My day as a judge in an “Impromptu Speech competition”  By Aliénor Conus

Ruang, Luca and I were invited to participate as judges in an “impromptu speech competition” in Krabi Town. The competition gathered students from P1 to M3, almost all the classes a school could have. Our day started at 8h30 and ended around 3pm, it was a long day in a very chilled room, but in all I was very glad I be involved in this competition. The officials and the teachers were all very happy to have us here.

The competition started with introduction speeches of the officials, in Thai of course but it was not a problem. The students participating in the competition could not listen to the each other, a matter of equity, that I understand, so they would come one after the other and hand us the subject of their speech. They had a list of topics they would have to present and a time frame they had to respect. If they did not like the topic they drew, they could chose to present the one they had prepared but that meant losing 35 points on a total of 100. The speaking time varied between classes, from 2 to 5 minutes for M3; most of the students chose to present “Myself and my family” or “my school” as topics.

Even though they all said pretty much the same thing, it was interesting to see the different levels of English and shyness. I was impressed with some students who really overcame their apprehension of speaking a completely different language in front of an unknown crowd.  Some students were really funny, had a great presence on stage, we could tell they were having fun; one girl even sang us a song; the younger ones liked to tell us their weight, or other funny facts about their selves. A few older students spoke about the environment, which was to me this was one of the best-treated subjects, and probably the toughest. I was not that shocked about the level difference between private and public schools, I found that the students coming from the public system were not that far behind. While the students were speaking, we had to give them points based on different criteria from creativity, structure, tone and pronunciation to personality.

The first one to judge was the hardest, because I did not know how rigorous I had to be and on top of that, the poor little girl was so shy she almost could not say anything. But, I got the hang of it after the third one. Once all students had passed, we had to count out the points, and name the first 3 students in each category; they would receive a certificate and a Thai/ English dictionary.

Once the competition had ended and every one had received their prize, it was time for the photo shoot to start. Officials, teachers and students all wanted a picture of Luca and I, it was funny and a good way to end the day. Some students even came to ask me if I had any advice. As a teaching volunteer it was interesting to see how good the students can and hopefully will get; it felt good to hear that the students understood the importance of English and more so, that they enjoy speaking it (some even like it better than Thai).

Monthly Article: OT Surat Thani Hospital

My Home Visit Experience

By: Leah Grossmith, OT, Canada

Upon starting to volunteer here at the Surat Thani hospital, I have been blessed with the opportunity to see many things that differ from the way we practice OT in Canada. I was given the opportunity to go on a home visit alongside another OT and a team of healthcare professionals. In Canada, OTs specialize in homecare or working in a hospital, but never get the opportunity to work with patients in both settings. I have had the opportunity to participate in both in Canada. Seeing as that therapy in Thailand has proven to be very different, I expected this home visit to be the same. I was excited to discover the difference and similarities between this experience and my previous experiences.

I was first introduced to the healthcare team. This consisted of a doctor, nurse, psychosocial nurse, OT, PT, pharmacy, nutrition and Thai massage. I was taken aback by the inclusion of Thai massage, but later came to realize that they are a valuable part of the healthcare professional team. After meeting with the other team members, we were to be picked up in a hospital van to go to the patient’s house together. However, there was no hospital van available, so we had to go with plan B; an ambulance. We all crammed into the ambulance and had a good laugh while taking pictures of our experience.

Upon arriving to the patient’s house we were warmly welcomed and escorted upstairs to where our patient lay bed-bound. This man had been recently seen by a team of healthcare professionals at the dementia clinic at Surat Thani hospital. The means of this visit were to follow-up with the man and his wife and see how they were managing at home. It was explained to me that he had rapidly declined in both his physical and cognitive state since last being seen by the team.

