WS Volunteer Packet 2008

8/8/2019 WS Volunteer Packet 2008

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The Whispering Seed

Childrens Home and Community Living & Learning Center Along the Thai-Burmese Border

Volunteer Information Packet

Mailing AddressPO Box 30

Sangklaburi, Kanchanaburi Province71240 THAILAND

Physical in village of Wiakhadi399 Moo 5

Sangklaburi, Kanchanaburi Province71240 THAILAND

081-372-6266

www.whisperingseed.org [email protected]

Contact at Whispering SeedJim Connor


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Background of Organization:The Whispering Seed (WS) is a village-based Sustainable Living

and Learning Community Center as well as a Home for Children comingfrom orphaned, abusive and neglected backgrounds. The organizationwas founded in 2004 by James Connor (USA) and Saowanee Sangkara(Thailand), and is a US registered non-profit charitable organization. Weare located on a 12 acre (4.8 hectare) farm in a Karen village near thetown of Sangkhlaburi in Western Thailand, eight kilometers (4 miles)from the Burmese (Myanmar) border. We provide emotional, medical,and nutritional support and care, as well as housing and learningopportunities for Burmese refugee children and displaced and

disadvantaged people from Burmese, Karen, Karang and Mon ethnic minority groups in the region.Our mission isto provide models for sustainable living and learning consistent with the traditions of the varied local cultures.Besides providing a permanent home for children coming from orphaned and abusive backgrounds, the communityliving and learning center also offers many other programs:

Children Home-Caring family environment for children fromorphaned, abusive and neglected backgrounds-Access to education through home basedindividualized holistic learning program-Support for young, single mothers-Access to basic healthcare-Youth Empowerment, through camps, trainings andcultural excursions into the larger community

Community Living & Learning Center-Teacher training program for teachers of ethnic

minority backgrounds from inside Burma and livingalong the border region -Womens Weaving, Spinning and Natural DyeCooperative-Village Health Care Support System -Trainings in Sustainable Living (Permaculture,Earthen House Building, Appropriate Technology)

The Main Objectives of Whispering Seed are to: To support children and families struggling along the Thai-Burmese border to be able to stay together.

When unachievable, we provide a loving and supportive family environment for children and youngmothers where they can grow, develop and heal in their own time within a supportive and caringcommunity.

To provide educational opportunities for the children in our care and other children in our community tolearn at their own pace and rhythm, allowing time to heal from the disadvantaged backgrounds they comefrom.

To provide support and trainings for teachers from inside Burma and those from ethnic minoritybackgrounds living and working along the Thai-Burmese border

To support traditional wisdom and local knowledge while also offering sustainable options to daily livingneeds.

Whispering Seed places great importance on partnerships with other organizations and therefore works closelwith several organizations within the local community, Thailand and the larger global community. Currently WSreceives no outside funding from any one source, relying heavily on support in the form of volunteers anddonations to the various programs we offer. Most contributions that come to WS are from small organizations,family and friends who support our work here in the border region. We often receive support for specific projectsin the form of general donations, funds or volunteers by presenting our most important needs to the communitieswho support us and with whom we work.

Whispering Seed receives a regular flow of volunteers to assist us with our programs. Volunteers come at differenttimes of the year, depending on our needs and their availability. Most volunteers come to us either by seeing ourwebsite or by word of mouth from other volunteers or travellers. We rely heavily on volunteers to complete all of


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the work necessary and volunteers play a crucial role in the development and ongoing running of our organization.Volunteers come from all over the world, as well as from other organizations to help.

VOLUNTEERING ALONG THE BORDER

Background of the Thai-Burma border situation:For almost 60 years the Burmese military has controlled the country of Burma, formerly known as Myanmar.Targeting ethnic minority groups located primarily along the Thai-Burmese border, many years of fighting has

caused thousands of people to flee into Thailand. Once in Thailand, many become refugees, living in one of thethirteen camps along the border region. Besides the thousands of Burmese refugees located in the camps, there arealso thousands of Burmese migrant workers struggling for an existence outside the camps. Struggling for theirbasic human rights, daily necessities such as, food, housing, employment, education, access to healthcare andmedical care become are a challenge. Without citizenship, the right to own land and employment , refugees andmigrants from Burma struggle for an existence in the shadows of Thai society.

