BWG Bangkok Contact Magazine November 2021 by bwgbangkok

C NTACT THE MAGAZINE OF THE BRITISH WOMEN’S GROUP BANGKOK

November 2021

Happy Bonfire Night

BRITISH WOMEN’S GROUP The aim of the Group is to enable its members to meet socially, to welcome its new members and associate members to Bangkok and to establish a programme of social, welfare and cultural activities.

Editor

Contents

Directory Page 2

Chairman’s message Page 3

Diary Page 4

Book Club Pages 6-7

Birthdays Pages 10-11

October coffee Page 12

October Lunch Page 14

Liz’s Recipes Pages 16-17

Welfare News Pages 18-21 Pages 28-39 Pages 40-44

Varuna Yacht Club Pages 24-25

Christmas Crackers Page 26

becky.adderley@btinternet.com

British Women’s Group.

bwgbangkok@gmail.com

PLEASE NOTE : Contact is published as a service to our members to keep them informed of news and events within BWG. The accuracy of other information cannot be guaranteed and is not an endorsement by the group. This also applies to advertisements that are included in Contact in order to cover some of the production costs. Every effort is made to produce Contact in good time to reach members before the first scheduled meeting, but the editor cannot be held responsible for unavoidable delays caused by circumstance beyond their control. It is the members’ own responsibility to know when meetings are scheduled and to contact someone to check if any changes have been made. Members are also asked to bear in mind when booking actives that most venues are not deemed suitable for children over six months of age and to make appropriate child minding arrangements.

Chairman’s Message Hello Everyone, I’m feeling a bit like a jack-of-all-trades at the moment. Don’t anyone dare to quote the second part of that saying, but I’m learning on the job. I’m passing over Book Club this week so Lynne Smith will be the contact for that from now on. We had a coffee morning and a lunch in October which was a great start and we plan to do both again in November. Memberships are due now and will be for calendar year 2022. I will email everyone with our bank details if you are not able to attend anything in the next couple of months. It is very important that you copy me with your payment details (even if that is just a text with name, date, amount and sending bank) so that I can track and attribute payments. Don’t forget to order your Christmas crackers and I hope to see more of you in the coming months. Stay safe, stay sane and, as you know, I’m always up for a chat. Liz

Hi Ladies and I hope that you are all well wherever you are in the world. If you have any articles to share for the magazine, maybe related to what you all have been up to over the past few months (holidays, baking, new hobbies etc), then please email your contributions to me at becky.adderley@btinternet.com All contributions will be be very gratefully received and these will really help to preserve and strengthen our links as a BWG community.

www.bwgbangkok.org

info@bwgbangkok.org

British Women’s Group Bangkok

Contact April 2021

November Diary SUN

MON

TUE

WED

THU

FRI

SAT

1 Mahjong

2 Bridge Golf

3 Mahjong Art Group

4 Book Club Committee Meeting

8 Mahjong

9 Bridge Golf

10 Mah-jong Art Group

11 Coffee morning at the British Club

15 Mah-jong Jackie Reynold’s games afternoon at Bistro 33

16 Bridge Golf

17 Mah-jong Art Group

Varuna Yacht Club Trip

22 Mah-jong

23 Bridge Golf

24 Mah-jong Art Group

29 Mah-jong

30 Bridge Golf

Lunch at Trattoria Delina

Weekly/Monthly Activities You are invited to join these groups, but final approval is at the discretion of individual group leaders

Monday Mah-jong - (beginners welcome) (10am - 1pm) Tuesday Bridge - Audrie Sill Golf - (morning) Ami 0971851834 Bookworms - 1st Tuesday (10am) Jane Upperton Scottish Dancing - 1st Tuesday (7:30pm) Karen Burr Wednesday Mah-jong - (beginners welcome) (10am - 1pm) Art Group - Bistro 33 Sukhumvit Soi 33 (10am -12:30pm) Julie. juliehedge4@gmail.com Rosita. rositalau@yahoo.com

nspiring ndividuals At KIS International School all students can shine. The midsize, caring community allows KIS students to be confident and to be appreciated as an individual, with unique dreams and strengths. The school is a full IB school, offering the International Baccalaureate Programmes for all age groups (IB Primary Years Programme, IB Middle Years Programme and IB Diploma), ensuring an academically rigorous curriculum that not only prepares students to be successful at university, but also teaches important life skills. KIS, it’s all about Knowledge, Inspiration and Spirit. Check out the students’ videos to learn more about their passion www.kis.ac.th

Tel: +66 (0) 2274 3444 Email: admissions@kis.ac.th

“With the power of imagination, characters can actually fly off the page” Jun, Grade 11.