As per routine, the nurse approached the man at bed-side in order to check his vitals (heart rate and blood pressure). PT then checked his range of motion and muscle integrity through manual therapy of the legs, while Thai massage observed his upper extremities. At this point it became clear to me that Thai massage was there to restore balance in one’s body. I am a firm believer of healing energy and alignment in order to heal one’s body. Despite claiming to be holistic, western medicine steps away from taking a natural approach first, and tends to jump to the quick fix which usual involves some sort of medication, or home care help. It was very refreshing to see a true holistic approach well-established in practice. The other professionals did their duties as we worked with the patient. The pharmacist checked his medication and made changes/ re-fills where necessary. The nutritionist brought a re-fill of his food since he is on an NG tube (Nasal-gastric tube: A tube that goes in through the nose, down the esophagus, and into the stomach for those who are unable to self-feed or swallow).

Unfortunately, OT does not have much of a role when it comes to homecare with advanced dementia. His cognitive status is far depleted, and there is nothing that can be done at this point to re-train the mind. So long as the wife is happy as his caregiver that is what matters most. In Canada, those with advanced dementia are typically put in a care home away from their family and loved ones, but in the care of qualified nursing staff. It was so nice to see that the patient was not considered a burden to the family, rather a pleasure to have around and take care of.

Throughout therapy, the team members took their turns speaking with the wife in order to follow up with their most previous recommendations. It was clear through her body language that she was very happy. Despite her husband being very ill, she saw it as a pleasure to take care of him. She even showed us some ways that she makes him smile. This includes a Thai saying (which I did not understand), as well as dancing for him in which she so kindly demonstrated for us. Also, throughout therapy the team of healthcare professionals were taking pictures of both the team, as well as the patient and his wife. This to me symbolized that the purpose of this visit, was more than just therapy, but a way to have fun and remember the joys of working with this patient in a positive manner.

As we said our good-byes, I knew that the team had done a spectacular job on this home visit. I was thrilled to be a part of it and left there feeling elated and refreshed. I have now experienced a new approach to homecare which I will carry with me always. Next time I participate in homecare in Canada I can shift my way of thinking to this more holistic approach, as well as look back and remember the value of having fun with the patients and the team of healthcare professionals. 

My experience as a care volunteer in Thailand

When I arrived in Thailand I really didnt know what to expect.

Nou from the projects abroad staff awaited me at the airport, and I immediatly felt very welcomed!

She brought me to my hostfamily, and there I met my two host sisters, Pi earb, Pan and I met the mom.

The house was very big and I had my own room, another volunteer would come in the next week to join me in the room, Emma also a dutch girl who I got along well with!

The first two days were the induction days, these days were very helpfull to explore Krabi Town, and meet the Projects Abroad team. They told me what would be expected from me at the placement, the do´s and don´ts. I got a lot of tips how to act and make everything work well! I met Miew the head of the care placement, and during these 2 months I could come to her if I had any problems at the placement, and also she organized meetings for different subjects. My placement for the upcoming two months was the Klong Hin daycare center.

For my first day I had made 25 hats from colored paper with different flowers on them to give to the childeren as a gift.

The first day at the school arrived and I was a bit nervous but also very excited. I met the teachers and they were all really nice, Suda, Boulan and Hussai.

There were 3 classes. Two classes with children from 3-4 and one class 5-6. The first day I went to help at the class with the older children wich was called K2. I gave the children the hats I made and they really liked that.

These kids were very calm and listened good to the teacher! I teached them a little basic english, some words and the ABC and read some books. The first day it was all very new, but I already learned a lot of how the school worked and what would be my task.

The next day I went to K1 class, the younger children, from then on that would be my class! I saw a big difference, the children were much younger and wilder! It was just their first week of school, A lot of children were crying for their parents. But after a couple of weeks most of them were over that and were much more calm and enthusiastic at the school.

My daily tasks at the school were, welcoming the children in the morning and we would put them in line up to sing the national anthem and do their prayers. After that, the morning excersise on music, and after that the children would go to their on class and I teached them basic english by books and pictures. Also I tried to think of an activity to do every day.

Activities I did were decorating masks, making houses from colored sticks, folding boats and hats, clay, singing songs and doing dances with the songs, making faces with paper, let the children stick on the eyes, mouth, nose and hair on a round piece of paper.

The school just got a new classroom from the government, so there was not much on the walls yet, it was very blanc and it didnt look nice.

