The Danish-Norwegian founded iCare Thailand Foundation has 27 dormitories spread across the Thai countryside. ScandAsia witnessed the opening of one of these dormitories last week .
A minivan filled with people makes its way from Bahn Rak Thai village along the Myanmar border heading towards Huay Pu Keng. The silence inside the car is deafening. Everyone is aware of the cause. We took the same road yesterday and the car sickness was just as present then as it is today. Zigzagging our way through the mountains the van makes its way through the landscape.
In the van sits a delegation from the iCare Thailand Foundation consisting of Michael Andreassen, Project Director, Karin Andreassen, Co-Founder, Subhakich Lewchalermwongse, Sponsor, Rassamee Krisanamis, ex-prof. at Chulalongkorn University and Senior advisor for iCare Thailand, Wanida Chumsen, nicknamed Michelle,Project Coordinator, Anthony Andreassen, son of Michael Andreassen, and Car who is the iCare Foundations photographer. They are on their way to open a dormitory for school kids in the mountains.
The Chaos of arriving
Finally we arrive. The heat of Thai jungle is in stark contrast to the coldness of the Air Condition in the van. The crew of iCare Thailand Foundation start to carry their gear from the minivan towards the boats waiting by the river. The boats carry us the short distance of only approximately 7 meters to the opposite side of the river to Huay Pu Kaeng Village. This village is mostly known for the tourist attraction “Kayan Long Neck Village”. However, the foundation is here with a different purpose.
The Nam Phiang Din School is a short distance from the river where the village has gathered to celebrate the opening of their new dormitory. This dormitory is number 19 of the 27 dormitories that the iCare Foundation has built. The purpose of the dormitories is to make it possible for children living in remote areas hours away to be able to live nearby the school and receive education following the regular Thai curriculum. This will enable them to integrate into the Thai higher education system when they graduate from the local school.
The members of the iCare Thailand Foundation start to organize their boxes which have been sent in advance by the headquarters. They greet the people they know from the school and set up the banner with the sentence “Investing in Tomorrow, Empowering Today”.
The entire village has gathered and sits on chairs under a pavilion providing shade. In the front there are leather couches for the iCare delegation. As the members place themselves on the couches the festivities begin. The dusty courtyard in front of the chairs and sofas create a stage. There is a translator present to interpret from the local Kayan dialect to Thai.
Gratitude from multiple angles
The stage is first graced by traditional dancers. The dancers perform traditional dances of the Kayan long neck community. First done by children and then by adults. The songs echo in the crowd as the smaller children quietly sing along to the music. This mumbling of children speaking and babies crying quickly acts as white noise. Constantly in the background.
The Director of the school then takes the microphone. Expressing his gratitude for the work that iCare put into their community. He then invites Michael Andreassen, the head of the foundation, to the stage. Michael Andreassen starts speaking. Fixating on the children in the audience.
“You have to think long term. If you finish school then you have the opportunity to provide for your family,” he says while looking over the crowd of children in front of him.
He then turns his focus to the importance of the teachers in the village and the work they do for the children. He finishes by acknowledging his gratitude toward the head of the village and the soldiers who also make education possible.
The entire gathering changes location from the courtyard to the new dormitory where a catholic priest is ready to bless the new building.
“In many places this is done by monks,” Karin Andreassen, co-founder of the iCare foundation, explains.” but in this community they are Christians, so we want to respect their way of doing it”.
After the small mass, and the cutting of the ribbon in front of the building the holy water is splashed on the walls of dormitory 19. Officially open. Everyone quickly looks inside, but then hurries back to the courtyard for the next plan on the agenda.
A small something for the children
The opening of the dormitory isn’t the only thing on the agenda for the delegation. They often have many things to be done in this area, they explain.
The children sit eagerly on the chairs, while the members of the iCare Delegation distribute small presents for everyone. Each child receives a present with a small book and a teddy bear. They also receive a blanket and some biscuits that Oreo has donated for the cause. Some of the older children also receive school bags.
The kids’ excitement is clear, and only becomes clearer when Michelle, Project Coordinator, and Anthony Andreassen after lunch organize games and ice cream for the children.
A mixture of laughter and happy screams exits the small gym room in the otherwise quiet village. The children are running after each other playing while eagerly listening to the instructions Michelle gives through the microphone.
The games are completed by the coolness of coconut ice cream. Quickly eaten, but also quickly melting on the kids hands and clothes. Not that the kids register the melting of the ice cream at all. They are busy talking with their friends comparing the sizes of their ice creams.
Longterm plans
The Dormitory in the village Huay Pu Keng is one out of the 27 dorms that iCare Thailand has built in remote areas of Thailand. One of their other main projects is their scholarship program. To date they have given out 45 university scholarships. This year they started a new scholarship program which focuses on a career in hospitality.
The hospitality program is the main theme for the rest of the trip for the iCare delegation. They will travel out to visit schools and see if any of the kids are interested. According to Michael Andreassen the hospitality program has multiple advantages. It is a quick education: 10 months in school and then 2 months at a hotel. It is also located in Chiang Mai so it would be close by for the children from the Mae Hong Son District.
“We have funding for 10 students doing the hospitality program, but so far we already know of at least 15 kids who are interested,” says Michael Andreassen and continues: “ It is amazing that only 700 Baht a year can change a child’s life,” referring to the cost of the monthly payment for a student on a secondary scholarship.
A student on a primary scholarship costs 500 Baht per month, and the hospitality program costs 110,000 Baht total per student.
The delegation continues its travels to the different schools. They aim to find and encourage children and hope that the funding can be found somehow.
To know more about The iCare Thailand Foundation click here
Truly heartwarming to see the impact and dedication of this Danish-Norwegian NGO in providing a new dormitory in northern Thailand. Their commitment to helping those in need is admirable and will surely make a positive difference in the lives of many. A wonderful example of kindness and generosity in action.