Fah Luang” Hill-tribe Community Learning Center Baan Pang Toi, Prao, Chiang Mai by Class of 2027
Before anything at all, I am proud to say that my year finished building this schoolhouse in one and a half days, when it should’ve taken us three. Isn’t that such an accomplishment? CO’27, if you’re reading this, give yourself a pat on the back! We were so focused on working the whole day that time slipped away, so when the clock struck half past noon, all the chaperones waiting near the kitchen all startled, then looked at each other.
“Wait, did they have lunch yet?”
They did not, indeed, have lunch yet.
And so we were then dragged out of the school house, (wish I could’ve said screaming and crying), to eat the most scrumptious meal I have ever tasted. Locally cooked Thai food just hits different, especially after a hard day’s work. After that, of course, it was back to building a school: an amazing feat in itself!
This experience was incredible, if not life-changing, for me. Not only was I able to try every skill from painting walls, to drilling panels, to painting murals, I was pleasantly surprised by how well my year was able to come together and cooperate on this project.
It felt like we were in a movie: moving in sync, handing things to others, receiving things from others, always taking up new tasks, always doing something, painting and drilling, sketching and mixing, all in perfect synchronisation. I learned so many new survival skills, became much more aware of our excessive daily resource usage as well as our privileged position, and shared so many comicalmoments with my year, as well as my chaperones (They’re the best and most courageous. Truly!). Even though going up a mountain, or the thought of going up a mountain, became something that made me all panicky and nauseous now, I like to think that it’s a small token of trauma I earned from this trip. A small souvenir.
Most importantly, it’s all thanks to the school build project that I finally got to see the stars.
I know now what people mean when they say they can draw out the constellations. I know now what people mean when they say they can see stars at night.
Because I have seen them too.
And I wouldn’t have traded that moment for anything in my entire life.
Rika, G11 - Concordian Class of 2027
๖๗
2024
T
“Mae Fah Luang” Hill-tribe Community Learning Center Baan Ti Mu Ko Ta, Ta Song Yang, Tak by Class of 2026
he Class of 2026 students were on a mission trip to Baan San Doi Ngam village in Tak province in November 2024, where we would spend 4 days and 3 nights renovating the school ‘Tee Moo Ka Ta’. When we arrived at the village, we were given time to settle in—we put up the tents and unpacked our bags. After doing so, the local school children took us to the nearby stream where we were given time to play and get closer to the children. Later that afternoon, we showered, rested, had dinner, and to cap off the night, the ‘My School Team’ gave us a brief introduction of their origins and what we would be doing over the following few days.
4:00 AM…Rise and shine! The roosters crowed throughout the night! They ruined our sleep… 6:00 AM was the morning call, and at 8:00 AM, it was time to get to work. We began working on our build as we split into two main teams: the builders, who focused on nailing the walls, and the painters, who worked on the school's aesthetics. We had our ‘mandated breaks’ here and there, but overall, made great progress!
On our third day, the build really started to come alive! The walls were completed, the interior drawings were growing, and everyone was working as a team. Champ, in particular, formed an army of kids who assisted us in painting the exterior of the school. In the afternoon, we prepared some snacks for the children and witnessed something special. The small treat meant the world to them. In that moment, we collectively realised the value of appreciating the little things in our respective lives. Later that evening, the villagers performed a series of cultural dances from their Karen culture as a thank-you gift, and we shared our gratitude with a couple of karaoke and traditional dance songs.
On our fourth and final day at Tee Moo Ka Ta, we completed the finishing touches on our drawings and presented our donations, including school bags, medical kits, furniture, and coloring books. Goodbyes are always bittersweet—our time with the children became lasting memories of our lifetime, making this one unforgettable experience.
After we left the village, we travelled back to Mae Sot, where we had time to reflect on the few days we spent on the school build project, as well as doing some local sight-seeing that included visiting a couple of waterfalls and even a small chocolate farm.