Me and Emma, who also volunteered at the school with me, decided to paint the walls. The teachers thought it was a great idea. We got a lot of different colors of paint and as it was used as a class room and part of it as a lunchroom, we decided to paint fruit on the walls. We asked projects abroad if we could have more volunteers to help out, so in the end we were with 5 volunteers wich was great! It took us 2 days, and it turned out amazing, we also painted a giraffe and an elephant on the wall, palmtrees and flowers, we used a lot of different colors, the school loved it as well, it was a great project! When the children saw it they went wild, they wanted to touch everything!

My two months as a volunteer was a great experience that I would never forget, I have so many memorable moments. Me and Emma took some of the children swimming at the Ammart school, close by to our school. We bought them swimsuits, because most of them didnt have it, and most of the children never swum before! It was such a great experience, to see the happiness of the children made me so happy.

Also the parents were all very nice and thankful, we even got some gifts from them!

Living at the hostfamily was also a great experience. I really got to know the thai culture, and experienced the real thai food, most of it spicy!! My host family are buddists, so they took me to a temple when there was a special ceremony, it was amazing to see that.

I got along well with my two host sisters, they showed me a lot of nice places, we went by longtail boat to a fish market and restaurant at the island, I really felt like a local! We also went to the emerald pools wich was beautiful.

Projects Abroad was a very good organistation, everything was organized very well, and the staff was very helpfull and nice. The social events were great, we did thai boxing and went kayaking trough the mangroves, I experienced one monthly diner wich was also nice because everyone was there, the Projects abroad staff, the teach and care volunteers and also the volunteers from the conservation team, after that we went out to a bar with a big group, wich was a lot of fun.

Also the day we went to the special education center was great, every volunteer got a budget to spent, for a gift. We gave them to the special education centre. I never experienced working with children with disabbilities, some were autistic or had the down syndrom, they were all so lovely! We did the famous puppet show and played with them and their new toys.

These 2 months working as a volunteer was an unforgettable experience for me, I cant describe in words how happy I am that I´ve been part of it. I met so many great people, and will miss everyone very much. They call Thailand the land of smiles, and it definetlty was for me, I smiled so much these past 2 months!! Seeing the happy faces of the children was a motivation every day! Im sure

I´ll come back, because I left a part of my heart in Thailand!!

My Memorable Experiences with Teaching Project

By Line Engbjerg

I will always remember the kids and their positivity. They were always happy and every time you came to the school you would start to smile. They really seemed to enjoy the fact that I was there. It is the best feeling every time a student gives you a hug.

Beside that it was also a great experience when Kru Pet, my supervisor, and I visited the sick student. It was so thoughtful of her to go and check on her student, and I really felt that you could see how much the teachers at this school care about the students.

On my last day Kru Pet took me on a tour to her house. We picked fruit from her garden, and I really felt that I learned about Thai culture, because I tried so many different Thai fruits. It was a really good experience, and to me this shows that Kru Pet really cares about the volunteers. She was so great and she has taught me a lot about Thai culture.

Being more patient is also something I have learnt. Before my stay in Thailand, I think that I was very inpatient sometimes and everything should be done quickly, because I always had a lot of plans. I have learned that it is okay sometimes to take things more slow and it really helps to be patient.

Now I also know that it is possible to communicate with other people even though you don’t speak the same language. Because of the English level of the students we sometimes did not understand each other, but then we used body language together with speaking, we  could suddenly understand each other.

There were also this class I had with P2 (the second grade), where I was reading in a book. There was a picture of a door and in front of the door a banana. I asked if they knew who was behind the door, and they said monkey. I had not expected at all that they would understand what I asked, and the fact that they knew how to connect banana with monkey, really made me happy.

First day at school

First day at school is always something special, no matter how old you are.  Whether you are 6 years old or 37, the first day at school is always something, you will remember. The feeling you have in your stomach, like butterflies are flying around in your stomach. You are nervous about how things will work out at the school, and at the same time you are so excited about starting at school again. I guess all people do not feel like this, but to me the first day at school is a really special day. So the 2^nd of July 2012 was no exception, because that was my first day at school.  My first day at Ban Nai Chong Mittrapab 123 School, in Thailand. And this first school day was probably even more special than some of the other first school days, I have experienced in my life, because this time I was not the student – I was the teacher.  For the next two and a half week I was going to work as a volunteer for Projects Abroad. I was going to teach 5 different classes in the age between 6 and 12 years old in English.