Background of Project:Whispering Seed was established in November of 2004 to assist primarily women and children from Burma livingalong the Thai-Burmese border. We have been living on our farm in the village of Wiakhadi, Sangklaburi,Kanchanaburi Province for the past three and a half years. Volunteers will be assisting us in five primary areas, butthere are always new exciting projects to work on. The five areas are: infrastructure/buildings, working withchildren, agriculture/permaculture, community development and organizational structure/office work. Whileparticipating in the daily life and projects of WS, the volunteers will gain many necessary life skills which willassist WS to better integrate and serve the needs of the local community. Volunteers assist in the day to dayactivities of WS community life as well as larger projects reaching into the locally community.

We started buildingwith mud and earthenbuildings when wefirst moved on to thefarm, as it is a fun andsustainable material.Volunteers may beassisting with differentstages of completingthe building work,from making bricks,building, earthenpainting, finishing andmuch more. Almost allof the work will takeplace at the farmlocated out in theKaren village of Wiakhadi about 25kmoutside of the town of Sangklaburi,KanchanaburiProvince, roughly 8kilometers from theBurmese border.Our farm is located in a mountainous region backing up against the National Forest with a very hot dry climate sixmonths of the year and a heavy monsoon season for the other six months. The local people with whom we live andwork are mostly Karen, Karang, Burmese, and Thai.Approximately, from October/November through until May is


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our dry season. During this time of year, December, January and February can have very cold nights and mornings.As we move nearer to April and May the weather becomes extremely dry and hot. The much needed rains arriveslowly in the end of April and through May, become steady in early June through to October. June, July andAugust can be very we and soggy months along the border.

Most of the villagers with whom we work are lacking access to basic human rights because they are not Thaicitizens. Most of the villagers lack access to employment, education, healthcare, rights to own land which cause aplethora of problems in their daily lives. The communities with whom we work are mostly Buddhist, but some of

the Karen still maintain some of their own religious traditions.

Volunteer Tasks:Throughout your stay here at WS, you will be involved in many different areas of service work. Part of this will beaffected by the time of year the volunteers arrive, the needs at any given moment of the people within ourcommunity and the community with whom we work and the skills the volunteers have to share. We encouragevolunteers to come and be creative and passionate about their skills and interests, sharing them with the children atWS and also with the local villagers.

The following are some general areas that you might be expected to help out in, but dont be surprised if there areother areas that may need assistance:

1. Earthen Building- volunteers will have the opportunity to work onvarious aspects of earthen building, depending on the needs of thebuildings at the time of arrival and the time of year. Activities mayinclude but are not limited to; making earthen bricks, building,plastering, using earthen paints for finishing, building benches,bookcases, shelves.

2. Working with children -work with the children involves helping look after the little ones, teaching (English or anything else that you enjoysharing), playing games and simply being friends with them

3. Agricultural Work and Permaculture -during the rainy seasonplanting rice is the main activity and then harvesting rice in the dryseason. We also have several small garden plots and fruit trees whichwe need help watering, mulching, planting, pruning and weeding.

4. Community Development and Service work within localcommunity -this involves working with youth from the local village,arts and crafts, working with the local weavers and helping out at thelocal primary school or daycare center.


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5. Organizational structure, programming planning, computer work-

often we need assistance with our programming, planning,documentation, keeping track of the work we are doing. This work may also involve fundraising, grant writing, or assistanting us with thefunctioning of the computers at our office in Sangklaburi.

General Rhythm of Daily LifeEarly Morning: rise early for yoga, meditation, light work before breakfast (often it is the coolest time of day towork) and preparation of morning mealMorning Time: following breakfast, children have loosely scheduled academic time, work on houses, gardens,whatever project we are on until lunchNoon time mealAfternoon: usually quiet time, break time and nap time for little ones after lunch. Following break, work continuesuntil early eveningWork day ends: work usually stops and break for bathing, laundry, group games and/or relaxingEvening mealEvening: Usually this is community time, group games, stories, activities with children

Above is a very loose schedule. We tend to work with the natural rhythms of the childrens lives and what each newday brings forth instead of following a set schedule. However, this will give you some idea of the rhythm whichwe follow each day. Buddhist holidays, temple fairs, trips to other childrens homes, sightseeing are allpossibilities that we are happy to take the opportunity to partake in.

