Welcome 2012!
As 2011 came to an end, DEPDC/GMS’ staff and students came together to celebrate the beginning of 2012, or 2555 (pronounced song-ha-ha-ha) by the Buddhist calendar. The New Year was celebrated through a fun-filled day of games, dancing, singing, and most excitingly, a gift exchange!
All staff and students brought a wrapped gift to the party, and between games, songs, and dance, presents were distributed randomly through pulling numbers out of a box, each number corresponding with one gift. Students squealed with delight as they anticipated unwrapping their surprise, including stuffed animals, toys, cookies, arts and crafts supplies, CDs, and more!
Many of the Half Day School students from each grade worked for weeks practicing song and dance routines to perform for their fellow students and staff on stage. The audience loved watching and listening to their talented classmates and the entire school was filled with smiles and laughter throughout the day.
From all of us here at DEPDC/GMS, Sa-wat-dii bpii mai!*
*That’s Happy New Year in Thai
Bikers and Bicycles, Oh My!
Earlier this month, two friends with a very unique way of traveling the world visited DEPDC/GMS’ headquarters in Mae Sai. Frank (25-years-old) and Evert (30-years-old) are from Holland currently traveling throughout Southeast Asia on recumbent bicycles. Both Frank and Evert quit their jobs in Holland in order to travel throughout Southeast Asia, and we here at DEPDC/GMS are grateful to have met them along their journey!
Their trip began in Bangkok less than two-months ago despite the flooding. After meeting a long-term friend of DEPDC/GMS, Khun Cees, in Chiang Mai, they decided to make a visit up to our Half Day School (HDS) in Mae Sai to learn more about our projects and meet our students. Frank and Evert utilize a unique type of cycling that places the rider in a laid-back reclining position as opposed to the usual upright cycling position. They showed the HDS students their bicycles in action and gave the children a chance to try their bikes out. Students squealed with excitement as they rode around with the assistance of Frank and Evert, and fun was had by all!
We here at DEPDC/GMS are grateful to have had the unique experience of meeting Frank and Evert on their travels and to share our mission with them. We wish them the best of luck on the rest of their travels – be safe and chok dii na ka!
Season’s Greetings from DEPDC/GMS
Warmest holiday greetings to all of our supporters and friends, from the staff, volunteers, and children of DEPDC/GMS. We extend special thanks to the many people worldwide who make our vital work possible. May your holidays and New Year be filled with warmth, love, and joy!
You can help share in the holiday spirit at DEPDC/GMS and
Directly support DEPDC/GMS
Online donations are available through PayPal (Account name: info@depdc.org), GlobalGiving (www.globalgiving.org/donate/453/depdc/) (Tax-exempt UK & US), and Give2Asia (www.give2asia.org/depdc) (Tax-exempt US). For more information on how to donate, please click on ‘Donate‘ in the menu bar above.
R
aise awareness
Become one of over 650 followers on Facebook and help us to reach 1,000 ‘Likes’ on Facebook. You can also watch our Mekong Youth Leaders’ videos on YouTube. Tell your friends and family about the problem of human trafficking, and the great work that DEPDC/GMS is doing for prevention and protection!
Thank you for bringing cheer to the children of DEPDC/GMS during the holiday season and all year long!
Krystal, Volunteer at DEPDC/GMS
We regularly introduce some of our staff and volunteers to you in our series ‘Staff Profiles‘. Recently, we received a lovely letter from our former volunteer Krystal, who stayed with us for two months earlier this summer. Everyone at DEPDC/GMS was so touched by her letter that we decided we would like to share it with you. We hope you enjoy reading Krystal’s letter as much as we did.
“My dear DEPDC/GMS family,
It has taken me a longer time to sit down and write this letter because at first, I was not sure how to put into words how my life changed this summer. When I first arrived in Thailand and looked down at the centipede shaped airport in Bangkok, I thought to myself, “I can’t believe this is my first time on an airplane, I’m alone, and I flew to the other side of the world.” As I departed the aircraft, I heard the flight attendant say “Sa-wat-dee-kha” and watched her wai. At that moment I knew I had made the right decision. I have never encountered as many friendly, patient, and helpful people as I did in Thailand. Living in Mae Sai taught me to look inside myself, enjoy every single thing life has to offer, and to not stress over things that are not important. It also made me realize, I can do anything and go anywhere with an open mind and a positive attitude.