As I said, to me first day at school is really special, so when I was sitting in the truck on my way to school, I had all these feelings inside my body. I was so excited, but at the same time so afraid that this would be a failure. What if the students did not like me, or even worse what if I was a horrible teacher?  So the nearer the truck was getting the school, the faster did my heart start to beat. But there was absolutely no reason for me to be that nervous, because all the things I was afraid of did not happen. I had the best first day at school ever. Right after I took the first insecure step in the schoolyard, students came running towards me and gave me big hugs. They put their hands together in front of their head and said: “How are you teacher?” It was such an amazing experience to see these kids being so friendly towards you, even though they had just met you. I felt really welcome at the school, and all the nervousness disappeared. I was so ready to start teaching. I had two classes this day, and they were both wonderful. The students were so focused, and you can really see in their eyes, that they want to learn English. They really seem to appreciate you. When they walk out of the classroom saying:” Thank you, teacher,” you just get this indescribable good felling inside. You feel that you did a good job, and you feel so ready to do more. When I was sitting in the truck again after the first day, the only thing I was thinking about was: “ I cannot wait until tomorrow, when I get to go back and teach these wonderful kids again. “ I have been thinking that thought every day since my first day, and now that my last day is near, I cannot help but feeling sad. Teaching these kids has been one of the most rewarding things, I have ever done. 

The Projects Abroad Community Volunteers Road Show.

Because most of the schools were closed for a week, because of a schools competition, Projects abroad organized a Road Show. We had to go to two different schools Wat Huay To School and Baan Din Dang Noi school to do activities for the whole morning. The Projects Abroad team had already scheduled what we're going to do for both days.

In the early morning the truck picked the community volunteers up for our trip to the schools. After we arrived at the school we tried to set some things up. Cutting the paper for the origami, mixing the mixture for the puff paint, setting up the curtain for the puppet show etc. We would then join the children doing the flag ceremony. At one school we even joined doing the morning exercise. Our schedule is supposed to start at 9 am, but at one school the children had prepared a performance for us to watch. Some of the girls of the school were all dressed up and had put on some make-up. Then they performed several dance routines for us. It was so cute and kind that they prepared the performance for us.

Around 9 we would then finally start with our schedule, by first introducing ourselves and the children. Each children had to come forward to say 'My name is ... '. Some kids were really good, but some were also really shy. After the introduction we did several songs with the children: If you're happy and you know it; head shoulders knees and toes; hokey pokey; row, row, row your boat. The children really enjoyed the songs and some they even already knew few of the songs. Then it was time for Basic English lessons by Line, Anna and Ruang. The children learned numbers and how to respond to the question: How old are you? The children were teached to answer the question with: I'm ... years old.

When the basic English lessons were over, the children were given a small break. We gave the children lemonade and cookies. They really enjoyed there snacks. We would then set things up for the puppet show ' the three little rabbits'. Ruang and Miew first tried to ask the children if they already knew the story. Some kids knew and other kids had made there on version of the story. I thought it was a pity that we couldn't see the reactions of the children, because we were sitting behind the curtain.  But hearing from their reactions, they really enjoyed the puppet show.

Afterwards it was time for the arts & crafts. We were divided to do puff paint or the origami. I was assigned to teach the children how to do origami with Line. Anna, Emma and Lisanne did the puff paint. The children were then divided in two groups. I showed the older children how to fold a butterfly and a crane. Line showed the younger kids how to make a hat, boat, bunny etc. We had 15 minutes to teach each group how to do the origami and the puff paint. The children were really happy with the origami. The end results of the puff paint also looked really good, all drying up in the sun.

