Students Work for a More Equitable World

Cube Care has improved the lives of 900 villagers in Thailand, but its efforts don’t stop there…

After learning about the disparity in healthcare between rural and urban areas in Thailand during her Geography class, Karnsiree (Ling-Ling) Chen (Year 13) was inspired to take action. “The case studies we learned about opened my eyes to global issues and, as students who have opportunities within a good educational system, I thought that we should do our best to give back in any way possible,” she said.

Cube Care was established by a team of five individuals with a shared goal to provide specialised medical care for isolated village communities and forest rangers. What started as a Creativity Activity Service (CAS) project has grown to include 60 members and is now a CAT club. The founding members are: Karnsiree (Ling-Ling) Chen, Chayapat (Cue) Chinthammit, Tinn Habanananda, Ann Kanchanasakdichai and Pasawat (Tang-Tae) Sakulpanich.

Improving Lives

Ling-Ling connected with a Colonel and his team of Thai Army soldiers to find villages in need of specialised medical care. “I wanted to make sure the project would correspond directly to the community’s needs, which was achieved through constant liaison with the village representatives.”

Last year they provided water filters to Baan Nam Phu Village in Kanchanaburi, which lacked electricity and struggled with limestone-contaminated water. Cube Care raised THB 40,000 for a water filter by selling baked goods at Farmer’s Markets and recruiting sponsors.

“We designed a sustainable, gravitypowered water filter,” explains Ling-Ling.

Students Work for a More Equitable World

“Soldiers from the Thai Army helped us to construct the filter at the village. The four-tank system involves layers of gravel, sediment and charcoal, and is able to produce 300 litres of water daily, improving the lives of the 900 villagers. There was some extra money after the filter was completed, so we installed solar-powered lights around the village daycare and in the female bathrooms.”

At first, Cube Care wanted to provide electrical water filters, but they were far too expensive. The team quickly realised that a sustainable water filter system complies with their environmentally friendly core values, relying on natural materials instead of chemicals like bleach to sanitise water. “The filter is also easy to operate, with easily accessible valves that release residue. The only major piece of maintenance is the bi-annual replacement of carbon once it begins to lose its effectiveness,” said Ling-Ling.

The Cube Care team has been an absolute inspiration, says Keith Wright, Club Supervisor, “The level of independence, creativity and leadership qualities demonstrated in the Cube Care project is admirable and embodies the values we aim to instil in our students. The group have shown a great deal of compassion and empathy for others less fortunate and I am exceptionally proud of their achievements.”

The Future

Cube Care aims to deliver one major project a year that caters directly to a community in need. The club raised approximately THB 32,000 total from the Scavenger Hunt event they organised in addition to the money earned from selling tote bags and baked goods. They used THB 22,000 to buy CPR equipment for the 769 citizens of Pa Mak Village in Prachuap Khiri Khan province. The members of the club also visited the village to demonstrate how to use the equipment.

By establishing links to the Colonel’s army team for future connections to villages, there is a strong foundation for Cube Care to continue on after Ling-Ling and the founding members graduate. Cube Care currently have two copresidents: Pomme Jirarungroj and Ansh Shah, who are both in Year 12.

“When we first began the CAS project, I hoped it would contribute to society for the foreseeable future. We made sure to set out a clear structure, encouraging members to apply for board positions. I have faith that new board members will continue our mission for many years to come,” Ling Ling concluded.

(Originally published on the IB Community Blog. https://blogs.ibo.org/ blog/2020/04/15/dp-students-fulfillhealthcare-needs-of-their-community/)