Interning at DEPDC/GMS gave me a cultural experience that will stay with me for the rest of my life. Along with providing me the basic understanding of the Thai language, it also provided me with different perspectives that made me appreciate the many ways to reach a goal. The international staff and volunteers had different methods, but at the end of the day, everyone had the same objectives. At times, communication seemed difficult, but that happens in every work environment at some point. We were a team and a family.
DEPDC/GMS gave me cross-cultural professional tools that I will be able to apply to any career path I will choose in the future. It also afforded me an opportunity to learn about the social and political issues of the region and what DEPDC/GMS does to prevent human trafficking and child exploitation. This made me fully aware of the social responsibility I have for the world and my own country. Thailand provided me with an understanding of how the world works and what must be done in order for humanity to survive. I have the drive to make a difference, and I hope that one day, my journey will bring me back to my beloved Mae Sai in northern Thailand.
I fell in love with everyone at DEPDC/GMS and I feel like Thailand is a part of me now, residing in a very special place in my heart. The Thai staff were amazing and I know they will continue to do outstanding work. The children were phenomenal and they really are the power of the world. Khaawp khoon kha for giving me the best summer ever! I miss you all and I hope to see everyone in the future.
Love always,
Krystal King
Your Sweet Georgia Peach
And here are some more informations about Kyrstal, how she came to DEPDC/GMS and what her plans for the future are.
“I graduated from Georgia Southern University (GSU) in 2010 and received my Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a minor in History. Currently, I am in the Master of Public Administration program with a concentration in Nonprofit Management at GSU.
“I am uncertain of my future career path, but I am dedicated to teaching, learning, scholarship, and service. Volunteering at DEPDC/GMS gave me first hand non-profit experience that enhanced my passion to make a difference in the world and touch the lives of people. Ultimately, I would love to start my own non-profit organization based out of the United States that creates awareness of social and political issues in Asia and provides aid to Asian non-profits that are geared toward the protection of women and children.”
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and dreams with us, Krystal, and thank you so much for your stay with us and all your dedication and love! Everyone misses you and sends their hellos!
Are you interested in a life-changing experience? Do you dream of working in social justice by helping communities in need? Are you ready for a cross-cultural experience abroad? You’ve come to the right place! DEPDC/GMS recruits international volunteers who would like to work in human trafficking prevention in northern Thailand. Click here to find out more!
Memories of Loy Krathong
As the Half Day School (HDS) School wraps up its fifth week of the new term, students have been welcomed back with an exciting start to the semester! Fun activities have been incorporated into their school days, including jungle trekking, visiting a local rice farm, and krathong-crafting for the annual Thai festival of Loy Krathong. The HDS students have returned to school ready to learn both inside and outside of the classroom, and we are excited to see what this semester brings!
Loy Krathong is festival celebrated annually in Thailand and certain areas of the Greater Mekong Sub-region, occurring on the evening of the full moon in November. The festival is celebrated for many days surrounding the evening of the full moon in many beautiful and exciting ways, including street parades, beauty pageants, fireworks, the releasing of sky lanterns, and most importantly, creating and floating krathongs in a local river!
“Loy” is a Thai word meaning “to float,” and a krathong is a lotus-shaped, hand-made object, most commonly made out of banana stalks and leaves and accessorized with candles, incense sticks, flowers, and sometimes coins as offerings to the river spirits.
The Half Day School students had a lot of fun creating their own krathongs, folding banana leaves into intricate and beautiful designs and decorating their creations with flowers, candles, and incense sticks. At the end of the school day, students celebrated the holiday in the traditional Thai manner, making a wish as they each let go of their krathongs and watched them float away in the river.
The HDS students have returned to school ready to learn both inside and outside of the classroom, and we are excited to see what this semester brings!
Send 200 at-risk children to school in Thailand – Donate to the Half Day School via GlobalGiving!
“I like this school very much. I could not go to my village school because we don’t have much money. My teacher has taught me so much and has helped my family many times. My life is much better now.” - Kan (11), Student of the Half Day School.
If you wish to support DEPDC/GMS’ Half Day School, please click here to donate via GlobalGiving.
Unforgettable Student Volunteers
Everyone at DEPDC/GMS would like to extend a warm thank you to the ladies and gentlemen of International Student Volunteers (ISV) who, earlier this year, worked so diligently to remodel the kindergarten, and organized so many activities for the children at DEPDC/GMS. You did a fantastic job and everyone still fondly remembers the spirit you brought to all of us. Let’s hear from Kyle, one of the volunteers, about the volunteers’ experiences while at DEPDC/GMS!