The arts & crafts was the last activity we did for the day. So afterwards we would take a lot of group pictures. The children were really thankful and proud of their crafts. The director from the school was also really grateful. I think this road show is a great opportunity for far located schools to interact with and learn from foreigners. It’s also fun for the volunteers, because you can visit different schools too and meet other children. The two days Road Show was really a great success ;)

We learned the week before that our school would be closed from Tuesday through
Friday the following week. Although I was at first disappointed because I had only
worked with the children one day so far, Projects Abroad took this opportunity to utilize
the volunteers to reach out to new schools in the area. Thursday and Friday we would
visit two schools and organize a day of activities for learning and fun.
We arrived at the first school on Thursday morning armed with materials and plenty of
energy. As the truck pulled in, students ran outside waving and shouting hello,
overjoyed to have us visiting. As we prepared the activities, the children sat waiting in
anticipation. We were working with students from P1 through P6, so there would be a
wide range of interests and capabilities. We began with song singing, which I was
accustomed to leading with my kindergarten class. The song list included Twinkle
Twinkle, Head Shoulders, Hokey Pokey, and many more. Emma and Lisanne showed
them Row Row Row Your Boat, which the students seemed to love.
After, Line led some English lessons, and I helped her on the white board. She taught
them numbers and animals. Although it was at first challenging to gauge the students'
levels, Line did a great job and the lessons were a success. At that point, we took a
break and gave the children snack, which they greatly appreciated. After, we put on our
puppet show. After seeing it a few weeks ago at the Community Outreach day at the
school for children with special needs, it was fun to be a participant instead of an
audience member! I was the narrator, and the other volunteers played the other
characters. The kids loved the performance!

When we took our final bow, it was time for arts and crafts. We had two prepared: puff
paint and origami. I led the students in puff paint, and I really enjoyed this activity. It
allowed the students to be creative with colors and textures, and also to use their
hands. Every age student seemed to get a lot out of the activity. I loved seeing each
student's individual creativity and how he or she interpreted the activity's goal. Some
painted designs and others painted pictures. When they finished the arts and crafts, it
was time for us to go. The kids said they had a great day and bid us a friendly goodbye.
We were fortunate to be invited to go to a waterfall afterwards with four of the boys. It
was a wonderful afternoon.
The following day, we arrived at the second school, and again, the students were
ecstatic to see us. Upon our arrival, several groups of girls put on a dance for us. The
performance was very impressive and fun to watch; it was clear they had put a lot of
time and effort into it. We began again with our program. Although the activities were
identical, this group of students brought their unique personalities to the day, so it did
not seem repetitive to me. They were all incredibly enthusiastic, and again seemed to
really enjoy themselves. After these two days, I am equipped with new activities, like
puff paint and singing Row Your Boat, that I am excited to share with my class.