The workload is often physically challenging, lifting, painting, carrying, building, but volunteers are encouraged towork at their own pace and in a comfortable manner. We acknowledge each volunteer has their own strengths andability to work and we encourage volunteers to work according those needs.

Given the nature of conservation/community development/ children based volunteer work, there are oftennumerous circumstances out of our control. Drastic differences in weather throughout the year, relying onmaterials to be delivered in time, collaboration with an outside organization, the health of children, emergenciesthat need to be tended to all are commonalities that are out of our control. Please understand that we will do ourabsolute best to keep tasks as described in project overview however if changes do need to be made we thank youin advance for your cooperation, flexibility and we do live in a rural environment in an area of the beaten track which often means that Western notions of time and schedules do not hold the same meanings.

Suggested Contribution:A sliding scale of 300-500 baht per day is recommended to cover your expenses, you decide based on what youcan give. Please be as generous as you are able. This helps us to cover your food and housing, and also helps tosupport general living costs for the children such as food, clothing, medical supplies, learning materials for thechildren and support for us to run many of the programs which we offer to local Karen hill tribe children from the

local area. Recently we have had to increase the amount of the contribution because of rapid elevation in food costin the local region, the cost of rice has tripled in the last few months. This contribution supports localtransportation costs for gas from town/office to the farm (about 40 minutes by car), costs for the office, water andelectric. Your contribution will go directly to support the work that happens at and through Whispering Seed forthe entire year. Thank you!

It does not include things like going out for meals, internet use or long distance travel in Thailand. If you will bewith us long term, we are happy to discuss this with you further if necessary. Please think about this and let usknow what you are able to contribute towards your time here at Whispering Seed.

Accommodations:


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Typically, volunteers stay with us at Whispering Seed farm in the village of Wiakhadi but occasionally stay WSoffice in the town of Sangklaburi. Our 12 acre farm is approximately 40 minutes drive from the town of Sangklaburi (25km). We have simple accommodation both at the farm and office. You will be sleeping in earthenhouses or bamboo huts often shared with others, or you can bring your own tent for more privacy. Please bringyour own sleeping gear. There is no electricity on the land, except for one solar cell in the kitchen and no runningwater from taps, all water is taken from the local mountain and river. You will be bathing in a lovely creek,composting your waste, sharing simple vegetarian meals together, and washing your clothes by hand in the creek.The weather will be hot during the day and cool at nights, so please bring a light jacket for the cool evenings and

early mornings and something warm to sleep in for cool nights. Please note that evenings and early mornings fromNovember through February can be quite chilly!*if you do use our bedding or mosquito nets we ask you to kindly wash after leaving*

Playhouse/Theatre Library New Childrens home Bathhouse and toiletsMeals:We maintain a vegetarian diet at our farm. All meals are shared, included preparation, cooking and cleaning up.Everyone is expected to pitch in and also to clean up after themselves. We eat from our small garden, harvest wildvegetables from the local forest and purchase from the local market. There is an exciting mix of local foodincluding Thai and Burmese and a variety of international foods. We cook over wood, charcoal and small gasstove. On occasion fish will be served if a local villager happens to bring it along to share. Please let us know if you have any special food restrictions.

Transportation: Throughout your time at Whispering Seed, volunteers will be using several differentforms of transportation. For transport up to Whispering Seed from Bangkok, there aretwo main options through government transport, large airconditioned buses and smallfifteen passenger mini-vans. Locally, songtaews, small covered pickup trucks withbench seats in the back are used.

Banks, stores and communication (e.g. internet, public phones):Within the local village of Wiakhadi, there is only a small shop which will provide basic sugary snacks and drinks,but nothing that is substantial. For most service, volunteers will need to travel into the town of Sangklaburi. InSangklaburi there are basic services offered five days a week. There is one bank in town and two ATM machineswhich can be accessed seven days a week. Public phones are easily accessible in the town of Sangklaburi. Thereare cell phone signals in most areas and we do receive only AIS cell phone reception at the farm. Cell phone cardscan easily be purchased in the town to refill phones. There are two internet cafes in the town of Sangklaburi whichare open 5-6 days a week. Sometimes the power in the entire town will be cut off for short periods of time,

especially during the hot season of January to May. As with all of these services, be understand that we are in asmall town in a fairly remote region, which means people will often close their shops during holidays or just closethem for no apparent reason, which means patience and understanding is necessary as you may not always be ableto get exactly what you need right when you want it.