The four days in the village meant everything for us as a group; it taught us to appreciate our lives more deeply, to recognize
the value of both the opportunities we have and the small details we overlook in our fast-paced routines. The school build project highlighted a unique perspective on fulfillment, showing how different people experience it in their own ways. Most importantly, our greatest takeaway was the importance of relationships—learning to cherish our loved ones as we witnessed just how much family means to the people in the village.
Concordian Class of 2026
๖๖
2023
Rong Kla Wittaya Sub School of Baan Huay Nam Sai School Baan Rong Kla, Nakhonthai, Phitsanulok by Class of 2025
Concordian International School’s ‘School Build Project’ is an annual service trip that G11 students have undertaken for many years, but in November 2023, this year’s G11s finally completed School Build for the first time since 2019.
From November 27th until December 1st, this year’s G11 cohort traveled to Phitsanulok province in northern central Thailand to help construct a school building at an underprivileged school in the small town of Baan Rong Kla which is nestled in the mountains within Phu Hin Rong Kla National Park. The following passages convey the daily experiences of some of the students throughout the week.
Mr. Ben Weil Service/CAS Coordinator
Day 1
On the 27th of November, we woke up in the early morning and assembled at the school’s lobby for our long journey to Phu Hin Rong Kla, Phitsanulok - our destination for the Grade 11 School Build trip. The ride started at 6:00 am as our buses began the 5-hour road trip to the town of Phitsanulok.
Once we arrived, we went to the local village located in the middle of a rice field to learn about the local culture. We got to dye our scarf using the traditional tie-dye technique and make the local dessert which is made from sugar and starch powder, pressed inside a flowery mold, while admiring the beautiful scenery.
Luckily, that night fell on a November full moon, which happened to be Loy Krathong day in Thailand. We had the chance to walk around the Muang Phitsanulok Loy Krathong festival alongside the Nan River. The fair was packed with people from around the province, various food stalls, games, and street performers, decorated with fairy lights and many balloons. On the riverbank, we prayed and released our krathongs into the river, wishing for a good year. Then, we returned to the hotel to rest before our journey up to the Phu Hin Rong Kla in the morning.
Opal
Day 2
On November 28th, for the second day in a row, we had another early wake-up call. After having breakfast in the dining hall, we were divided into small groups of 5-6 for our journey up the mountains, where we would be staying for the next three nights.
Upon arrival at the campsite, we all hurriedly chose beds and began unpacking. Before we knew it, we were called back to our vans to visit the school that we were building and to have lunch at a nearby restaurant. Upon arrival at the school, we were introduced to the kids, teachers, and school organizers who spoke about the importance of the school-building project. Initially, we were divided into three different groups: construction, painting, and murals. The construction team worked on placing planks on the walls, the painting team painted the walls with a light blue color, and the murals team began designing various murals. After a few hours of work, we headed back to the campsite and stopped by the restaurant for dinner.
At the campsite, a campfire awaited us. The entire grade gathered around the bright red fire, made s’mores, and took numerous pictures together. It was an amazing bonding moment overall. As the day finally came to an end, one by one, we decided to take a shower in the bathroom behind the cabin. The bathroom itself was an entire “experience.” The shock of ice-cold water, and spiders the size of our palms… made everyone realize how fortunate we were and how much we took for granted the small things, like a seemingly simple hot shower.
Doudou
Day 3
On the third day, we continued to work on our school build. Some of us worked on construction: placing planks and installing the windows and doors. Some others worked on repairing and repainting the chairs and tables. The others worked on painting the murals and we divided ourselves into two teams to paint in two different classrooms. One team painted the ocean with sea creatures and alphabet bubbles in the first classroom, while the other painted the world map with different continents and different species of animals living in that region in the second classroom.