Vrijwilligerswerk Krabi, Thailand Emma van den Ende

Ik heb altijd al Thailand een heel mooi land gevonden door de onwijs mooie cultuur en natuur. En ik heb altijd vrijwilligerswerk willen doen met kindjes. Toen ik hoorde dat je met Projects Abroad vrijwilliger kon worden in het buitenland en met kindjes kon werken wilde ik dat dan ook meteen! Al helemaal toen ik bij de bestemmingen Thailand zag staan. Ik heb me dan ook meteen ingeschreven! Eerst zou ik zelf een maand reizen, en daarna doorreizen naar Krabi, Thailand. Ik kwam in een gastgezin terecht: “Earb House”. Earb was mijn gastgezin zusje. Ik werd meteen vanaf het begin met open armen ontvangen, wat een lieve familie! Aan de naam hoor je het al, Earb leidde het huishouden. In mijn gastgezin een zus Earb, zus Pan en hun moeder. Ook zat ik met een ander Nederlandse vrijwilligster Lisanne. Het is altijd super gezellig geweest in het gastgezin! Ik ben ze echt als familie gaan zien, en als thuis in de maand dat ik werkte. Earb en Pan namen ons heel vaak mee uit eten, uit naar barretjes en naar marktjes. Het leuke is dat ze ons vooral meenamen naar plekken waar toeristen niet komen, waar je alleen lokale mensen tegen komt. Ik werkte bij Klonghin Daycare Centre. De eerste dag probeerde alle leraressen me meteen op m’n gemak te stellen. Wat een lieve mensen! Ik werd zo hartelijk ontvangen en ze dankten me dat ik als vrijwilliger bij de school kwam werken. Het hoofd van de school heet Suda. De vrolijkste en liefste vrouw die ik ooit heb ontmoet! Wat een mooi hart heeft zij, ze doet zo haar best voor de school en houd zo veel van de kinderen. Toen ik de klas in kwam waren bijna alle kindjes heel enthousiast en ik moest meteen alle knutselwerkjes bekijken. Ik weet nog dat een van de kindjes, Sam, meteen een hartje voor me maakte van klei, zo lief! De lerares stelde me voor als “khun kru Emma”, wat “leraar Emma” betekend. Ik had het oudste klasje van de school, de school bestaat uit drie klassen. In mijn klasje zaten kindjes van 5/6. Gelukkig waren de kindjes van mijn klasje al gewend aan naar school gaan omdat ze al een paar jaar op het schooltje zaten. Ik zat namelijk in de periode dat de kindjes net weer met school begonnen dus de wat jongere kindjes waren vaak alleen maar aan het huilen. Maar mijn klasje was dus enthousiast en ze waren blij om op school te zijn. Elke dag deed ik een activiteit met de kindjes; met klei dieren maken, tekenen, van ijsstokjes huisjes maken etc. Elke keer als ik iets uit mijn tas haalde zag je de oogjes stralen en schreeuwden ze van blijdschap. Na een tijdje lukte het me om de namen van de kindjes te onthouden en leerde ik de karakters kennen. De een was het vechtersbaasje van de klas, de ander straalde altijd en vond knuffeltjes heel leuk om te geven. Ik heb super leuke weken gehad op de school. Ik ga de kindjes onwijs missen. In mijn laatste week heb ik met Lisanne, Cung Mai, Line en Anna (andere vrijwilligers) de eetzaal van de school geschilderd, wat een dof lokaal was is een lokaal vol kleuren geworden. We hebben op de muur fruit geschilderd met de namen van het fruit in het Engels erbij en we hebben dieren op de muur geschilderd met palmbomen en bloemen. Het is zo leuk om je best voor de school te doen en er zo veel glimlachen van de kinderen en ook van de leraressen voor terug te krijgen. Ze waren zo blij dat we het lokaal voor ze wilden schilderen. Mijn laatste dag zijn Lisanne en ik gaan zwemmen met vier kindjes uit mijn klasje, twee jongetjes en twee meisjes. Het was super leuk om ze zwemles te geven, voor twee kindjes was het de eerste keer dat ze gingen zwemmen! Dat was een heel leuk afscheid! Nou eigenlijk niet want ik ga ze heel erg missen. Je raakt echt gehecht na een maand werken met dezelfde kindjes, elke dag ben je met ze en zorg je voor ze. Ik raad Projects Abroad aan voor iedereen, alles is heel goed geregeld en het is echt heel leuk om als vrijwilliger te werken. De staff in Krabi van Projects Abroad zijn allemaal ook zo lief! Ik ga de staff ook missen! Heel veel plezier als je vrijwilligerswerk in Krabi gaat doen, maar dat gaat zeker lukken! Liefs, Emma.

This summer I wanted to live something different, experience the world while doing something that matters. Thailand presented itself as the perfect destination to do so.

I arrived in Krabi airport at around 7pm. My first night here was quite festive, the other volunteers had bought fireworks and started a bond fire on the beach, quite a nice welcome I have to admit. I was surprised to see how quickly people got accustom to the place, thinking that I would never fit in, but people are so welcoming that it’s impossible to feel lonely. Our resort is right on the beach, just a few minutes away from Ao Nang beach, very easily accessible with the bus, tuktuk or a motorbike if you chose to rent one. Krabi Town is 17km away, a 20min motorbike ride. There is literally no one on our beach, so we get to play Frisbee, Football (soccer) and many other things.  I love hanging out around here, just living the moment. The staff organizes activities twice a month, you don’t have to go, but they’re loads of fun so I strongly recommend joining. We went kayaking through the mangroves on my first weekend. Describing the place as stunning doesn’t even cover it, limestone mountains, blue water and no one else but us. Kayaking in Thailand is definitely a must do, as we were in the mangroves, we got to see lizards, and even monkeys; one of them was so friendly that he decided to jump on one of my friends kayak. On the way back to the beach, we stopped on tiny island, where we found more than a thousand crabs running around!

