Serve

I am coming close to my one month mark and I have yet to describe what i have actually been doing here. Since we are the first group to work in Thailand we have kinda been the pioneers. We have met with numerous schools, hospitals, village leaders and other non-profit organizations to partner up with. There is a huge need for volunteers here and i have felt like i am definitely making a difference. Some of the major projects i have been working on are with Aids Access, DEPDC, the Isaan village and an elementery school. Aids Access is a NGO that works with kids that are affected by HIV. They are either diagnosed with the disease or their parents have died from it. Tomorrow we will be doing a full day program where we will be doing art therapy and confidence building activities. DEPDC is a group that works with kids that have been sold into human trafficking or are at risk. Yesterday we worked in the DJ station and then spent 4 hours sawing, hammering, and cutting wood for square foot gardens. Then i went to a school to help teach dance. A few days before that we went to the Isaan village and i did a photo shoot for some PR work to help the village receive funding for a desperately needed watchtower. (If you would like to help donate go to thetippingbucket.org after Sunday. All you do is donate one dollar!!) Please think about donating! This community is working as a co-op, which means that they disperse their profits evenly throughout the community so that no one person benefits heavily. They have been allocated land from the government that they need to protect and observe. Its a really great project that if we can get funded will be amazing to construct. Everyday here is an adventure and i can feel more love from the kids and community than i have ever felt before. The Thai people are definitely filled with lots of smiles and have huge hearts. Today is Buddha's birthday so we are going to spoil ourselves with a little fish pedicure(fish eat the dead skin off your feet), go walk around the temple, and go out for a little Mexican. Can't wait to see what the next week brings me!