Before we headed off to our campsite, the school and village arranged a village tour and house visits. In smaller groups, each of us visited the Bann Huay Nam Sai students’ families and houses. We interviewed them to learn about the unique cultures, traditions, and lifestyles of the tribe. For the first time, we got to interact with the villagers and received their warm welcome.
Once again we returned to our campsite to take a shower in the icy-cold water. Then, we met with the villagers again and they provided us with a special performance of their traditional dancing. In return, we performed two songs for the villagers.
Day 4
On the fourth day, we finally finished our school build. We finished the construction and held a small handover ceremony which ended with taking a large group photo. The teachers and students of Baan Huay Nam Sai finally got to see their new classrooms.
The students were excited and happy to see the murals that we painted, and their brand-new walls, chairs, and desks. Just seeing them smile and happy with our work washed away the exhaustion from all the things we had done until now, and made us feel that our efforts did make a change, not the least by bringing smiles to those children.
After parting with the students, teachers and staff of the school, we headed to the nature trail of the national park where we got to trek to high cliffs, windy mountains, and lush forests with all kinds of fascinating insects and creatures to observe. We enjoyed the trekking and had fun taking pictures.
At night, we did a reflection on the school build experience with Khun Varnee, each of us sharing our thoughts and the takeaways from the trip before heading to bed and ready to return home.
Day 5
December 1st was the last day of the trip. At 6:00 am we all headed off to grab breakfast at the bottom of the mountain. The majority of the day was the 6-hour bus ride back to Bangkok which we spent by looking back at the different pictures and reminiscing about the moments when we played with the little kids at the village.
“Education is the best gift you can give to someone.” This line is forever engraved in our minds, a lesson taught by Concordian ever since we were in nursery. This experience - from planning and fundraising to going to Phitsanulok to build the school - apart from genuinely eyeopening, was also extremely memorable.
And a final message for the younger grades: Good luck guys, it’s fun, it’s memorable, and it’s an experience you won’t forget!
Doudou
Baan Pang Kong School, Mae Hong Son by Class of 2021
After half a year, although we hadn't raised enough money yet, the school build trip finally came. This was a trip I was waiting for since I was in 6th grade. It was a trip I would always talk to my friends about and imagine all the possibilities. Now, after the trip, there isn't anything left to imagine. The once vacant space is now filled with a pile of unforgettable memories!
To be honest, I had a lot of worries before the trip. I was worried about how I would shower, brush my teeth and wash my hair. I was very concerned with how hygienic the place would be. But all of those thoughts have now changed.
I remember the first day of the trip how I felt really uncomfortable in the car and got car sick several times. The trip took around 2 hours, and we were on a path that was very bumpy. Later in the trip, Khun Varnnee expressed how surprised she was by how good the condition of the road to the school was, and that it was the best road that she has ever encountered on her many school build trips. Hearing that, I was very shocked, and I came to realize that the road I experienced wasn't even the worst, and that there are people out there going through the same poorly-conditioned road for decades.
On one of the days, we went out in groups to visit some of the local families around the area to get insight into their living conditions. I remembered someone commenting how everything in the local's houses looked like it was from 50 years ago. There was little to no
electricity and there was no light pollution at all at night. Everything was very organic, people harvested their own food and had enough to live on. I came to realize that these people didn’t need our pity: it is us who needed to envy them. Their lives didn’t depend on electricity and internet like ours do. They find their happiness in their interactions with each other. They were happy seeing their families when school ended. They were happy to just play football with each other and play chase. They were happy singing with each other and performing. Their happiness was so real yet so simple, it was hard not to envy.
We all have to appreciate the things we have in our own lives. There are goods and bads but no one’s life is perfect because perfection isn’t what we seek: it is happiness that is the most valuable. Helping the kids renovate a building and construct another, seems like a small action, but I know that it is going to contribute to their lives and stay with them. It may be just a service activity we had to do, but it is life changing for the kids around the area for whom we built the school, for the next generation, and for as long as they cherish it.