Book Club

by Liz Dobson

We managed to hold an actual book club meeting this month, albeit only three of us, but baby steps. For September I picked “A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James” as our read. This book had won the Booker Prize in 2015 and the cover showered it with praise like “Extraordinary, The Times”; “Magnificent, Financial Times”; and “Dazzling, The Guardian”. Set in Jamaica I thought it would make a change. As Amazon says about it, “On December 3, 1976, just before the Jamaican general election and two days before Bob Marley was to play the Smile Jamaica Concert, gunmen stormed his house, machine guns blazing. The attack nearly killed the Reggae superstar, his wife and his manager, and injured several others. Marley would go on to perform at the free concert on December 5th, but he left the country the next day, not to return for two years. Deftly spanning decades and continents and peopled with a wide range of characters – killers, gang members, politicians, CIA agents, journalists, conmen and even Keith Richards’ drug dealer – this is the fictional exploration of that dangerous and unstable time and its bloody aftermath. Brilliantly inventive and stunningly ambitious, this breathtaking novel will secure Marlon James’s place among the great literary talents of his generation.” The book starts with a very long list of characters and then each chapter is written from the perspective of one character and as they would speak. I did not find it easy to follow and decided to watch “Who Shot the Sheriff” on Netflix which covers the same era and events so I could follow things, which helped. I had picked the book so I felt obliged to finish it, otherwise I’m not sure that I would have continued. It was interesting and at times funny, but I really was just trying to get it done. I couldn’t say I enjoyed it and I wouldn’t rush to pick up another of his books. One of our members though found it not a pleasant read, but a fantastic read. Gritty, violent, thought provoking, confronting and a real challenge and came away feeling enriched and shocked. She gave it 8/10. I get that, but I’d give it 6/10. As I struggled with this read, I hastily gave an alternative for the month. “The Nickel Boys” by Colson Whitehead, which I had read recently and really enjoyed. The Nickel Boys is also an award winning read, having won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2020. He also wrote The Underground Railroad which you may have watched on Amazon Prime. Again, as Amazon says “This book brilliantly dramatizes another strand of American history through the story of two boys sentenced to a hellish reform school in 1960s Florida. Based on the history of a real reform school in Florida that operated for 111 years and warped and destroyed the lives of thousands of children. The Nickel Boys is a devastating driven narrative by a great American novelist whose work is essential to understanding the current reality of the USA. In reality the Nickel Academy is a chamber of horrors where physical, emotional and sexual abuse is rife, where corrupt officials and tradesmen do a brisk trade in supplies intended for the school and where any boy who resists is likely to disappear “out back”. A masterful piece

of very human storytelling. A furious compassionate novel whose final sleight of hand makes it all the more memorable.” In contrast, I’ve just gone out and bought his new book “Harlem Shuffle”. Our readers found The Nickel Boys hard to put down and very thought provoking. It is a shocking read which stays with you. Marks given were 7/10, 8/10, 9/10 and 9/10. Our next book is a bit of light relief following on from these two harrowing tales. We are reading “Destination Wedding” by Diksha Basu which is nominated for a comic writing award. We will meet at Laura Smith’s apartment on Tuesday 2nd November at 10.30am. After that we will read “Exit” by Belinda Bauer.

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! We would like to wish a really happy birthday to:

Emma Coles - 9th November

Sue Gordon - 14th November

Katherine Biggs - 14th November

Sian Frederick - 16th November

Karen Wanliss - 20th November

Kimberley Lewis - 25th November

Jan Wollen - 25th November

Have a wonderful day and we are all thinking of you.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! We would like to wish a really happy birthday to:

Jeryl Bain - 26th November

Wiﬀ Johnston - 27th November

Siti Survo - 29th November

Frances Luís - 28th November

Sally Voravarn - 30th November

Have a wonderful day and we are all thinking of you.

Coffee Morning at FCCT by Liz Dobson

On the 14th October we managed to hold a coffee morning, the first since February. I chose the Foreign Correspondent’s Club of Thailand as they’ve been there for us and we support our friends. When things first began to shut down Jane Upperton suggested to some that we could meet for lunch at the FCCT on a Wednesday. The FCCT made a large, socially distanced table for us and produced virgin cocktails in the lean times and so, for many weeks, we had our Wednesday lunches there. They were very accommodating when I didn’t want to give them numbers until the day before and was asking for catering a bit earlier than normal for them these days. A bout of Bangkok belly meant I was a bit late in putting out details and not really on the ball for a bit. We were 20 people which was just perfect as numbers were still restricted then. We had three new members which was wonderful and Chona brought along her beautiful, colourful fascinators to sell. Coffee was by FCCT and Jane Rodgers and I brought along the food. The recipes for the shortbread and ginger cake are in this and previous editions of Contact.

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Lunch at Bistro 33 by Liz Dobson On 28th October we had a lunch at Bistro 33. Again in a similar vein of sticking with your friends. We had 17 attendees and I think I can say, a good time was had by all. We managed a raffle and had poppies available for donation. I forgot to take any photos, so thank you Lynne, but I did remember the alms bowl this time. It was lovely to see some different faces (you know I love you, cracker ladies) and especially some new members.

Outings - Mad Hatters (a.k.a. Liz’s restaurant) & Mahjong Lessons by Liz Dobson The cracker ladies started to have an extra session each week on Thursdays at my house. To begin with we only made hats for the crackers, but now we’re better at planning and it has turned into a really useful preparation day for cracker making on Tuesdays. Nobody knows if anything like a normal Christmas is going to happen here this year and so we don’t have our usual bigger orders yet from the likes of The British Club or Chamber. It may be Christmas at home this year so get your order in now for your crackers. B500 for 10. I give the ladies lunch and we go on into the afternoon. After a few weeks, the ladies insisted on making a contribution which I was reluctant to accept as, heaven forbid, they might start making complaints or making suggestions! However, all has remained harmonious, here I give you a couple of my well received offerings. If you want to be put to work (you can always come along and do your knitting) and eat what you’re given, just give me a shout.

