Giving Children A Better Chance in Northern Thailand
"telling someone what they have to learn is a long and tortuous road, often ineffective; giving someone the opportunity to explore what their brain finds particularly interesting at the time opens the gateway to optimization of that individuals potential" anon
The Stratton ABC Foundation Re-Cycle Project has been underway for some time now but we are desperately in need of more participants to make it feasible to carry on.
Born of both, a concern for the environment and the future we are leaving our children and a need for more sources of funding for Foundation work, this Project gives you the chance to help us without hurting your pocket.
We need sponsors of all sorts and if you want to help but just don’t have the income to spare why not consider our offer to collect your re-cyclables.
We are prepared to consider collection from anywhere in and around the Chiang Mai City area as long as we can get enough participants to make the transport costs feasible.
If you would like to join in, maybe even organise a spot for our collection bins at your Moobahn, please get in touch:)
Had a lovely moment at the beginning of the day yesterday,(Monday 5th), as I was about to start explaining an idea for a new project, when all the children surprised me with Fathers Day cards.
A little moment that made me glow,
thanks kids, all your beautiful cards mean a lot to me.
For the last few weeks, in a quiet little village, just outside Sarapee, Chiang Mai, a group of determined young people have been steadfastly working, not only for themselves but to earn your respect and compassion and support; to show you that they are a group that truly deserve it.
Given a near free hand with 3 objectives; new vegetable plots, new sports facility and a shaded play/relaxation area; and a budget of just 5000 baht (approx 100 pounds sterling), our four man Mattayom Student team, with occasional help from the younger children have proved themselves very capable.
We now have our new vegetable plots with new crops already well on their way.
We have a Batong (Boules) Pit.
And yesterday the team completed their “Villa”.
All but completed? Just a general tidy up is all that’s left.
The sign translates to “Place to sit and play”
As I write, I make no bones about the moisture welling up in my eyes, as I think with pride of how well these children have done.
From the outset of The Foundations beginnings it has been my intention to nurture these children in a way that they discover as many of their own latent capabilities as they can. This way they will be best equipped to take full advantage of opportunities that come their way and have a truly better chance in life.
We may be small and some people may not see the bigger picture. But here at The Stratton ABC Foundation we do our best to instill the best of values, understanding of the benefits of sharing.
Our hope is that as they reach an age, these children will strongly consider returning to their home communities to share the opportunities, knowledge, and compassion that they have been lucky enough to have received.
I sit beneath a spreading chestnut tree , whose branches of hope grow daily before my eyes.
Please, if you see the way that concentrating on a small number, facilitating the best of care and development, may then help to make much greater change for the better future of the rural communities that these children come from, then look deep into your hearts and help us continue and develop.
I have, and will continue to, put all my heart into maintaining this Foundations goal, but if those branches are to continue to grow, and not wither, these childrenneed your support.
Another great session on their Project saw nearly half the roof finished on the Villa yesterday,(Saturday). It was a full team effort wiring the “thatch” panels into place.
Tai had done more prep in the morning, tightening the roof poles and then the whole team went to it in the afternoon. With the promise of a special outing next weekend if they can complete the Villa work , we are expecting another all out push this afternoon.
More work was done on the roof of the Villa this weekend. Its taking a little longer than I expected but only because Tai appears to putting a lot of thought in how to make it secure and durable.
The whole team, plus Zak, pitched in , working very well together once again. Its been great to see the team become more efficient and organised over time.
I only hope they know how proud of them I am.
I think the photos and videos say much more about this weekends work than I can.
Well the Villa didn’t get finished today afterall.
Team leader, Tai, spent much of Sunday afternoon digging a deep hole for his homework, investigating soil layers. Knowing this to be very tiring work I postponed the project work until next week.
Still Tai is Tai and once finished with his homework he did do a little more on the Villa on his own, adding some strengthening batons.
Just when I thought he’d finished, Tai then proceeded to come up with a great decorative idea after dinner, and takes “the Directors Highlight’ position for the day.
Not wanting to spoil the surprise I didn’t bother to ask why he was outside cutting old plastic milk bottles.
The answer came when he asked for candles and a lighter. The effects of his simple idea were quite beautiful.
At Tais request we called the whole crew for a photo call to celebrate this great touch to the Project.
Our Mattayom students made more progress with the “Villa” section of their Villa and Sport Project, on Saturday.
The initial frame for the straw roof was constructed in a little over an hour. Once again there was lots of good co-operative team spirit.
And once again I can’t say how proud I am to see them doing this with the minimum of help from me. This week my height was called upon to assist holding the bamboo poles in place as Tai nailed them into place.
We are all looking forward to the finished product. Maybe today if they get organised enough:)
There has been major progress with the Villa and Sport Project this last weekend.
Not only is the Batong Pit marked out, leveled and with an initial layer of fine gravel but the beginnings of the Villa are evident as well.
The four Mattayom students worked hard during both weekend work hour sessions and got a huge amount done.
Under Tais firm leadership the Batong Pit is in place and set to be finished off this coming weekend.
On Sunday; with a little help from me, mixing concrete; the four main corner posts for the “Villa” were also put in place.
There was much hard work digging out the holes, measuring and lifting the heavy posts into place.
I was most impressed with the effort put in by all four workers and it was great to see lots of smiles and laughter going on throughout. So much nicer when you see the children enjoying the work they are doing.
Its been a busy office week for me getting our accounts sorted, which is why last week was short of new posts. Nevertheless, much else has been going on as usual. As their holiday drew to a close the children have continued working on their Villa and Sport Project.
Last week saw much Mural painting and also the start of prep work for the planned Batong Pit.
This weekend, noticing that so many working on one thing was actually hampering progress, the younger children were given their own Project to tidy and renew vegetable plots down the side of the house.
On Sunday everyone got a lot done.
The Mattayom children finished off leveling the site for the Batong Pit and the Prathom gang did a great job starting the tidy up of our original vegetable garden.
Well done kids.
If you are as proud of our kids as I am please donate now.
It has been a delight to watch the strong bond between Tai and his younger brother, Zak, re-established when Zak joined us in April. Tai clearly cares deeply for his brother and has become a fine role model for him to boot.
This week has seen a wonderful example of Tai using his sharp inventive mind to benefit young Zak. Having first marked out a winding “road” in the soil and patting it down hard and smooth for Zak to use his toy cars on, he is now in the process of using excess mortar from the Villa and Sport Project to make a the road more permanent.
The Stratton ABC Foundation Re-Cycle Project has been underway for some time now but we are desperately in need of more participants to make it feasible to carry on.
