue in old Thai language means buffalo, and there were many buffaloes for rice farming in the past. So, it has been called “Thung Krabue” = “buffalo field”. Fisherman also one of a common occupation in Thung Krabue because there is a mangrove river connecting to the sea.
  • Most of people in our area are either rubber farmer, oil palm farmer or fishermen.
  •  The weather is the hottest in March-April, from May to September, you will experience more rain.
  • Water supply, electricity and WIFI available at the host house
  • Laundry: hand wash or washing machine
  • YantaKhao is the closest small town, 10 km from our village: there is a market, banks with ATM and hospital
  • Trang, the main town of the province (Trang province) is situated 20 km away.

  • Hatyai, the main city of South Thailand where is our office is about 2 hours drive by public transport (mini bus)

Lung Jaeng garden

July 18, 2019 DaLaa Leave a comment MLTV

Project number: DaLaa 1301MLTV
Volunteers type: Medium and Long Term (two months minimum)
Max Number of Volunteers: 3-4
Available application period: all year round

Gardening and DaLaa members activities

SHORT DESCRIPTION

Lung Jaeng is the kind host of our association office and Voluntary Service Community. He is a great life activist who also welcomes volunteers since 2013 through DaLaa to support his social and non-chemical garden 3 km away from the office.  Volunteers will mainly join agricultural work and daily life with Lung Jaeng. They have the possibility to join our member activities.

 

HISTORY and REASONS OF THE PROJECT

Mr. Suthep Suwankrajang known as Lung Jaeng, the host of the project has a strong social network and he is involved in voluntary work, social activism and forest conservation for many years.  Since 2013, he has been starting a big garden, 3km from his home with DaLaa volunteers and friends and build there a new house. He grows non chemical vegetables and fruits. It’s like a social garden which is also used for tea meetings, universities camps or just having a meal together with friends. Everyone is welcome at this learning space to grow healthy food and to exchange ideas.

Since 2015, DaLaa office was built on his home land and nowadays we became a community sharing everyday life. We called this place Voluntary Service Community  (VSC) and we organize quite some activities like introduction and gathering for our middle and long term volunteers, mini workcamps with our members. family and children camps.

AIMS of the PROJECT

1- Start a new kind of community based on love, responsibility, harmony and freedom.

2- Our members grow in wisdom and our garden produces healthy food.

3- We can gather members and children more and more around meaningful volunteer activities.

 

 

WORK AND ACTIVITIES

Regular work involves nurturing vegetables plants and fruit trees, take care or chicken, compost making, collecting vegetables for our own consumption, growing seeds or nursing young plants, lots of weeding and watering too. The work may be physically hard or repetitive but there is no pressure and you will have a lot of time to relax.

You will be proposed to join our VSC members’ activities on regular basis. The activities may be very various from construction to kids’ activities around DaLaa office or to our partners places.

The daily tasks like cleaning and cooking are shared by everyone. It takes some time and energy to have an healthy food and environment. When done with free will and dedication for the community, we can learn a lot from this too.

Volunteers should feel responsible for the community. It means they will become the hosts when visitors are coming, take part in new volunteer introduction and other activities organized through the Voluntary Service Community. We organize mini workcamps where Kok Riang volunteers are included.

FOOD and ACCOMODATION

Volunteers will live with Lung Jaeng and at the garden. Small huts are provided for volunteers. there is the new house of Lung Jaeng and woof fire kitchen. Regards to the hut for volunteers, there is a thin mattress and mosquito net provided. You may need to bring your own soft mattress if you’re prone to backache or wouldn’t be able to sleep on hard surface. The bathroom and toilet are separated . For shower, there’s no hot water and the restroom is local squatting style. The living condition will be very simple and you may find it completely different from your own country. Local people eat rice (or noodles) 3 times a day with side dishes like curries, omelets, local leaves and vegetables. We get some food from the garden and shop other at the local markets

OTHER PRACTICAL INFORMATION

Kok Riang is a village 20 km from Hatyai city but it is really country side. The atmosphere is quite relax. The garden area is 2 km from the closest shop.

The most rain season is usually from October to December. There are quite some mosquitoes especially after the rain.

There are a lot of chicken around to wake you up early morning 🙂

Laundry: expect to hand-wash your clothes

Water supply and electricity: Well with pump and solar pannel

Internet/phone access: You can buy a Thai SIM card at the garden. There is WIFI at VSC/DaLaa office)

Hat Yai, the main city of South Thailand is 30 minutes by car from Kok Riang.

REQUIREMENTS

The volunteers should be ready to stay in a community and to take responsibilities and initiatives to adapt to the local conditions with basic facilities and non English speaking people. Volunteers should be able to handle spontaneous working environment and constant changes in the plans. The mentality and way of thinking is very different from the western world.

**For ones who plan to travel in Thailand/Asia besides this voluntary work, having it done before or after the project would be advisable. We hope that volunteers will fully spend their stay in the project without asking for a long holiday break amid the project period. This would cause uncertainty in running activities.