Bei Bei G.11
On November 11, 2019. I travelled with my classmates from Bangkok to the Burma-Thailand border in Mae Hong Son to build the school that we've been planning since December of our sophomore year. When we arrived at the site, we set up our tents and toured the site to get a better idea of what we had to do the following day. We worked collaboratively with our tent mates to build our own tents. It was all of our first time setting up tents on our own. We were briefed by the organization's staff on what had to be done. They delegated jobs to each one of us. I was responsible for painting the school.
November 12, 2019: From the morning to the afternoon, we worked on building the school. The color of the school was mainly purple, with yellow edges surrounding it. For the entire day, my paint team and I worked on painting the school, while the other people had other jobs such as drilling, drawing, and constructing the shelves. During this time, we had to work collaboratively in our teams and outside of our own team to discuss which areas had to be done first, or to point out areas that had to be worked on, such as when there were mistakes made on the walls of the schools. This day was extremely and hard because none of us had experience working in construction before. We had to learn a new set of skills that we have never experienced before. I had to learn how to paint properly, as well as learning about the steps of constructing a simple schools structure.
We continued with final touches on November 13, such as painting the fine details and finishing the designs of the drawings that we made. Because we had left over time, we decided to add walls to the canteen and paint pictures of cartoon people onto the walls. I helped with painting a large tree and pictures of people. I have never painted before and found it very difficult to come up with a nice design. This is because it required a lot of meticulousness and concentration.
I found friends who were more experienced than I was to give me advice and tips on how to make my paintings prettier. We gave each other feedback, and helped each other finish the drawings. On November 14th, we had a free flea market in the morning where we set up clothes and shoe donations. The villagers were allowed to grab 20 pieces of clothing. They were very happy with the donations we gave them. In addition, the village is very far from the hospital, so we donated medicine and first aid kits to them, as well as instructions on how to use it. Lastly, we had a closing ceremony where we handed over the school to the kids.
Wandy G.11
The School build project allows us to understand the wealth disparity within Thailand. Economical status results in children being unable to have proper education (an important asset of the modern world). Without proper education, it is less likely that these communities would develop and able to thrive within themselves without having to send children into the cities.
This was an opportunity to see how rural areas people live. Once I was able to interact with the children and talk with the people in the area, I succumbed to the realization that everyone can be happy despite what they lack. People up on the mountain don’t
value objects or ease of living. They work with what they have and utilize it to the best of their ability. If this year’s crop doesn’t yield as much as last year, they don’t whine or blame the weather, they go back to work because that’s the thing that they know would guarantee a better next year.
At the school there is a non-functioning solar farm. It costs almost three million baht but is underutilized and most likely broken. The people who built it understand that the community needed electricity, but did not foresee the complication of distributing electricity to a community whose infrastructure is mostly hand-built by its owner.
Going on this trip allowed me to see two things: one, people are happy despite their circumstances. Our perception of how a person should live may blind us from actually seeing the thriving community, a community where children are living happily with their parents, a community that isn’t reliant on outside aid but would happily receive it. Secondly, technology may be useful and important in our daily lives, but when implemented without accounting in every single factor it can be useless, the solar farm is one of the most efficient ways of harvesting electricity. But, without the infrastructure to support it, it is nothing more than a field of metal. Hence, help without the proper guidance can become useless, giving the community who receives it a sense of false hope.
Prior to the building, I had a stigma against how inefficient this would be or why don’t they just hire construction workers. After getting to see the school for myself and knowing that it is doable and not absurd, I began to reflect on how my actions may one day help a child’s future. my classmates and I helped each other build a school for the children. Once the school was built, it evoked a notion of accomplishment and hope.
The sense of hope is due to the realization that the reformation of the school may attract more students and possibly more teachers. This creates students who want to learn, become curious and knowledgeable. By doing so the children would not only value their education but also their future.