Coconut Ice Cream. 225g caster sugar 125ml water 2 large cartons of coconut milk Heat the sugar and water in a saucepan and stir over a gentle heat until the sugar melts and begins to thicken. Remove from the heat and leave to cool. Add the coconut milk and stir to mix well. Pour into a container and freeze, better if you remember to stir it up a few times, but hey ho, who always remembers and it still tastes good.

Sticky Honey and Ginger Chicken Bits 250g clear honey large piece of ginger (about 25g peeled and grated) 2 garlic cloves, crushed 6tbsp sweet chili sauce 3tbsp soy sauce 150ml orange juice 1kg chicken drumsticks, thighs, wings Put the first six ingredients in a bowl and whisk together. Make deep slashes in the chicken and add to the marinade, tossing well. Cover and chill overnight in fridge. Heat oven to 220C. Remove chicken from marinade and put in a roasting tin, skin side up, in a single layer. Brush over 4tbsp marinade and roast for 35-40min until cooked through. A few of us also began to have mahjong lessons with Jane Rodgers. A highlight of this was often having Jane’s ginger cake so I asked her for the recipe.

STICKY GINGER CAKE (Courtesy of Nigella) 150 ml vegetable oil 350 ml golden syrup *** 50 ml molasses/black treacle *** 125 gm dark soft brown sugar 25 gm grated ginger 2 tsp ground ginger 2 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp allspice 1/8 tsp ground cloves ¼ tsp black pepper (fine) ¼ tsp salt 250 ml milk *** 300 gm plain flour 1 tsp bicarb 2 tbsp warm water 2 tsp cider vinegar 9” square baking tin – lined with parchment paper *** 150° Fan for approximately 50 – 55 mins Cool in tin, best the next day Can be frozen METHOD Measure the oil in a measuring jug and pour into a pan Using the same jug, measure and add the golden syrup and molasses Add the sugar and ginger, warm gently to dissolve Stir in the dried spices Remove from heat and stir in the milk Whisk the flour slowly into the mix to avoid lumps Mix the bicarb, water and cider vinegar mix to the mixture NOTES *** Nigella uses 200 ml syrup + 200 ml molasses Oat milk can be used; this means it is a VEGAN cake 75 gm chopped prunes can be added to the syrups and sugar mix Equivalent size loaf tins could be used We were often the same 4-10 group of people meeting two and three times a week, kept us sane and well fed! That’s why it was so lovely to see some other people at the coffee morning. If you came to that you could have sampled Liz’s Shortbread and Jane’s Ginger Cake. I hope you enjoyed them

Dorothy Klynstra in Thailand

Changes, caring and tears… Bear one another’s burdens…Galatians 6:2 During this time of crisis God is asking me to love others, and trust him on a deeper level. Thankfully when he calls, he also provides what we need to be able to care. So I thank you for your helping me to what I’m called to do, by praying, encouraging and giving. We have changed the lives of two of our members who other wises would be in lock down since March 2020. In July we celebrated A’s birthday on their first year anniversary of living at SaiLom House. We have helped my foster son and Saree to get through a health issue, and loss of job. (right) We have encouraged over 150 families by giving them food bags. YWAM Thailand

Be rich in good works… 1 Timothy 6:18.

JULY TO SEPTEMBER 2021

Project L.I.F.E. Foundation

PLF SaiLom “Like” us on Facebook to keep updated.

Caring for those in need through Food Bag distribution

SaiLom was able to partner with Pakkret Church to purchase rice and other food items to give to people in need after the spread of Covid-19 changed their lives. We presented the Ua Athon low income housing committee with 100 food bags. They had had a line up over 1 km long during their last distribution and were not able to meet all the needs, so our donation was much appreciated. The last of the “most needy” received our bags. SaiLom is grateful for the Canadian donor who gave to help those affected by Covid-19 in Thailand. Our members and friends cared for others by helping to buy supplies, pack and transport the food bags. Pray for wisdom and stamina as we prepare to repeat this process for 120 families at another complex now.

Training and Prayer meetings Bear one another’s burdens… Galatians 6:2 A 3-day course “Everyday Christianity” reminded me of the importance of

discipleship based on the gospel of Mark. Meeting online with Pakkret church department heads and YWAM Bangkok leaders, helped me to process some of the grief from this past year’s changes and transitions. How are you doing? I’m also taking a discipleship course, “God at Work” through Evangelical Church of Bangkok (in English!) 2

Thank you for praying for ways that our members can earn more income. In August, a high school student and the Project L.I.F.E. Foundation director came to teach us how to grow sunflower seed sprouts. They gave us the equipment to start too! Pray we will be able to successfully grow and sell the sprouts.