“This summer, our group of fourteen volunteers and our team leader Carole Ketnourath, dedicated our time to help DEPDC/GMS remodel their kindergarten building as well as aiding the longterm volunteers and staff in teaching the children English, life skills, and teamwork through sports and games.
“When signing up as volunteers, we understood that we would be challenged physically, due to the labor that was needed at the center. However, we did not know to what extent our emotions would be challenged, too, as we learned about human trafficking and caught a glimpse of the difficult circumstances under which many children in the region grow up.
“Our daily tasks varied from labor to having direct interaction with the kids. First, we scraped off the old paint off the kindergarten building and took down its old tiles. Next, we painted the building’s exterior, before we decorated the new tiles in a garden theme.
“All the tiring work was quickly forgotten when we would teach English to the children or created arts and crafts with them. We also held two field days with all grade levels, where we played a wide variety of games and created special activities for the kids.
“Doing all this in two weeks was an extremely rewarding experience for all of us and my fellow ISV group member, Kelsey, summed up our group’s sentiments when she said
“There is no way I could have ever imagined how much I’d learn and do in such a short period of time. These children, along with the staff who left me with invaluable knowledge of the issues of trafficking and community development, have reminded me to never give up my dreams of improving the lives of those around me.”
“In helping DEPDC/GMS, we knew that we did our part to help prevent these children from falling victim to exploitation by human traffickers.
“I would like to use this opportunity to also highlight the work that another ISV group did before we arrived. They did a great job of painting the interior walls with many visually stimulating images. The ‘new’ kindergarten at DEPDC/GMS is thus a collaborative effort of our two groups.
“Being able to see the children smile and blissfully play with one another even on a rainy day, made the hard work all the more enjoyable and rewarding. This is what my fellow group member Erica had to say:
“We came willing to do whatever ISV and DEPDC/GMS wanted us to do. However, after getting to know the children, and seeing how happy they were to have us there, the project became much more personal. I believe the other volunteers will agree when I say that we came to really care about the children and wanted to give them a beautiful place where the kindergarteners would have a space to learn for years to come. I believe we succeeded.”
“After our two weeks of hard work and teaching the kids, I feel that we have made a positive impact on DEPDC/GMS and the students there, yet at the same time, the children and staff have made a huge impact on our group as well. Through the children’s smiles and willingness to learn and the staff’s genuine desire to help the children, I feel that our group has learned a lot about the kindness and dedication in human nature. On behalf of the two ISV summer groups, I give a huge ‘Thank you’ to DEPDC/GMS for letting us come and help them and be a part of something that contributes to the goodness in this world.”
The children and staff at DEPDC/GMS would like to thank both visiting ISV groups for your hard work and dedication and for your creativity and joyousness! We all greatly enjoyed your visits. The kids miss you and send their hellos!
DEPDC/GMS recruits international volunteers who would like to work in human trafficking prevention in northern Thailand. Click here to find out more!
Click here to read about other volunteer experiences at DEPDC/GMS!
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DEPDC/GMS in the News
DEPDC/GMS made headlines – again! This month, the Swedish daily Västerbottens Folkblad published an article about commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) and about the contribution of DEPDC/GMS and our partner Made By Survivors (MBSN) to offer women and children real alternatives and help them to lead dignified lives.
In her article, journalist Jaija Westberg reports about doctor and mother-of-two Anna Andersson who organises gatherings at her home to raise awareness about CSEC by showing Made By Survivor’s documentary “From Hell To Heaven” and selling the organisation’s beautiful fair-trade products.
Click here for a translated version of the article or here for the Swedish original.
We thank Nathalie Sajda for her kind help with the translation.
If you would like to make a donation to DEPDC/GMS, please click on Donate in the menu bar or visit our Global Giving page at http://www.globalgiving.org/donate/453/depdc
Did you do your Christmas shopping yet? Buy a fair trade gift from Made By Survivors!
Find out more at http://store.madebysurvivors.com
Are you interested to host an awareness event like Ms Andersson? Visit the MBSN website.
Find out more at http://www.madebysurvivors.com/Event101
And of course, you can also join DEPDC/GMS and Made By Survivors on Facebook.
http://www.facebook.com/depdc.gms http://www.facebook.com/bysurvivors
Click here to read more entries about DEPDC/GMS in the News!
Now Hiring: International Volunteer Coordinator
For a more detailed job description and application details please visit the DEPDC/GMS Blog at http://depdcblog.wordpress.com/employment/