The next day, some of us went trekking on the highest view point of Ao Nang for sunset. It was a long adventure through the jungle but well worth it. The view from up there is breathtaking, you can see everything; but don’t expect to make it to the top without a scratch!

Thailand is such a unique place, that it’s almost impossible to describe it, you just have to come and see for yourself. Here time flies so quickly, weeks go by you don’t even notice it. I can understand why people would choose to stay here, as you easily tend to forget what you left behind. Even though I haven’t been here a month yet, I feel like I’ve been here a while.

The staff are amazing, patient and very understanding. The week starts and finishes with land based activities, beach clean up or working with APE (association for the protection of the environment) which works towards reforestation. Last week we went to a local school to raise awareness; the kids are so cute and always smiling.

Thailand is a beautiful country, in every way possible; the landscape, the people... Choosing to come here and joining the project has been one of my best decisions so far. 

Jede Woche startet mit einem ape tag. Diese tage bestehen aus verschiedenen Aktivitäten, oft auch mit Schulkindern. Die Anfahrt ist relativ lang, da wir jedemal nach klom tom fahren müssen . In meiner Zeit hier haben wir vor allem an der Aufforstung des letzten Regewalds in Thailand gearbeitet oder wir hatten verschiedene Aktionen mit den Schulkindern, wie z.B. das Sammeln von Müll oder das herstellen von Pappekreisen um Unkraut zu vermeiden.

Von Dienstag bis Donnerstag ist Tauchzeit! Nachdem man alle Tauchkurse absolviert hat und auch seine Fischtest bestanden hat , kann man endlich mit der eigentlichen Arbeit unterwasser anfangen. Diese ist vorallem Müll sammeln, wie die korallen von Seilen und Fischernetzen zu säubern und das Zählen der Fische, Korallen und anderer wirbellosen Tiere. Dazu hat man dann erst noch mal die ganzen Unterwasserzeichen für die Fische zu lernen und beim erste mal zählen fühlt man sich ganz schoen verloren mit all den Fischen, die man NICHT! Zählen soll. Aber mit der Zeit, wenn man Übung bekommt, macht es richtig spaß.
An Freitagen wechselt die arbeit. Wir gehen zweimal im Monat zu verschiedenen Stränden um diese von Müll zu säubern. Dazu werden Teams gebildet, die jeweils eine Glas-, eine Recycling- und eine Mülltüte haben. Eine Person der Gruppe muss alle gesammelten Objekte notieren und der rest läuft herum und gibt an, was gefunden wird. Am Schluss des Arbeitstages, wird der komplette Müll gewogen.
Einmal in meiner Zeit hier hatten wir einen Community-Tag. Dieser fand in einer Schule für behinderte Kinder statt. Für diesen Tag haben wir Geschenke für die Kinder eingekauft und wir haben das Theatestück Rotkäppchen einstudiert. Nachdem auch die Care-Freiwilligen ihre Puppenshow vorgeführt hatten, haben wir noch mit den Kinder gespielt.

Einmal im Monat gehen wir nach Phuket zu einer Schildkroetenauffangstation. Dort kann man viele kleine und super süße Schildkoeten sehen. Unsere Arbeit dort ist die verschiedenen Becken der Schildkroeten zu saeubern. Dafuer haben wir Bürsten bekommen um all die Algen und den anderen Dreck weg zu schrubben.
An Samstagen sind manchmal Aktionen die von Projects Abroad organisiert werden, so waren wir z.B. an dem Samstag in Phuket bunjy jumpen und wakeboarden. Einmal waren wir Kayaken und einmalkonnten wir Thaiboxing ausprobieren. Es macht natürlich viel mehr Spaß, diese ganzen Aktionen mit der Gruppe zu erleben, als immer nur in kleinen Grüppchen unterwegs zu sein. Aber man kann auch super in kleineren Gruppen

Thailand erkunden.