Keekwang G.11
๖๑
2018
“Mae Fah Luang” Hill-tribe Community Learning Center Baan Ler Gor Glo, Tasongyang, Tak by Class of 2020
Student’s reflection
If you’re interested, two of our classmates Poom and Ken created two short films documenting the trip, and they can be found here
By: Poom G11
By: Ken G11
The week before going on the School Build trip, there were mixed feelings amongst the class. Some were excited to leave the stressful studies at school behind, while some were a bit held back at first.
On the Sunday morning of our departure, we left the busy Don Muang airport and landed at a quiet airport in Tak province. As we sat on the back of pickup trucks journeying up the hill to a remote village, we were heading into unfamiliar territory. As the 4G signal on our phones disappeared, we knew we were there. It was quite an experience for us all, living together outside the comforts of Bangkok city.
When going to an unfamiliar place, perhaps one of the major problems which people have but rarely publicly discuss is using the restroom. Once we arrived at the build site with the old torn down school, there was a little structure made of 4 concrete walls to create an enclosed rectangle with a door. This was the toilet. Inside, there was a squat toilet, and it was hard to use at first. I am sure everyone has developed their own techniques of using this contraption. Nowhere was a toilet bowl to be found. The point here is not to describe to you this natural human routine, but to point out that we are actually living a privileged life. Maybe these kids have never seen a toilet bowl before, but we just take toilet bowls for granted every day. The lesson: we have a lot of luxuries (even if we may not have considered them luxuries before), so appreciate what you have. Realize that we’re lucky to be born this way, and don’t waste the opportunity.
Our task was to renovate the two school buildings, and we did. With some Thai pop music and the occasional jazz or rap song, we all worked on the school. The tasks ranged from drilling wooden planks to creating the walls of the school to painting a gigantic tree at the front of the school. Sometimes it got a bit messy, especially when people who didn’t know how to paint tried to paint. However, we still ended up with art. It was a good experience working on something together with friends that didn’t involve calculating the sum of a and infinite geometric series or writing a lab report. It was some quality bonding time.
At the end of the day, some of us would go play with the kids. We would bring out a football, and as soon as we placed it on the ground a swarm of kids just rushed in. It’s awesome that just a single football can create so much joy. The kids were really excited to play. Every time the ball rolled down the hill or into a pipe, the kids would jump down barefooted (equivalent to about a one floor building) or climbed into the pipe to get the ball back. We didn’t speak the same language as some of the kids, but we didn’t need to to have fun. On the last day, we gave the football to the oldest kid so he could bring it out every time they were going to play. What they did was very surprising, they did the “O-noi-ock” game to decide who should keep the ball. It was a memorable experience
Mammoth
Angie
I thought this trip was interesting because I was able to experience the lifestyle of Thais living in rural areas.
Fern
Throughout the trip, we as a class worked alongside the children in the village, our teachers, and our alumni. Because of all of the commitment and excitement shown, I felt that this is a memorable school build trip that we will forever cherish.
Laura
This was an eye opening, life changing, meaningful and unforgettable trip. I came back from the trip more empathetic and appreciative of nature, rural lifestyles and cultures and simple yet happy pleasures.
Pim
It was beyond my expectation. This trip allowed me to see so many new things from the outside world.
Taro
During the trip, I not only earned new experiences but also got the chance to bond with my friends. I will keep the trip as a good memory that I will be able to look back when I am older.
Jaokha
Going into the trip I didn’t have many expectations and thought that it would be a very boring week where we would all complain. However, it was much much better than that. We played with the kids, observed life in that area, but most importantly we bonded a lot more.
Muk
I thought that this trip was very interesting because I went there without any expectations. I learned a lot from this trip because I was able to experience things that I have never done before. Also this trip gave me good memories about our class, class of 2020 because we were able to spend more time together during day time and night time, and while building the school for those children.
Kib
I felt that this trip was really interesting since we learned how the people in Tak live their lives. School build truly was an enjoyable trip as we bonded with classmates and made new friends.
