My Highlights

While the first two weeks where quite hard for me due to the different environment-lifestyle-language with respect to Europe (France) and it takes a bit before getting used to, then everything has been forgotten by the contact with children.

My name is Gemma, and I work as an Associate Professor at Tromsø University in Norway. In Thailand, I worked at Watkanlayanamit Buddhist school under supervision of Ms Onuma (English teacher there) with children between 3-5 and 12-13 years old. Staff at school where always glad to receive volunteers and help whenever we need. For me the most important was to spend the most time as possible with children or young motivated students aiming to improve their English level. As a matter of fact in Bangkok very small part of people speak English correctly (rarely the taxi drivers or some hotel receptionists) especially in Thon Buri neighborhood (which is a poor area). Despite of this issue I could manage but I strongly think that the first people needing English courses to reinforce their knowledge and speaking are Teachers (all of them) and other tourist-related professionals (such taxi drivers) and other adults being an example for children. If I could succeed being with children during school time (courses, recreation time and lunch time), I could not be put in contact with students or other young students that could be very motivated to have for free English reinforce class with me. I mean, only those who are more advanced (since in every class there were always 2-3 students with a much higher English level that like the language) and motivated for improving there English could have had 1h or 2h of free English support given by me.

My travel has not touristic purposes and I wanted to devote my time to children. So I did not achieve my personal goal completely as I expected.

Ms Dang seems to be a a very active woman working in a lot of things to improve life quality and her social work is very important. A very busy woman.
M Winyoo is an excellent person. An intelligent man also working hard to improve life conditions to people in the neighborhood. A very busy man.It was a pleasure to have discussion with him about the problems there and ideas of social work.
I thank them for their work.

AMAIDI has managed to contact a government school for blind children and for the deaf and dumb as its newest partner in Puducherry. Its located close by AMAIDI Guest house, fantastic for who wants to stay in contact with other volunteers.