Our Resonate missionary volunteer (below) is taking a 6 month leave to work remotely with another organization. Our weekend staff has found other work as well. That leaves me and our evening tutor to cover all the training and supporting of our members in residential care and our community members who have started returning to day programs. Pray for our health, vaccinations, and plans. May God call and anoint someone to come and join us.

My foster son, Buddy. turned 20 years old at the beginning of September. He just started a new job delivering for Starbucks. His English is being put to good use. Because of the heavy lifting and health issues, Saree stopped work at the bakery. She applied to make pizza. Pray for them to get in line with God’s plan for their lives, and wisdom as I and others convey godly principles to guide them. Thank you for your love, notes of encouragement, financial support and prayers. The Lord is near! Grace to you,

Dorothy and all at SaiLom 3

If you’ve read this far you really are a faithful supporter. I’d love to hear from you. I’ve been a YWAMer since my DTS course in 1986. “YWAM …. encourages new vision and the exploration of new ways to change lives through training, convey the message of the gospel and care for those in need.” Here are some of our new ways in these last 3 months. (See more by liking us on FB at PLF SaiLom.) We so miss our friends at Rachawadee. This is a fellow I’ve known since 1992. I sent him some cake and his favourite meatballs on his birthday. God still sees him even during lockdown. We started a home fellowship group at the invitation of our member.

We changed our sales table in front of SaiLom house to a Lemonade stand. (Thanksgiving Home makes the Lemonade and Dutch coffee.) It’s one way to get to know the neighbours.

Last but not least… Care for all God’s creatures. We nursed this bundle of fur back to health after it was rescued. It is in our lives now, even the boys’ lesson with their tutor. Still praying for a good home for it. My Thai friend noted that she can’t relate to God as a shepherd so much since she has never even seen a sheep, but to see how people care for their dogs, gives her a way to know how much God cares for us, protects us, enjoys being with us, provides food and shelter for us, and cares for us as we heal. Do you have a good memory of a favourite pet?

Celebrating 60 Years A proud tradition of learning excellence

We oﬀer a British-style education for an international community, from Nursery through to Graduation. Find out how our approach to learning and outstanding teaching staﬀ develop global citizens who shape their world through independence, empathy, creativity and critical thinking. Contact us at admissions@patana.ac.th www.patana.ac.th | +66 (0) 2785 2200 | 643 Lasalle Road, Bangkok 10260

Bangkok Patana is a not-for-profit, IB World School, accredited by CIS and NEASC

The October Varuna Yacht Club trip By Sally Fisken All I can say is that we all had a marvellous time at the Varuna Yacht Club. It was great to be by the sea in the fresh air. We will be going again in November and hope that more members will sign up. The arrangements for November are: Tuesday 16th - Wednesday 17th NOVEMBER

Swimming, sailing, eating, drinking, reading and relaxing. What more could you want!

Meet at Emporium suites 9.00 am  Return trip in minivan  Price once I have numbers in.

Please contact Sally Fisken  094 416 9153

Access to Education for Marginalised Karen Children Project Report

British Women’s Group (BWG) October 2021

The Karen Hilltribes Trust Tower House, Fishergate, York, YO10 4UA Produced by: Matthew Jenkins, Education & Livelihoods Programmes Officer | ELPO@karenhilltribes.org.uk Director: Billy Curryer | director@karenhilltribes.org.uk | +44 (0) 1904 373 001 UK Registered Charity No. 1093548 | Company No. 04484077 | Registered in Thailand by Permit 242/2525

Contents Project Overview...................................................................................................................................................... 2

Introduction ..................................................................................................................................................... 3 Project Activities: School Buses........................................................................................................................ 5 Project Activities: Dormitory Meals ................................................................................................................. 7 Project Activities: Higher Education Scholarships ............................................................................................ 8 Impact, Monitoring & Evaluation ................................................................................................................... 10 Budget............................................................................................................................................................ 11 Conclusion ..................................................................................................................................................... 12

Project Overview Project Name: Access to education for marginalised Karen children and young adults Aim: To increase access to quality education and future employment possibilities for Karen children and young adults through the provision of school transport services, meals in dormitories, and scholarships for young adults in higher education Key Activities: 1. Funded 18 school buses to provide safe, reliable access to schools 2. Funded dormitory meals in 8 schools to lower the cost of accessing education 3. Funded 27 Karen students in universities and vocational colleges Key Outcomes: 1. Able to maintain support safely during local COVID-19 spikes 2. School buses used as a vector to disburse COVID-19 education materials in villages 3. Started an in-depth examination of our education programming Expected Impact: •

Increased education for children and young adults

•

Increased gender equality through improving education of girls and women

•

Increased literacy and future employment opportunities

Project Beneficiaries: 530+ children and young adults (some school data still to be collected) 1. School buses: 331+ children aged 3-19, from 30 villages 2. Dormitory meals: 172+ aged 4-18 3. Scholarships: 27 students aged 18-23 Location: Mae Hong Son Province, Thailand Project duration: 1st May 2021 – 30th April 2022 Budget: £40,526 for the academic year Karen Hilltribes Trust

Education Interim Project Report October 2021

Introduction Despite COVID-19 exacerbating existing challenges our Karen communities face, KHT has continued to ensure that hundreds of children can access education in a safe and fair way, investing in their futures.