Cultural Sensitivities:Because of the unique local culture and the remoteness of the project, we ask volunteers to be aware of culturaldifferences and understanding of different cultures and customs that you will come into contact with throughoutthe duration of you stay at Whispering Seed. It is a wonderful opportunity to learn about a new culture, thestruggles that people here face and a time to share about yourself and your own culture.


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We request all volunteers from using DRUGS, ALCOHOL and SMOKING while at the farm.

When volunteers leave the project, even in their own free time they are still representing Whispering Seed and areseen as part of our organization in the eyes of the local community. Foreigners stand out in this remote area andeyes are always watching so it is important to understand that volunteers actions, even in free time could impactour project.

Weather:

The weather changes drastically at different times of the year. From November to February is the winter season,with hot days and cool nights. Often nights can be downright chilly here, especially compared to the hightemperatures during the day. Warm sleeping gear, socks, hats and jackets are recommended for the few weeks of cold night time temperatures. February to May is the hot season, with hot days and warm nights. Towards the endof April and early May daily showers start to arrive so raingear, umbrellas and proper shoes are recommended.May to October is the rainy season with July and August the heavy monsoon months. Proper raingear is crucial atthis time of year. The seasons are extreme and living and working in a tropical climate during the dry season andmonsoon season can be very different experiences. Please come prepared and ready for the challenges that theseasons may bring.

Health and Safety: During the heavy monsoon season, roughly May-October is when we have the most mosquitoes and other insects.Other times of year, there are a few, but not many. Malaria is prevalent in our region as is dengue fever, so pleaseconsult your local travel clinic and/or personal physician to discuss recommended immunizations for Thailand. Wehave found several natural and homeopathic remedies which to support against malaria and other illnesses. Mostimportant is to keep long sleeves and pants on in evening times, use repellents and always sleep in a mosquito net.

We do advise that volunteers bring any necessary medication with them. There are pharmacies located in the townof Sangklaburi, but basic Western medicines are sometimes hard to access in this area.

Visa:There are a two main options for obtaining a visa into Thailand.

1. Visa on Arrival-a one month tourist visa is given to residents from most countries upon enteringThailand.

2. Tourist Visa-this visa you will need to apply for outside of Thailand at a Thai consulate. It will give you60 days and can then be extended for another 30 days within the country.

Supplies to Bring Along:

Tent &/or hammock if you like privacyBedding for warm weather (light sleeping bag)

Work clothes for mud and gardenSwim wear

*NOTE: There is a lovely river for daily swimming. It is NOT appropriate to wear tightly fitting swimsuits.

Women and men both wear baggy shorts. Women wear at-shirt on top.

Towel for bathing Biodegradable laundry soap

Sandles, or crocsSneaker/closed toe shoe (shoes will get wet!)

Biodegradable toiletriesWater bottle

Flashlight/torch-headlamp is best (& extra batteries)Bug repellent (preferably natural)


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SunscreenHat for sun protectionYour own first aid kit

Water proof jacket (may-september)

Please note: You are welcome to leave things behind, just please wash clothing first.

Suggested and Required Readings:It is strongly recommended

that all volunteers read and print out areas of interest from the websites and referencematerials listed below as these will provide valuable background information, help to put the project goals andactivities into context, and allow you to gain as much from your experience volunteering with us as possible.

www.whisperingseed.org Beyond Rangoon (film) Deschooling Our Lives -Matt Hern (book)

References:Childrens Issues

www.naturalchild.org www.radkid.org The Continuum Concept -Jean Leidloff

Permaculture and Sustainability www.permacultureactivist.net Gaias Garden (book)

Issues about Burma (Myanmar) www.irrawaddy.com www.burmanet.org www.voicesforburma.org www.uscampaignforburma.org www.tbbc.org Burma: Anatomy of Terror (film narrated by

Susan Surrandon) Beyond Rangoon (film)

Earthen house building www.baandin.org www.kleiwerks.com www.sgnb.com

Project wish list:EDUCATIONAL SUPPLIES

- Childrens picture books from around theworld for library-Early reader books in English-Early math learning materials (Montessori &Waldorf materials)-Early reading materials (Montessori &Waldorf materials)-Pens, pencils, colored markers-Crayons, paints, colored pencils-Water Paints, Finger Paints, Acrylic Paints-Educational games and toys-Flash cards-Construction paper-Memory games-Puzzles-Books on natural health, first aid, holistichealth, nutrition, alternative education, naturalliving

