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IN THIS ISSUE

THEP Trip Report

Opening Ceremony of Baan Huay Sai Boarding

House

Visits to Baan Fueng Fah

Thank You Party for Sponsors

And much more…

ISGF News September – December 2013 Helping people to support themselves

THEP - Creating Opportunities for Hilltribe Children By Susan Race

The hilltribe people are the last survivors of Southeast Asia’s original inhabitants. Children born into hilltribe villages grow up speaking languages and living in cultures fundamentally different from the Han or Dai-derived cultures and languages of the region. Because the parents toil in the fields all day, the children are sent to the nearest village school at an early age. When they arrive, they hear their first Thai words and by the time they learn to speak Thai, they are hopelessly behind. Many never master the Thai language or Thai culture, and remain perpetual and even scorned outsiders. The original aim of THEP in 1991, was to ensure that every child in a mountain village school could speak basic Thai, and learn how to count, add, subtract and read simple sentences in Thai by the time they finished primary education; a point where their schooling was often terminated because they were needed to help in the fields or the parents lacked the resources to send them to the big town for a high school education. Many students in Mae Hong Son have come a long way since then. Some hilltribe parents go to amazing lengths to send their children to school nowadays. Fathers or mothers leave for the city where they work at two or three jobs; families go deep into debt to pay for boarding schools far from home. Some children are just sent away to any school with boarding facilities, however good or bad, in the hope that they will survive. It usually falls to the dedicated teachers to take care of these children as best they can. Continued on page 2

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Hilltribe children enjoy learning and leap at the opportunity to continue their education to a higher level. THEP friends and sponsors, including Khun Dhanistha from ISGF, saw much evidence of this on our November visit to Chiang Rai, Lampang, Chiang Mai and Mae Hong Son Provinces. Those hilltribe students, who are determined to go to university or Senior High School, attend colleges as far as 300kms from their homes. In spite of their financial struggles and their homesickness, they put on a brave face, rarely complain about anything and are only too grateful for their scholarships. Their teachers insist that they are always polite, self-sufficient and hardworking. At the end of this school year, we are proud to announce that the first 6 THEP university scholarship students will graduate; two of them will be the first in their village to have ever reached this level of education. Students such as these are a wonderful inspiration for others in their villages to further their studies. And every one of these graduates plans to return to their home province, Mae Hong Son, to teach and help develop their communities. ◙

Mae Sariang - bringing gifts for sponsors

Interview in Mae Sariang

THEP Trip By Susan Race Khun Dhanistha, head of the ISGF Education Project, and I arrived in Chiang Rai early on the morning of November 7 and were met by our THEP colleagues, Khun Apichart and Usa. Within the hour we were interviewing our hilltribe scholarship students studying at Rajapat Chiang Rai. Four of these students will graduate in February to become teachers and, eager to return to their roots, they have all applied for positions in Mae Hong Son.

Student interview in Chiangrai Our next stop was 2 hours down the road at the huge campus of Payao University, and then another hour on to Lampang. At Lampang we met a large number of students who had travelled from Sport’s College, Technical College, Nursing College and Uttradit University as well as the students at Rajapat Lampang. All the students we interviewed are from hilltribe villages in Mae Hong Son, but scattered far and wide to further their education.

Payao

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Lampang After a full and rewarding day we were glad to arrive in Chiang Mai that evening where we met up with the rest of the group who were looking forward to visiting the hilltribe people. Two sponsors had come all the way from Indonesia to meet their student and another from Singapore, plus the women from the Australian-New Zealand Women’s Group who are great supporters. But first, the following morning, we were to interview students in Chiang Mai. Most of the hilltribe students in Chiang Mai are studying English so they were delighted to have the opportunity to have “English chat” with the visitors. Their English is of a much higher standard than usual because they regularly attend “Monk Chat” at Wat Chedi Luang where monks and foreign tourists participate.