Tata
It was really interesting to actually witness the before and after of the school we built, from the first day when there was only the unfinished structure of the building, to the last day, where the school’s construction was completed with wood panels and decorative wall art that we as a class have collaboratively painted. Not only did the trip enable us to bond, but also allow us to give back to the society, in which we are helping children up in the mountain have a brighter future.
Pol
I thought that this trip allowed us as class of 2020 to be able to spend more time together and be able to learn even more about our friends.
This trip was very interesting and fun. At first I expected it to be mundane and boring, but it was very exciting. I was able to bond with my friends and gain new experiences throughout the trip. 10/10 would recommend.
Chan
ibeam
I learned how to build the school, providing a new learning area for the students to study in a great atmosphere.
Tang Tang
Inspirational. Grateful. Motivated.
Elim
Through this trip I was able to bond with my friends and make new friends with the children at the village. When interviewing with the villagers I learned that even though the villagers live far from the city and don’t have electricity, they still are happy the way they are.
Lily
I thought this trip was an eye opening experience for me because before I was only really involved in the fundraising aspect of the projects. This time I got to see the full impact so I really liked seeing how the project came out and I really learned a lot about finding happiness in giving to others and not from getting things.
When people are asked why they give, the readiest answers include: God wants me to; I feel better about myself; It’s only right to share; other needs. The next question I would like to ask is: How do you feel?
It has been my experience that when you are focused on the act of giving, you are less likely to become consumed by your own concerns and challenges. Giving provides an opportunity to look beyond our own world and see the bigger picture in life.
A great perspective can be achieved through stepping out of our own world and venturing into the world of others, and on November 18-23 we did just that.
[Location: Tak, Mae Sot District Thailand
I knew wifi would be a struggle, which is why I committed to a digital detox. For our entire trip, we had to be in the moment, with no social media, a complete focus on what we were doing and where we were. Our mission? To build a school.
For someone who is continually connected to the internet, this was a challenge.But after the plane ride, going through rocky, steep roads and finally arriving at our destination, I learned something new. There was a certain level of beauty, solitude and happiness in exploring the village. It was refreshing, seeing the open night sky and endless fields of lush green, uninterrupted by skyscrapers and freeways but rather, just the exposure to nature.
For the next three days, we - the class of 2020, along with alumnis, teachers, staffs and with the help from the children in the village, worked on constructing and painting the interior & exterior of the school. Some of us created murals and painted the walls, while some helped to drill wooden boards for the wall of the school. It was a fascinating sight to behold: everyone being in the present moment, working towards a common goal, for the betterment of these students future.
The night before we left, we organized a talent show. People from the village, young and old, came to perform their traditional songs and dances. What really touched me was their genuine nature: these individuals dare to dream. Despite their circumstances, they work hard for it and believe that one day their dreams would come true. I’m sure it will, as life holds special magic for those who dare to dream.
Thank you to everyone who were involved in this project, for bringing about such an incredible experience. For it is in giving that we receive; this trip shall reside in my memories forever ~ a timeless treasure of the heart.
Thank you.
Kavin
(Ken)
๖๐
2017
By: Keng
“Mae
Fah Luang” Hill-tribe Community Learning Center
Baan Ja Toh, Mae Ai, Chiangmai by Class of 2019
Overall, the school build trip was amazing,. It was one of the the best moments of my 2017 school year – a trip of a lifetime. As a group of teenagers who came from a wealthy background, we learned, felt, and experienced the lifestyle of a northern Thailand tribe, in which we saw the difficulty they have to face in their daily lives. A hot shower or a comfortable bed is merely an important aspect to happiness. I gained sympathy for the villagers since their life is so much more difficult than ours. Their food supply and earning are very limited. I believe the class of 2019 wanted to return something back to the community, and to do so, we passionately built up a school so that children of the tribe will gain access to education to use them in the future.