This project supports the Karen people in Mae Hong Son, a remote Thai province situated on the border with Myanmar. The Karen are Thailand’s largest ethnic minority group, with an estimated population of 549,400, and are among the most socially deprived and discriminated groups in Thailand. KHT’s data has shown average annual income is below the international line for extreme poverty, and the majority of Karen communities depend on subsistence agriculture for survival.

As a result, school performance and retention rates are often low. The enrolment of Karen children in primary education is 51% (compared to national average at 89%) and only 1 in 4 Karen children complete their secondary education. One of the most pressing reasons why children in Karen communities do not complete their education is that students are unable to access schools. The distance between home and education institutions produces many obstacles and makes going to school an expensive affair. Most villages lack their own schools and have no public transport. Parents must either make long school runs on roads unsafe for mopeds, or pay for places at school dormitories. Social mobility is further limited by the costs of higher education. With approximately 50% of young Thais enrolling in tertiary education, Karen young adults are at risk of being excluded from skilled jobs if they are not able to access universities and vocational colleges. For those in commuting distance to schools, KHT supports school bus services so children can reach school safely. For those in more remote villages, we fund the provision of food at dormitories to reduce the cost for children to attend, ensuring our Karen communities always have a pathway to education. With education requirements for jobs becoming ever higher, KHT provides scholarships to young adults who would otherwise be unable to study at universities and vocational colleges. Karen Hilltribes Trust

Education Interim Project Report October 2021

COVID-19 Until Spring 2021 Thailand had largely escaped the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic, successfully operating a ‘zero-COVID’ policy. Unfortunately, the arrival of the Delta variant in April changed this, with both cases and fatalities spiking from June 2021, reaching a peak in August. Cases have since then been consistently falling, with the 7-day average as of mid-October slightly below half of the August peak. The distribution of COVID has not been even; whilst initially the majority of cases were in Bangkok this has now radiated out to the more remote provinces. Mae Hong Son, where KHT operates, has been one of the last provinces to be hit. We have seen cases rise in September and October, and our team have reported incidents of individual villages and schools going into lockdown. Positive cases result in community-wide lockdowns, worsening the situation. Fortunately, we have been able to maintain our services in a COVID-safe manner; schools were able to open to students in June (a few weeks late), and vocational colleges and universities opening on schedule in the summer. We have used our education network to improve access to health education, distributing education materials on how to stay safe in schools and buses, as well as other community centres. There are reports that the upcoming half-term holidays may be extended for some extra weeks as a ‘circuit-breaker’, but so far, most children have been able to resume in-person learning. Most universities initially started their courses remotely in June, but we’re hopeful students will been soon able to resume in-person learning. Being back in classrooms is especially vital as most households we support lack the requisite technology and internet access to allow remote learning, one example of the impact of COVID-19 disproportionately harming low-income and minority groups. UNICEF has estimated that more than 1 billion children are at risk of falling behind due to school closures and reduced livelihoods, whilst, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the pandemic has caused economic and social disruption that puts tens of millions of people at risk of falling into extreme poverty, decreasing food security and causing widespread undernourishment. Our work in supporting access to education has never been more important, and this only happens with your support. The adjacent posters were distributed by KHT to supported schools and villages via our school bus network.

Karen Hilltribes Trust

Education Interim Project Report October 2021

Project Activities: School Buses For the May 2021 to April 2022 school year we have been operating 18 school buses, which have provided transport to over 331 children from 30 villages, at ages ranging from pre-school to the end of secondary education. For 17 of the school buses were continuations of previous support, with 1 new addition. This new addition came about as another village informed KHT they were now able to fully fund their service, showing our long-term aim of communities taking over ownership of their buses as achievable.

Attendance School bus attendance has remained largely in line with previous years. We were unable to gather attendance data for 2 buses due to challenges in our staff meeting more remote villagers, but any data gaps will be filled ahead of the final project report. Some buses are able to operate multiple trips per day, hence the disparity in attendance in some villages. 61% of students were female, which is particularly encouraging as UNESCO has warned of the risk of girls being disproportionately excluded from education due to COVID. We have been told by communities that the service is particularly valuable for female students as it addresses safety concerns for girls having to walk home in the dark, or rely on others for transport.

COVID-19 Educational Materials As mentioned previously, as COVID-19 spiked in Thailand our education team coordinated with our Health programme to distribute health educational materials in the communities we work with. Our team noted a common lack of awareness on how to prevent COVID-19, with a mix of misinformation and lack of reach from health officials’ guidance. Posters such as those on page 4 were given to bus drivers. Some posters were put up by the drivers and children in their buses and schools, with others taken to the villages and put up in public spaces. We’re interested in seeing if there are further opportunities to use the school buses as a distribution network for other education and health interventions, and are closely monitoring the impact and community reception of this trial.