Students and sponsors in Chiang Mai We then headed off in 2 separate vehicles for Mae Hong Son, stopping on the way at Jom Thong Education Office to meet a number of high school students. The Director was very hospitable and showed a real empathy with the plight of the children in the mountains. Two of

the boys, best friends from Ban Mae Lit, are studying mechanics at Jom Thong Vocational College and loving it. They share a rented room in Jom Thong and cook for themselves; they said they bring rice and cabbages from home, 65 kilometres away, and mainly live on that!

Jom Thong

THEP students studying motor mechanics at Jom Thong School. Working at the Honda workshop for experience. (The 2 boys mentioned in the article) Mae Sariang in Mae Hong Son province was our destination and that evening we all joined the local officers from the Mae Sariang Education Department to enjoy a delicious northern Thai style meal. The next day we were interviewing students in earnest, more than 50 students ranging in age from 6 to 18 years old. We were fortunate to have the help of all the men and women on the trip who entertained the students while they were waiting. That evening some of our group were taken to a village school to experience a day and night in a hilltribe village. The rest of us attended the opening ceremony of the new boarding house at Ban Huay Sai School, which was a real celebration.

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Khun Dhanistha interviewing student at Ban Huay Sai Because we support students from all over the province, there is never enough travel time, so on our final day, we drove north and the students from Khun Yuam and Mae Hong Son town travelled south to meet us at Mae Laa Noi. This was our final round of interviews at Mae Laa Noi Darungsik School, one of the largest schools in the province catering to over 700 students (mostly boarders) through their primary and secondary education.

Mae Laa Noi After a very pleasant morning and lunch at the school we began the long journey back to Chiang Mai, picking up the “adventurers” en route. There were many stories to swap on the way and all agreed it had been an enlightening and worthwhile experience. ◙

Opening Ceremony, Ban Huay Sai School Boarding House By Susan Race

The official opening ceremony of the new boarding house at Ban Huay Sai School took place on Saturday November 9, 2013. The Liu Family, in memory of their mother, donated the funds for the boarding house through ISGF. The boarding house was specifically constructed for more than 60 hilltribe students who come from villages far and wide, some as far as 100kms away and who had previously been sleeping in classrooms. The principal of the school, and the teachers welcomed Khun Dhanistha and me, along with our guests, and we led the procession from the main school to the boarding house. We were accompanied by at least 10 officials from the Mae Sariang Education Department. The headmaster made the opening remarks, thanking ISGF and encouraging the boarding students to have an enjoyable and rewarding experience in their new residence. The Education Dept. officials were then introduced and the Sub-Director gave a speech on behalf of the Education Department. The homeroom teachers were introduced, and two of the students performed a spectacular welcoming performance. Khun Dhanistha then made a speech on behalf of the ISGF President, Khun Annie, who was unable to be present for the occasion. After the unveiling of the plaque, we all made a tour of the boarding house with the teachers

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and students. The result is a very nicely constructed basic building with tiled floors, fans, mosquito screens on the windows and excellent bathroom facilities. The focus is on providing hygienic and comfortable conditions for the children. The Liu family also provided funds for bunk beds and bedding, which was much appreciated by the students and teachers. We also thank Khun Uthai Borner, who donated funds, which will be used for lockers. The evening ended with a delicious dinner and a song performed by one of the young female students. ◙

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Visit to Baan Fueng Fah By Cecilia Chung

On August 22nd, Annie, Pan and Cecilia visited Baan Fueng Fah to present a check to Superintendent Khun Teewaporn. Regretfully, we had to inform Khun Teewaporn that due to the shortage of funds, ISGF in cooperation with TAUK can only sponsor the expenses of one physiotherapy and need to drop the sponsorship of the nanny. Khun Teewaporn understood the situation but hopes that more sponsors would be interested in this project and ISGF will try our best to comply. A short visit was made to the therapy center to meet the new therapist as well as to see the progress of a few children. The little 3 year old boy Sai is a happy boy and proud to show us how he can walk in the parallel bar. It didn't look like an easy task but he managed to walk all the way and even able to turn around and walk back. We were told that the turning around is not easy to do for someone who cannot even walk unassisted but that did not create any problem for the determined little boy. He was happy to be able to borrow a pair of sunglasses from Yont while he did the walk. That really made him look like a star!! Yont is a 6 year old little girl with very distorted fingers and feet. After physiotherapy, she is now able to slowly put on her socks and her brace/shoe. It took over 15 minutes to pull up her socks but she did it and looked proud and happy after they were on. Hopefully both Sai and Yont will be able to walk one day with continuous physiotherapy. ◙

