DaLaa Workcamp – code: 6208-2
Activities with kids at primary and high schools
SHORT DESCRIPTION
Koh Yao is a Muslim island in the Andaman sea of South Thailand. Since it started to become a tourist attraction, there have been some big changes in the local communities’ lifestyle. The villagers started to move from fishing and agriculture to tourism industry-related work. People realized slowly the dangers of losing their friendly sufficient communities and environment issues are rising quickly. During these 2 weeks, volunteers will join the network of schools to help to organize activities with kids and take part in the realities of the local population. This way we hope to get more mutual understanding between the local population and the international communities and make a small step in a better direction for all of us.
HISTORY and REASONS OF THE PROJECT
Koh Yao is composed of 2 islands: Koh Yao Yai and the smallest Kho Yao Noi and covers about 140 Sq.Km. The islands are situated in Phang Nga province, but it’s easier to reach the place from Krabi in the East or Phuket in the West. There are other smaller islands around in the same area. 99.9% of the population is Muslim. The ancestors of Koh Yao community migrated from Trang province to Koh Yao Yai since the 18th century to escape the Thai-Burmese war.
Like most of the islands in South Thailand, the place became more and more popular for tourism in the last 20 years. Some investors, from Phuket and other places came to build resorts. Impacts on the local communities and the environment were not much taken in consideration. Nowadays they start to realize the loss for the social and natural environment. English language is an important tool for the local people. It is necessary to work in the tourism sector, but most of all it is needed to communicate, to understand the foreigners coming on their land, to get a chance to defend their values and lifestyle as well.
In 2015, Mr. Wira Suebpong, the Director of Baan KlongHia School and Mr. Anucha Ban-amad, the Director of Baan PruNai School, have set up a network of the 13 schools on Koh Yao to seek an alternative way to develop education which will support students to learn happily and effectively, as well as maintain the voluntary mind for their own community. The two directors met Mr. Boonchan Saengfai who invited DaLaa association and discussed the possibility to organize an International short-term work camp in August 2016 with few of these schools. The results were positive, we renewed the experience with them since then until the present year.
AIMS of the PROJECT
- To support alternative education for students.
- To bring awareness on voluntary mind and public participation among the community members.
- To develop cultural exchange among the community members.
WORK AND ACTIVITIES
- Organizing creative English teaching activities with kids with two different schools of Koh Yao Education Development Network on Koh Yao Yai.
- Learning village lifestyle and increasing participation of the villagers
- Voluntary service activities with the community
FOOD and ACCOMMODATION
Volunteers will sleep in school classroom or at villagers’ house (depending on number of volunteers). You will need to bring your own sleeping bag, foldable mat and mosquito net with you. There are basic toilets, showers and a kitchen at the school canteen. The teachers and villagers will help the volunteers to cook. Local people eat rice (or noodles) 3 times a day with side dishes like curries, omelets, local leaves and vegetables. Volunteers will be welcome to cook their own food using the ingredients available there. (No oven, only a gas and woks or pans).
The villagers are Muslim so there must be no pork nor alcohol products.