Karen Hilltribes Trust

Education Interim Project Report October 2021

Below is a table for average attendance for the first school term. The first two villages we were unfortunately not able to gather data from, but will be revisiting once COVID allows. Average Attendence in School Buses June 2021 – October 2021 No. Village Name

Boys

Girls

Total

Ban Huay Pueng Kao

Ban Khun Mae La

Ban Rom Yen

Ban Huay Pong Lao

Ban Mae Sapei Nua

Ban Mae Oompai Tai

Ban Mae Sapei Tai

Ban Huay Pong Karn

Ban Pattana Pu Ku

Ban Mai Pattana

Ban Mae Au

Ban Kham Suk

Ban Mae Sapei Tai, Ban Mae Sapei Nua

Ban Huay Rin

Ban Mae La Luang

Ban Huay Ku Pa

Ban Thung Pa Kha

Ban Huay Kai Pa

128

203

331

Total

Karen Hilltribes Trust

Education Interim Project Report October 2021

Project Activities: Dormitory Meals For the May 2021 to April 2022 school year we have been providing dormitory meals in 8 schools, which have fed on average 172 children in primary and secondary education. All schools are receiving continued support from KHT and were also partnering with us last year.

Project Reach As school bus attendance levels have remained steady, we have also so far seen no drop in children attending dormitories. To date none of the dormitories have been closed due to COVID-19, but we understand that fears over increased presence of the virus may make parents more hesitant to send their children to live in dormitories. We hope this is not a long-term challenge; as of 12 October, 50% of the Thai population has received their first COVID vaccination and the country is looking to reopen further from the summer lockdown. We will continue to engage with schools to understand their specific needs in relation to COVID to ensure we do not cease any support that will be needed postCOVID.

Ad-hoc Support One example of our current focus on flexibility and engagement with schools during COVID-19 is the school at Ban Pho So. KHT does not provide regular funding for dormitories at the school, but did build the dormitory building in 2017. KHT has since maintained good communication with the school, who reached out in September 2021 to inform us that a COVID outbreak had forced the 171 students, and teachers, to remain at the school and isolate for 4 weeks, and the school lacked the funds for extra meals to feed the quarantined students and staff during the isolation period. The problem is compounded by many of the children coming from at-risk border areas with limited health care, and so are unlikely to return home after the quarantine period to avoid bringing COVID19 home with them. KHT has granted the school emergency funding to ensure 171 students are adequately fed. Below is a table with average daily reach of the meals project for the first term. As with the buses table, we were unable to gather data from 2 schools but will be filling any data gaps before the final report. Average Daily Reach of Dormitory Meals June 2021 – October 2021 No.

School

Boys

Girls

Total

Ban Huay Pueng Mai

Ban Huay San

Ban Mae Khi

Ban Mae La Noi Daroonsik

Ban Mae Tho

Ban Mae Tho Tai

Ban Pa Wai

Khun Yuam Wittaya

Total

104

172

Karen Hilltribes Trust

Education Interim Project Report October 2021

Project Activities: Higher Education Scholarships Despite the uptick in COVID-19 cases in Thailand, our students were able to resume their studies on schedule in the summer of 2021. Vocational colleges opened for in-person teaching in June 2021, with universities welcoming students in July. With the general uncertainty in Thailand with increasing COVID restrictions in Thailand, students were glad to continue their education. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 situation meant that most universities had to enforce remote studying for a period. Some students have returned to classrooms, and our hope is over the coming months the remaining students can return to their campuses. Assessing the future with COVID-19 is always challenging, but as of October 2021 this ambition appears achievable. Approximately 13% of the general population has received their first vaccine dose each month; data from mid-October put 53% of Thailand having received one dose, and 36% fully vaccinated. Restrictions on travel and activities are slowly being lifted, with a progressive reopening planned by the government through December. We have maintained contact with all our students during recent challenges, using Facebook to stay in touch with everyone and monitor progress through their report cards and grade. Remote learning has not been ideal for our 14 university students, especially as our cohort comes from low-income backgrounds that may not have optimum setups at home. We have been in constant contact with our students to monitor their progress, and thankfully have not had any reports of students struggling to continue their studies due to COVID-19. Whilst the past 18 months have been difficult for all of us, for our students the important fact is they have been able to continue working towards their degrees and the improved future prospects that brings.

New Students 12 students successfully graduated in April 2021, and one student had to pause her studies as she has happily since married and brought her first child into the world. With space in the programme for the final year of scholarships, we have welcomed a further 10 students to the project. The 10 new students were recruited by advertising at our contacts at various secondary schools, colleges, and vocational colleges in Khun Yuam and the wider Mae Hong Son province. We evaluated the applications received, prioritising those who would most benefit from the support and be most unlikely to continue their studies without assistance. Of the 10 students, three study vocational courses in mechanics at Mae Sariang Vocational College, three are enrolled in university courses at Chaing Mai Rajaphat University, two are enrolled in electrician training courses, and the final two are studying other university courses. All but one of the university students are studying to become teachers, showing their commitment to give back to their communities and support future generations. Karen Hilltribes Trust

Education Interim Project Report October 2021

Graduating Students We’re now looking forward to our favourite part of the project: seeing our students graduate. This year we have 12 set to finish their courses and start their careers. Kanokphon is preparing to start her career in accounting, with Ratchaneekorn and Chidapha ready to get jobs in computer electronics. We’ll be keeping in touch with them to see how they get on, and we’re excited to see them flourish.