MISCELLANEOUS-Quality, new or slightly used Laptop computers-Apple Laptop-Apple computer-Frequent flyer miles-Solar lanterns-Hand crank radio-Flashlights-Weaving loom-Binoculars for birdwatching-wood carving tools-Musical instruments-guitars, drums, flutes, etc.-Solar cells for solar power on the farm-Wireless internet connection for the land-Sleeping bags & tents-Seeds (flowers, herbs, veggies, medicinal)-Land Rover pickup truck for mobile library -Large plastic storage boxes-Tables and chairs-Natural woven mats for the sleeping and sitting-Kitchen ware (pots, pans, cutting boards, knives,


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peelers, tea & coffee mugs, storage jars)-Daily Supplies (laundry soap, dish soap, cooking

oil, soy sauce, shampoo, sugar, flour, TVP texturedvegetable protein, dry beans)

CHILDREN'S SUPPLIES-flip flops and croc type shoes (no laces)-Infant clothes-Childrens summer clothes-Light weight jackets-Long sleeve shirts-Small bath towels-Kitchen towels-Rain jackets & Umbrellas-Blankets-Toothbrush and toothpaste-Trampoline-Playground equipment-Ping pong table-Basketball hoop-Shelving for books and childrens clothes

MEDICAL SUPPLIES-Natural soaps-Natural Creams & Ointments for cuts and wounds-Tea Tree Oil-Essential Oils-Lavender-Grapefruit Seed Extract-Arnica Cream / Gel-Band-aids-B-complex vitamins-Echinacea tincture and capsules-Children's Multivitamins-Homeopathics for Colds, Chest Congestion, Cough-Natural Meds for upset tummies &parasites-Neosporin cream

Directions to Whispering Seed Directions to SangklaburiFrom Bangkok, the easiest way to get to our land is to take a taxi to the Mochit Bus station (the northern busterminal), located near the big weekend market called Jutujak. From there, you will ask for the bus to go toSangklaburi, Kanchanaburi Province. There is only one bus company making this journey, four times a day. Ibelieve the times are 5:00am, 6:00am, 9:30am and 12:30 noon. The bus will take about 6-8 hours to reachSangklaburi, stopping in several towns along the way.

If we know what day and time you will be arriving, we can try to have someone be in the town of Sangklaburi atour office during your time of arrival. Sangklaburi is a small town and easy to get around on foot or motorbike.

Directions to OfficeOnce in town, you can ask to go to the Forget Me Not Guesthouse. As you come down the hill towards theguesthouse, it will be on the right hand side. Just before the guesthouse there is a large house with a small shop inthe front with a yard on the right side with a wooden picket fence. There is a driveway in the picket fence with asmall Whispering Seed sign. Enter the yard and follow the path all the way down the hill towards the lake. Ouroffice is at the bottom of the hill overlooking the lake. You will see a wooden building and the mud brick studio.

Directions to Farm in Wiakhadi village From town you can get on a green songthaew (pickup truck), heading for Baan Hoi Malai. There are songthaewsgoing to 2 places, Baan Hoi Malai and Chedi Sam Ong (Three Pagoda Pass). Make sure you are not going to ThreePagoda Pass. The truck will take you into the village of Hoi Malai and you will see a Christian hospital (rong paya-ban) on your right. The truck will stop there. Get off and get a motor cycle taxi. Ask to go to Wiakhadi. You needto go to Rong Rian Daw Cha Daw, this is the school run by the border military. Once at the school, go to the back of the school yard to where the bridge is. Walk across the bridge. As you go across, look off towards your righthand side and you will see buildings in the distance. This is Whispering Seed on the opposite side of the river.


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Contact in Thailand You can reach us by cell phone once you are in Thailand if you need to, or by email.

Jim [email protected]

Hope this helps you all getting ready to come over for your stay with us. If you have any more questions, pleasedont hesitate to contact us. Look forward to seeing you soon!!!

Jim and all at Whispering Seed!!

MAP TO WHISPERING SEED FROM SANGKLABURI

Documents

WS Volunteer Packet 2008