Koh Nang Kham

July 18, 2019 DaLaa Leave a comment MLTV

Creative English teaching and activities with kids)
DaLaa MLTV project – code: 1702

Periods available: All year round (except March, April and October)
at least 2 months

Expected number of volunteers: 2 to 4

SHORT DESCRIPTION

Volunteers will join a small Muslim
community of South Thailand on the banks of Songkhla Lake. They will organize
activities for children of the local school and share the life of the
villagers.

HISTORY and REASONS OF THE PROJECT

Ko Nang Kham is a small village
situated in Pattalung province, close to the middle part of Songkhla Lake which
is Thailand’s biggest lake. The community area is a small island inside the
lake so the main career of the villagers is fisheries. Some work on rubber and
palm plantation, fruit orchards or shrimp farm. During free time, some
villagers gain some extra income from making and selling local desserts and
fruit preservation, for instance. You may find more information about Songkhla
lake on this following website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Songkhla_Lake. The
villagers of Koh Nang Kham are Muslim.

The School

Ban Ko Nang Kham School was founded in 1928. It’s a local governmental, educational opportunity-expanded school offering classes from kindergarten to grade 9. There are around 189 pupils and 16 teachers. In the village, there’s a mosque where it is centred to bring all Muslims in the community to join in religious activities such as Friday prayer. The long-lasting folk wisdom passing on from one generation to another still gives them a career in the fishery industry and food process. Around the Songkhla Lake, the overwhelming ecosystem of natural resources, aquatic animals, fruits of the palm trees and many other things that people there can make use of, they are still greatly abundant in the present day. This teeming treasure behind this richness still gives them every day’s earnings and it has laid great benefit in preservation from generation to generation.

Mr. Somhit Chobngam (Crue Chem), the project initiator, positioned currently in Ban Ko Nang Kham Nuea School together with his co-mate, Miss Aree Leesom positioned presently in Ban Ko Nang Kham School. Both schools are in the same neighbourhood. Crue Chem contacted DaLaa first in 2015 to discuss the possibility of hosting international volunteers as he saw the importance of improving learning methods for the students. He hopes that children can learn about language and cultures naturally by doing activities with volunteers.

In 2015, we organized the
first short-term work camp in Ban
Ko Nang Kham Nuea School. Other work camps held yearly after that and we had
the first team of middle-term volunteers in 2017 for 2 months. The results were
very positive and it drew a lot of intention for kids and their families.

In small communities in Thailand, local people hardly have contacts with foreigners, while students are getting pressured from the current educational system to study English but they never have a chance to meet any foreigners. Therefore, this will give them the chance to gain motivation to learn and explore cultural diversity by doing creative activities with international volunteers.

Having international
volunteers to learn about local fisherman’s lifestyle, it will help the
fishermen to feel more motivated to preserve their local knowledge and wisdom.
Apart from that, volunteers can also become the link between children and
villagers to take part in this community learning activities.

                            

AIMS of the PROJECT

•           To support in all school’s activities

•           Children and adults can learn English with volunteers

•            2-way
learning process between local children/ villagers and volunteers

•            Better understanding of local culture

•            To
build a good relationship between volunteers and local people

WORK AND ACTIVITIES

Volunteers will be arranging creative activities with students. They will be supervised by the teachers. Depending on the volunteers’ skills, they will be proposed to organize activities with each class from Grade 1 to Grade 9 twice a week (1-hour session). The idea is that 1 session is more about the English language while the other one is free to decide.  Outside the school, a few villagers are willing to invite volunteers to learn about the local fisherman lifestyle on Songkhla Lake and organize other common activities.

REQUIREMENTS

  • Volunteers
    who apply for this project should be over 20 years of age and/or have a
    Bachelor’s Degree. This is specifically required by the school.
  • Volunteers
    should be ready to stay in a remote area, to adapt to the local conditions with
    basic facilities and with very few people able to speak in English.
  • Volunteers should be able to handle the spontaneous working environment and constant changes in the plans. The mentality and way of thinking are very different from the western world.  There will have often activities with the children.
  • To
    have creativity in providing learning activities for kids and join in
    activities related to school’s matters
  • Be
    open-minded, be positive-thinking and be ready to get involved in community’s
    matters
  • Last
    but not least, love being around with kids J

FOOD and ACCOMMODATION

Volunteers will stay in a local house situated in the village center. There are a kitchen and bathroom in the house. Volunteers can go on foot to the project school which is not far. There will be a simple mat, pillow and mosquito net. You may need to bring your own sleeping bag and other sleeping gear for your comfort. Lunch will be offered at school. There are some small grocery shops in the village and a lot of fish from the fishermen.  Local people eat rice (or noodles) 3 times a day with side dishes like curries, omelettes, local leaves and vegetables. Remember there are no pork products provided in the village. Be reminded of not bringing non-halal food or alcohol drink to your house or school. This may sound serious when you first hear it. It is not as that strict as you may imagine. Just the food (pork products and alcohol) that it is not appreciated in the Muslim community.