Alexander’s Visit to Baan Fueng Fah and CCD This article is written by Alexander Wong, nephew of ISGF member Cecilia Chung. He is from Hong Kong, studying in Grade 5 At 8:20 on October 21, 2013, we left the house to go to Baan Feung Fah. The traffic was bad, even on the expressway. When we reached Baan Feung Fah, we saw things for the children like bed wetting pads, Dettol and dolls. After that, we met with Mr. and Mrs. Cheung of Hong Kong. Mr. Cheung is a member of the Thai Hong Kong Trade Association and one of ISGF’s valuable sponsors. We were also joined by Khun Chariya, the director of CCD (Christian Care Foundation for Children with Disabilities). Then we visited a ward of disabled children. There were 50 out of 439 kids in this ward. The ones that would run around were placed in cots and the ones that could not walk were placed on mats where some of them will receive physiotherapy. The ward was kept in a nice, clean, tidy state. They would be here at birth until they were 7 years old, then they would go to Ratchawadee girls home or Ratchawadee boys home. The facility was built 31 years ago and used to have 30-50 kids. Some of the kids have mental or heart problems, hip problems and other birth defects. It is important to teach these kids motor skills to help them because some kids cannot run, talk or even feed themselves! Out of the 439 kids at the institute, 135 of the kids need physiotherapy. Their heads are shaved because some of the kids have head lice. We saw Panukorn, who is 3 and has an uneven hip. She was accompanied by a physiotherapist and was trying to learn how to walk. She was in the physiotherapy building. There are 6 physiotherapists and 2-3 student physiotherapists. We also saw a day care center run by CCD. There is a sensory corner that the kids could experience the 5 senses. At 10:00 we were told the kids will go for a walk.

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After that, we went to Rainbow House day care. It takes kids from both Baan Feung Fah and local neighborhood kids. There was an amazing display of affection as a kid hugged me and wouldn’t let go! We also saw a dog that barked suddenly and scared my brother, the kids eating lunch, the crafts section and many foreign volunteers. I also donated 200 Baht from my pocket money to Rainbow House. Both the day care and Baan Feung Fah were very interesting. ◙

D Donated Air Conditioning Installed at Baan Maharaj

Kichenette and Amadeus donation has been used for purchase of 2 air conditionings for Maharaj Boys’ Home. The installation in their computer room has been completed. ◙

Announcement

Below is the new ISGF committee elected at the Annual General Meeting to serve for a term of 3 years from November 2013 to November 2016:

• Presiden: Khun Pan Bencharit • Vice President: Vicky Strunk • Vice President: Orampai Egli • Treasurer: Khun Kalaya Lerts-

accakorn • Secretary: Khun Bernie

Wipuchanin • Government Liaison Officer: Khun

Supattra Kaewchansilp • Members at Large: Susan Hansen

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ISGF Thank You Party for Sponsors By Vicky Strunk

I am happy to report that the ISGF Thank You party, held on Thursday, 21 November, 2013 at Polo Club, turned out to be very successful, though only 24 sponsors have turned up at the party. But the overall result of the event has met our expectations. We were able to further our contacts in person with the sponsors, in particular, exchange of information and plan for future projects. Acting President, Vicky Strunk, delivered the welcome address which outlined ISGF’s work and plan for implementation of present and future projects in the following year. ◙

