Three more schools benefit from donations by our guests
Here are yet another three schools in the Northern Province Mae Hong Son, that recently benefited of the donations made by Elephant Hills Children’s Project and our guests. As well as supporting the schools in Khao Sok area, we also do our best to help improve the quality of education of the children living in the mountainous Northern Thailand. We have a close connection to this area through our mahouts (elephant handlers). Our mahouts are part of the Karen hill tribe and originally come from Mae Hong Son.
Baan Phae Phittaya School
It was very nice to be back at Baan Phae Phittaya School, about one year after our previous visit. Baan Phae has the largest number of students staying overnight of all the schools we support in the area. Last time we contributed to the students’ food supply, and this time the teachers had asked for help with personal care products for the students staying at the dormitories. We brought plenty of tooth brushes, tooth paste, soap, detergent, sanitary napkins and other toiletries used by the students on daily basis.
Donating much-needed second hand clothes
With many students coming from poor families, the school had also requested for children’s clothes. Within our Children’s Project we accept second hand children’s clothes that are in good condition. In addition to clothes, other much needed items are listed on our “Pack with a purpose” list. Going through some of the recent donations received at our resort, we needed to look no further. Our generous guests had brought a lot of children’s clothes when visiting us at Elephant Hills!
Elephant Hills Children’s Project donation at Baan Phae Phittaya School, Mae Hong Son
Children’s English books of a very basic level are also beneficial for the rural kids’ education. In a big school like this, the delightful, colorful books will certainly find plenty of enthusiastic readers. The youngest students can browse and view the beautiful illustrations and begin learning their ABC with the teachers’ help. Older students, on the other hand, will be able to spot some simple words and start to form basic, short sentences.
Upon leaving the school, we discussed with the teachers about other things they were lacking. We learned, that Baan Phae Phittaya would greatly benefit from another washing machine. With the number of students staying at the dormitory and the amount of laundry produced, one machine is simply not enough. We will definitely keep this in mind for our future projects!
Baan Sob Harn School
This is one of the smallest schools in the area with only 29 students. Four students stay at the school dormitory during terms. We got to know the headmaster and teachers while visiting the school a few months ago. Back then, we delivered a donation consisting mainly of vegetable seeds, food supplies and stationery. Prior to our second visit, we learned that the most urgent thing the students were lacking was shoes and socks, that are part of the local school uniform.
Elephant Hills Children’s Project donation at Baan Sob Harn School, Mae Hong Son
Education in primary and secondary level is free in Thailand. However, some of the less fortunate families are struggling with sending their kids to school for various reasons. Some desperately need the children to help the family to earn daily living, while others might not afford for example school uniforms, notebooks or other stationery. This was the case with some of the students in Baan Sob Harn School, and the kids were overjoyed receiving their brand-new shoes.
In addition to the shoes and socks, we also brought more vegetable seeds to support their gardening project, as well as various kinds of stationery. The friendly and polite students had one representative make a nice speech to thank Elephant Hills Children’s Project and our kind-hearted guests who had brought the stationery when visiting us. The children even sang a lovely song to express their gratitude.
Don Chai Witthaya School
Altogether 134 students attend Don Chai Witthaya School on both primary and secondary levels. This makes it one of the biggest schools in Mae Sariang area. We visited this school for the first time a few months ago, and this time were happy to be back with items specifically requested by the teachers. The teachers informed us that the youngest students were lacking notebooks, socks, crayons and vegetable seeds. To encourage the students to drink water and brush their teeth after lunch, they had also requested for kids’ cups.
The joyful donation event
We were invited into a large assembly room where some of the youngest students were already eagerly waiting. As we were introducing our team, we were thrilled to see that some remembered us from our previous visit. After introductions it was time to hand out some of the donations. Each student received a notebook, a pack of crayons and a pair of socks to take home. They spent a good while examining and admiring their new school supplies, beaming and chatting happily.
Elephant Hills Children’s Project donation at Don Chai Witthaya School
Thanks to the donations made by our guests visiting us at Elephant Hills from all over the world, we are able to continue supporting the education of the less privileged Thai children. This kind of help makes a huge difference in the local communities and aids with tackling the cycle of poverty in rural areas.
When children in remote areas, often from poor conditions, see that people around them (and all around the world in this case!) care about their education, it helps to boost their motivation to study further. With better education they have a chance to brighten not only their own future, but that of the entire community.
On behalf of the less privileged Thai children – Thank You for your donation!
If you, your friends or family are planning for a trip to Thailand and Elephant Hills, please take a look at our “Pack with a purpose” list. This list consists of items currently needed at the several schools we support through our Children’s Project, both in Khao Sok area and Northern Thailand. All donations, big and small, brand new or second hand are welcome! For more information, please contact our team on [email protected]
