Service learning: Thailand
During the holidays, eighteen Year 10 students embarked on an 11-day trip to the beautiful country of Thailand. The students, accompanied by Mr Staples and Ms Whiteley, started the journey in Bangkok. This day was spent mostly travelling, as the plane trip took over nine hours. Once we landed, we went to dinner at a beautiful riverside restaurant.
The next day we drove three hours to Kanchanaburi, where we spent around four hours stand up paddle-boarding down the river Kwai. Everyone got very sunburnt, but nonetheless enjoyed the experience. We stayed the night in Kanchanaburi, as the next day we had an enlightening tour at Hellfire Pass, hearing about what the prisoners of war experienced.
The next day we flew from Suvarnabhumi Airport to Chiang Mai. We spent the afternoon at Traidhos farm, on the grounds of the school we stayed at. We got to help plant the beginnings of rice using water buffalo to prepare the mud and also make a sticky rice treat using eggs we collected.
The day after was a highlight of many on the trip, as we spent the morning at an elephant rehabilitation park. The handlers taught us how to make the medicine balls for the elephants, and then we also got to feed them, wash them, hug them, and just enjoy the extraordinary experience.
After everyone changed out of their wet and muddy clothes, we had lunch before heading up the mountain to Wat Doi Suthep Mountain Temple.
The next day we stayed on campus, enjoying a Thai cooking class where we made meals such as Penang curry and enjoyed leafy teas, as well as doing some rock climbing.
The next two days were focused on service learning. We drove up the mountain to a school, helping fill sandbags to strengthen and protect the river from flooding, as well as cementing the ground around the Buddha temple. After finishing the projects each day, we got to interact and play with some of the students from the school. Some enjoyed games of soccer, and other Oxley students taught them classic games such as duck, duck goose, heads up thumbs down, and red light green light, among others.
Our last night at the school featured a traditional Khantoke dinner and cultural performance. It was a wonderful way to end our stay.
After flying back to Bangkok the next day, we got to enjoy a Klong boat ride, and a visit to the Royal Barge Museum before doing some shopping at Icon Siam.
Our last full day in Thailand featured bird watching and Mangrove planting. Everyone got extremely muddy from the knee-high mud, albeit some more than others. We also got to partake in a Muay Thai training class before heading back to the hotel in preparation for a four am departure the next day.
Overall, the trip taught us a lot. Not just how to be more independent, or how to push through when times get tough, but also how to be more connected in life, to be present in the moment. We formed new connections and strengthened bonds, creating memories we will cherish forever.
Dakota W, Year 10