The school build gave us one of the most precious opportunity, which was an opportunity to bond and to get to know each classmate better. The class of 2019 is a big class and not everyone knows every classmate very well. The trip magnified our unity, and made some classmates that are not so close to each other closer. The school build let us express who we are as a person, allowing everyone to recognise the value of each other, which is an important factor to a true friendship; something I value very much.
By: Ploy P.
Before the School build we had to fundraise money so that we could buy materials for the construction of the school. To raise money, we made home made soap and bath bombs to sell in the lobby. In the process of making the soap I recognized the benefits of working as a group. By working as a group we were able to use our weakness and strengths to our advantage. People were assigned to different roles that they were proficient at. This shows that when working in a group we were able to maximise the productivity of the group. In total we made around 200 bars of soap and 100 bath bombs. Besides from having bake sales, we also had a school lock-in and an Escape room. To prepare for the escape room we had to move lockers from the SAT building to the new building. This took the effort of 3 to 4 people to move one set of lockers. The construction of the escape room took a lot of commitment and time because it took around a week, but I felt that it was worth the time because all of the money that we made will be going to a build a school that will help the children there many years. After all the bake sales and activity we raised a total of 450,000 baht for the school build!
๖๐
2017
“Mae Fah Luang” Hill-tribe Community Learning Center
Baan Ti Mu Ko Ta, Ta Song Yang, Tak by Class of 2018
On January 20 2017, the Class of 2018 embarked on a trip to a Kareang village near the border between Thailand and Myanmar. Knowing that the village was elevated on faraway hills and remotely hours away from urbanization, we were prepared for a boring five days of hard labour… It turned out otherwise.
Upon reaching the village, we were greeted with fresh air (something very hard to find in the rustling streets of Bangkok), the bellows of the buffalos, and a group of children who gathered around to look at our tents. The school was clearly run-down, with its interior stripped out and its windows torn apart. Due to this, attendance and enthusiasm in education is at an all-time low in the village, though the students were delighted at our arrival as they ran down the hill to greet us with bright, brimming smiles. Seeing the school in such a desolate manner, we were determined to make sure we would do the best as we could so the children would renew their interest to learn again. Not only were we determined to renovate the school, we are also there to interact with the villagers and understand more about the Kareang culture and traditions.
Over the course of five days, with paintbrushes and drills in hand, we diligently worked to fix the school, installing new walls and windows along the facilities and painting beautiful murals in the buildings. By the end of the trip, we had two beautifully decorated classrooms, a rainbow-painted canteen, and several beautiful murals featuring the bustling city of Bangkok, the galactic Solar System, the underwater world, and even a map of the World, complete with pictures of animals around the globe. We even created a small library, shelved with fantastic Thai books that the children will enjoy.
Apart from renovating the school, we learnt about their cultures and traditions, played with the children, showered in the lovely river, watched the Milky Way and its illustrious night stars, climbed trees, developed deeper bonds with our friends, and even befriended a local cat. Each of these may seem trivial, but even without our phones we were still able to enjoy all of the activities with our classmates. This not only reminds us of how fixated we are on our technologies, but shows that we were able to really enjoy socializing with the people around us face to face without materialistic distractions.
What struck us most however, was how happy the villagers were. Even without the luxurious goods, the villagers were content with their spiritual and sufficient economic lifestyle. The children had fun in their own way, rowing rafts in the river and playing wrestling, making us reminisce our nostalgic past that wasn’t filled with assignments and social media. We also had the courtesy of having the staff from the My School organization mentoring and cooking delicious meals for us. The staff was extremely friendly and helpful, we got along very well. Without their preparations, the build wouldn’t have gone so smoothly. We also improved our communication and collaboration skills as renovating a school requires a lot of teamwork; It isn’t something that only one person can do in a timespan of five days. The villagers also came to help us even though they could have just watched or played on their own free time. When we were working together, we listened to music and sang, creating a relaxed and fun environment to work in. These five days eventually passed by in the blink of an eye, leaving us with numerous, memorable events that still bring smiles to our faces.
