Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Baan Dada orphanage







So I have been spending the past few days here in the North-West of Thailand (right next to Burma/Myanmar) in an orphanage. The girls and I are volunteering here for the next two weeks. Its a really nice orphanage, nothing flash but it has everything the kids need - lots of food (and really good food too), some books and clothes, a place to sleep, some musical instruments (electric guitars and drums etc which have been donated) and plenty of space for the kids to run around. there are 58 kids here of all different ages. collectively we speak 6 different languages as most of the children are from Burma or tribes bordering Burma. the volunteer hut is the nicest though - they have gone all out to make the volunteers comfortable. we even get more expensive food and water to make sure its safe for us foreigners not used to thier stuff. the food is all vegan but its great. we get a cooked meal 3 times a day. there is no difference between the types of food so its like having dinner 3 times a day. its always got vegies, rice and tofu with lots of flavour. they also like to deep fry things for us, so we have had deep fried tofu, mini corn cobs, potato crisps and chunky fries - all very good. we spend a lot of time eating. im eating so much food and yet by the next meal i am starving as we are burning it all off! we have spent the past few days spending hours uponn hours cutting and measuring nets to make into fishing nets for one of thier community projects. in a few days we are going to stay in this village which is only accessiible by boat to help them make the fishing nets. They do lots here. there is a project which lends goats to families so they can have baby goats to raise for themselves, the fishing nets, a weaving facility for widows to earn money, and they are starting up a vaccination programme. all this is organised by one man who also runs the orphanage! He doesnt even have a room he just sleeps in his office. Poor man looks like he's run ragged but he still insists that he needs to make desks for the library (which currently has no books as its the girls bedroom until they have a house built) , and that we are all going to paint the girls room pink. their new house will be built after they build the new kitchen, and before they finish the second story on the eating area/boys room/office. There are a lot of things going on here!

Anyway i should really get going someone else is waiting for the computer. Will up date you in a few days,

Ingrid

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