Case Study: Titapa Titapa is 19 and a 1st year student in teaching the Chinese language at Chiang Mai Rajabhat University. Her family home is in the countryside in Khun Yuam district, where she grew up with her parents and younger sister. Her parents worked in agriculture, primarily from farming corn, and wanted to send her and her sister to higher education “so that you won't have to suffer like your parents”. Unfortunately, whilst Titapa passed her entrance exams for higher education, her parents did not have the money for her to pay to continue her studies. Her parents sympathised, and borrowed money from her uncles and aunts to pay for her tuition. Despite this they still struggled to cover household expenses, and were not in a position to also maintain loans to help support Titapa. COVID-19 made it difficult for Titapa to find work to supplement the family income, making her future in education uncertain. Titapa applied for a KHT scholarship in September 2021, when some extra spaces opened up in this year’s group of new students. She was awarded a scholarship, and can now complete her studies without financial worries. Her parents no longer need to take out loans to support her education, and can avoid potential trouble in borrowing money from family members. Titapa’s drive to further herself and her community can be seen in the final line of her scholarship application: “I will study hard in the success that I had dreamed of and come back to develop my village”. Higher Education Scholarship Students June 2021 - October 2021 Institute

Grade

Graduation Year

Students

Burapha University

University

April 2023

Chaing Mai Rajaphat University

University

April 2023

Chaing Mai Mahamagut University

University

April 2023

Chaing Mai Technical College

HVD

April 2022

Chomthong Industrial and Community Education College

HVD

April 2023

Lampang Rajabhat University

University

April 2023

Mae Hong Son Rajaphat University

University

April 2023

HVD

April 2022

OVD

April 2022

University

April 2023

Mae Sariang Vocational College Mahamakut Ratchawittayalai University Total Karen Hilltribes Trust

Education Interim Project Report October 2021

27 9

Impact, Monitoring & Evaluation KHT places great emphasis on understanding the impact and implications of our projects. Below are the expected results from our Access to Education programme:

Key Outputs ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Funded 18 school buses supporting children from 30 villages; Funded daily meals at 8 school dormitories; Supported 27 scholarship students Onboarded 10 new scholarship students Disbursed COVID-19 educational materials via the school bus network.

Expected Social Impact •

Increased accessibility of education, especially for girls and women, and thereby increase the number of children that complete primary and secondary education;

•

Improved safe access to education, particularly for more-at-risk girls and women;

•

Improved gender equality, including reduction in early marriages, through female education;

•

Increased literacy in Karen communities;

•

Increase future employment opportunities;

•

Reduced financial burden on families sending students to school.

The benefits of education are well documented. Each year of education is equally impactful in increasing incomes and future employment prospects, with more years in education improving IQ and citizenship levels. Employers often also use education levels for ‘signalling’ which candidates to employ, irrespective for their suitability for the job. Karen students will likely find themselves more employable, even for roles unrelated to their education. Educating women and girls is a major tool in achieving gender equality, and has been shown to reduce early marriage and gender pay gaps. Many students are training to be teachers, and have expressed wishes to support education efforts in their communities. This promises to create a positive cycle of also improving Karen education for future students in schools in Mae Hong Son. The reduction in education costs also constitutes a cash transfer to low-income families, giving parents more disposable income. This is vital in communities with the majority below the poverty line. There is also a strong safeguarding element to our work. Thailand has one of the world’s highest road mortality rates, and without our programmes many students would instead walk or take mopeds along dangerous roads to get to school. This is particularly true for girls; a 2019 KHT survey found parents reporting without school buses they would be less likely to let girls go to school as they would be vulnerable to both traffic accidents and assault on poorly-lit roads.

Karen Hilltribes Trust

Education Interim Project Report October 2021

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were set in 2015 to coordinate the international community in working together for a better world. This project principally contributes to the below:

Monitoring & Evaluation As part of our commitment to constantly improving and iterating on our programmes, we are currently undertaking a major evaluation of our education projects. COVID has made in-depth analyses difficult to date, with restrictions on travel impeding site visits and community consultations. As the situation starts to improve and international travel opens up, our Education and Livelihoods Programmes Officer has started an assessment of our projects and will be conducting site visits in Mae Hong Son from November. This assessment will focus on: 1. The context of our education programming within Thailand; 2. The context of our education programming within the wider development and education sector; 3. How our education programmes interact holistically with other KHT projects; 4. Analysis of output, outcome, and impact data for current and previous projects; 5. Assessment of the viability of any new projects. We are aiming to have an Education Strategy Report finalised in January, and will share our findings in the next project report.

Budget Below is the overall project budget and expenditure to date with expenditure currently on-budget. Total Budget THB 463,500 301,500 380,200

GBP 11,324 7,366 9,289

Expenditure to Date THB GBP 208,000 5,082 134,000 3,274 174,000 4,251

Education Project Staff Vehicles Fuel, Repair and Maintenance Monitoring and Evaluation Contribution to KHT Running Costs

284,000

6,939

118,333

2,891

48,000

1,173

20,000

489

99,200 82,330

2,424 2,011

0 34,304

0 838

GRAND TOTAL

1,658,730

40,526

705,462

16,825

Description School Bus School Meals Higher Education Scholarships

Karen Hilltribes Trust

Education Interim Project Report October 2021

Conclusion With your backing, we have been able to improve access to education for over 530 children and young adults, despite the impacts of COVID-19. Together we can ensure to continue to improve literacy, gender equality, child safety, and employment prospects in marginalised Karen communities, and give the next generation the chance of a better life.