๕๘
2015
“Mae Fah Luang” Hill-tribe Community Learning Center
Baan Huay Puu Luang, Aom Koi, Chiangmai
by Class of 2017
On November 22, 2015, the Concordian Class of Leg17tness headed out to the Northern part of Thailand with a definite goal: To build a school in the village called Om Koi. Despite the quick plane ride we had, we encountered rocky, steep and narrow roads that took us almost six hours to get to the school. In my opinion however, the car sickness and the pain of sitting for a long period of time was worth coming to Om Koi.
Swept away from the city and into the deep parts of Chiang Mai provinces’ mountains, we didn’t have the comfort of our daily luxuries. We slept in tents outside of the school freezing from the bristle cold at night and facing swarms of daddy long legs (spiders) everywhere. There were three toilets, for almost forty of us to share. It wasn’t the fancy types of showers that most of us have at our home. The shower was a big bucket full of water and a smaller bucket to scoop the water and shower ourselves. We were isolated from the city, and we were surrounded entirely by beauty of both the people and environment.
For the next three days, we helped the team of builders construct and paint the exterior and the interior of the library and the canteen. It was beyond exhausting; some of us helped to drill wooden boards for the walls of the school, while others created murals and painted the walls of the building bright and dark purple. It was a challenge for some of us who had not been exposed to the tools and materials used for construction. I myself had never picked up or used a drill, and there I was learning how to use a drill for the first time. It was a challenge for me but once I got the hang of it, I was able to drill holes in the right places. We played with the kids during our breaks. We befriended them, getting to know a little bit about their school, their villages and what they would like to do once they have finished school. We had also befriended the team who was in charge of the school build. Without their help, most of us would have been misguided on what to do during the school build. After the whole process of building the library and setting up the shelves and books in place, we saw the faces of the children and the teachers light up with happiness.
During the four days we spent up there, our class got time to bond with each other. We shared and reflected about what we had both liked and disliked about each other as well as our own plans for our current IB journey. On the day before our trip back to Bangkok, we went around interviewing the local villagers. In some cases, it was difficult to understand as they spoke a different dialect from what most of us usually hear. They shared their stories with us: most of them marry by the age of sixteen and have up to almost ten children; they were a religious community devoted to Christianity. Their yearly income was less than 5,000 baht, but they grew their own food and only went to the nearest city to buy necessities such as meat. They were simple people who lived simple lives, but they were happy with what they had and that to me was truly beyond amazing.
The night before we left, we had a talent show and the villagers and the kids showed traditional performances. They wore their beautiful hand-made clothes dancing and singing wonderfully. All in all, the trip was an amazing learning experience that exposed us to a society different from what we were used to. The villagers, the school, and the people in this trip had made this experience worth going to.
Thank you to the Class of Leg17tness
Baan Mae Ra Moeng School, Wadrogro Branch, Ta Song Yang, Tak by Class of 2016
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“Mae Fah Luang” Hill-tribe Community Learning Center
Baan U Su Po Kee, Ta Song Yang, Tak by Concordian’s Alumni class of 2015
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“Mae Fah Luang” Hill-tribe Community Learning Center
Baan Kor So Ta, Aum Pang, Tak by Concordian’s Alumni class of 2014
Mae Ra Mad School, Mae Ra Mad, Tak by Concordian’s Alumni class of 2013
“Mae Fah Luang” Hill-tribe Community Learning Center
Baan Huay Sai, Chai Prakarn, Chiangmai by Concordian’s Alumni class of 2012
Baan Mae Salid Luang Pitthaya School, Ta Song Yang, Tak by Concordian’s Alumni class of 2011
Baan Fa Hom Pok School, Chiangmai by Concordian’s Alumni class of 2010