Distinguished sponsors, Honorary members, Ladies and Gentlemen, On behalf of our President, Khun Annie – who, unfortunately, cannot be with us owing to her family commitment, I would like to welcome you all to our first Thank You Luncheon today. I, now, would like to introduce to you two ISGF co-founders: First, Khun Wannee Nantarat , Second, Dr. Rani Phalapongpanich and Khun Laurien from the Netherlands, our past president. To see so many Thai and foreign sponsors, makes me very proud and is a visible sign that our projects are on the right track. At present, our current projects consist of Education; Thailand Hilltribe Education; Welfare Homes/Physiotherapy/Healthcare; Supply of Wheelchairs; Community Support and Dental Support. But Education Sponsorship is - and will remain - our prime objective. This is evidenced by the fact that the last than 23 years more than 1,700 students have benefitted from our programme. I am sure you will agree with me that education has the utmost importance to the lives of these poor Thai children. Let us continue to follow this path. Once again, a big thank you for your generous sponsorship.

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Get to Know ISGF Sponsor - ASOB "ASOB", Association de Soutien aux Orphelins de Bangkok, was founded in 1995 after the adoption of a three year old little girl Num-Aoy named today Noemie in the family of Alain and Josiane Leer in Luxemborg. Having a close contact with the Pakkred Babies Home and having the desire to enlarge their engagement, this association has a main aim to provide moral and financial help to the young orphans in Thailand. From 1996 on ASOB organized benefit events as Gala Balls, concerts and garden parties to provide help. The association receives regularly eminent donations from service clubs as Rotary, Lions, and Fifty One International. From the year 2000 up until now, ASOB contributes largely to the Higher Education Scholarship Program founded by International Support Group Foundation. The aim of the Higher Education Program is to support Thai students to begin and continue their university studies, spending annually between 8,000 and 15,000 Euro. So far 61 of all ASOB students have graduated and all have attained jobs in various fields. ASOB is presently one of the biggest sponsors of ISGF Higher Education Program. ◙

With Compliments to ISGF Dr. Boon Vanasin

has pleasure to take part in supporting ISGF work in helping the disadvantaged people of Thailand.

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HAPPY NEW YEAR 2014!

May the New Year bring you everlasting peace and happiness!

*Picture taken at annual ISGF Member Christmas Get-together on December 19, 2013

With Compliments to ISGF Khun Taepin Kasemsarn (Anne)

has pleasure to be a part of ISGF work in supporting the underprivileged people of Thailand.

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Help Support ISGF If you would like to make donation towards one of our projects - here are instructions on how to do it. ISGF PROJECTS Education: You can support a child at school Junior Education 4,000 baht per year Senior Education 6,000 baht per year AIDS Orphans 6,000 Baht per year Vocational Training 12,000 baht per year University 20,000 baht per year Hill Tribe Project Fund dormitories, canteens, generators, portable libraries, ... for remote villages

Other Projects Dental Clinic Sponsor 1 child for 500 baht per year Wheelchair Project Fund a wheelchair for 5,000 baht Healthcare Project Help sponsor a specific project Welfare Projects Help sponsor a specific project Newsletter Sponsorship Please email or call us for rates

How to donate in Thailand Local Bank Transfer: Please email/mail or fax us deposit slip to 02-258-5334. Cheques: Make payable to “International Support Group Foundation” and send to our office.

How to donate outside Thailand International Bank Transfer: Please add amount to cover Thai bank charges and other applicable charges (ask your local bank for details). International Cheques: Please add 203 Baht to cover bank charges and make payable to “International Support Group Foundation” and send to our office.

Note: Please indicate your name, address, project you would like to support and sponsor reference (if applicable) when you inform us of your donation.

Our bank details International Support Group Foundation Account number: 009-3-09605-2 Bank: Siam Commercial Bank Bangkapi Branch Bangkok, Thailand. Telex no: 20455 SIAMBNK TH SWIFT: SICOTHBK

Telephone: 00 66 (2) 258 5332 Facsimile: 00 66 (2) 258 5334 Email: isgf_education@yahoo.com Website: www.isgfthailand.org 00 66 (2) 258 5335