Karen Hilltribes Trust

Education Interim Project Report October 2021

___________________________________________________________

THEP

Thailand Hilltribe Education Sponsorship Programme Supporting secondary, vocational and university students

STUDENT REPORT TERM 1, 2021-2022

___________________________________________________________ Student:

Patravadee Damakansin THEP Student#: UHS24

Date of birth: 20/12/2541 (23yrs) Sex:

Female

THEP Education Program

Province:

Mae Hong Son

U= University

University:

Rajabhat Lampang

Level:

15,000 Baht per year Year 2021-2022

Update of Student Situation: 29/10/21 ___________________________________________________________ Family situation: Patravadee comes from the Karen hilltribe group; her family are farmers who pickup daily work in the fields in Mae Hong Son province. They cultivate rice and soy bean. Their village is very remote, Ban Sao Hin, which is right on the Burmese border. The family income is low and dependent on the season,150B per day when parents can get work. There is a brother, aged 19, who has graduated from high school and hoping to go on to Vocational College eventually but now committed to helping his father owing to the Covid pandemic. Their income has suffered owing to the pandemic which has interrupted the supply chain. The village is also in lockdown because of the covid cases there. Father lives in Mae Sariang where he picks up odd jobs when available in but mother lives in Sao Hin with the youngest child who is now at the local kindergarten Personal background: Patravadee is a delightful young woman and a conscientious student. She could not return home during the summer break because of village lockdown and has been unable to get part time work in Lampang due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Along with her scholarship she relies on her aunt in Mae Sariang to help her financially. While she is doing her practical teaching at a school in Lampang she has found the living easier because she can stay at the school and take her meals there. Her favourite past times are reading and listening to music. She plays petanque and volleyball at uni. Study progress and ambition: Patravadee’s has maintained a very good grade. She is doing her practical teaching during her final year at Ban Thun Community school in Lampang, She is mainly teaching Grade 5 students. She hopes to carry on teaching Thai language in her home province after she graduates. Study results - Term1, 2018: 3.07 Term 2, 2018: 2.98

Term 1, 2019: 3.07 Term 2, 2019: 3.00

Term 1, 2020: 3.04 Term 2, 2020: 3.11

Term 1, 2021: 3.11 Term 2, 2021:

___________________________________________________________ Sponsor: BWG, British Women’s Group c/- British Club 189 Suriwongse Road  Bangrak, Bangkok 10500

THEP Sponsor#: SP5 Email: welfare@bwgbangkok.org (Please inform us if these details are not correct)

รูปภาพกิจกรรม

Addressed to My Sponsor, I am Miss Patravadee Damakarnsin and I am presently studying in Year 5 in the Thai Language Education Faculty at Rajabhat Lampang University. At present it is mid year university holidays for year 5 students, end of term 1, and I am currently doing my practical teaching. After the semester break in a few days, we have to continue our practice teaching at Ban Thung Community School, Sop Prap District, Lampang Province as before. I am mostly teaching grade 5 students, but also other levels. During this second semester I have to be well prepared, make a teaching plan for teaching and study and be prepared for any classroom situation. During this semester break, I didn't go home because of the increase of Covid-19 infections everywhere. There are still many cases in my own home village and many people are not vaccinated. If I go home, I will also have to quarantine. As well as this, the journey would be risky, because we have to sit with others. The cost of the round trip is quite high, so I am staying at the school where I am teaching. This saves me the bus fare home and it is also safe and cost effective. There are no water or electricity bills and most of my purchases are only personal items. When the new semester begins, the school will provide lunch, so I don't have to find my own food and don't waste my money. During the past semester, the school provided both on-site, on-hand and on-line teaching methods. This led to the need to adjust both the lesson plan and the teaching style In order for students to really understand the content of the subjects; the workload depends on the students' abilities. I have been prac teaching for the whole of the first semester and I think I went well. I hope the results are good As for my family at home, everyone is fine. The eldest brother wants to attend Mae Sariang Vocational College, but he is not studying this year and will find a job first. If next year he wants to continue his studies, he will apply to the college. My little brother is studying in kindergarten at Sao Hin School. My parents have not had much work lately because there are not many delivery vehicles on the road, therefore they are only hired when there is work. My aunt helps pay our tuition fees as usual. The tuition fee has been reduced by 50%. In addition, the school gives 1,000 baht per month for purchasing equipment for teaching and learning materials. My grade this past semester is satisfactory, and the cumulative grade has increased slightly. I will always keep trying to improve my grades. Thank you for this scholarship and for having always supported me. I appreciate and remember your grace forever. I promise to behave well, study hard and use your support to develop myself. Miss Patravadee Damakarnsin, Year 5, Rajabhat Lampang University.