If you’ve read the introductory material on the Thailand page you will recall that the main purposes of my trip are to participate in site visits for current grantees of Pangea Giving and to learn more about several potential partners. One of Pangea’s current partners, Fortune, is located in Fang. It is the capital of Fang District in Chiang Mai Province in northern Thailand. It is close to the border with Myanmar. Fortune is comprised of ethnic Burmese who have migrated from Myanmar as a result of violence and ethnic fighting. It has several programs to help Myanmar migrants who have been displaced from their homes. During our visit with Fortune, we visited the Thai regional administrative offices where migrants apply for and obtain Thai Identification cards (Pangea funds are used to support this program). We also visited a preschool for migrant children at a local temple (Fortune pays for a teacher and supplies), several migrant camps (Fortune visits the camps to provide information about ID cards, schooling, health care, etc.), and Fortune’s office.
Fortune has a person who spends everyday at the Fang district administrative offices helping translate (many migrants don’t speak or read Thai) and explain Thai bureaucracy. The Thai government officials are extremely appreciative of Fortune’s services because it helps make their job a bit easier. We were ushered into the district administrator’s office, where he told us he was quite appreciative of the work Fortune does and he thanked us for supporting Fortune. While we were there at least three different sets of people approached the Fortune person and asked questions or asked him to look over their papers.
We visited the school at the local wat at nap time and spoke quietly while the students were quietly laying on their mats. The school is for migrant children of preschool/kindergarten age and is focused on teaching them Thai language which is required to attend Thai schools. Some, but not all students where actually sleeping.
We visited two migrant living arrangements. One was located in the middle of an orange grove some distance from any stores or other town services. The people living here often did not have authority to be in the country, but it was explained to us that the authorities do not bother workers when they are on farms. The other housing facility was in a large building that looked like a converted stable. It was located on the outskirts of town near several small markets and restaurants and adjacent to a large corn field.
We also had lunch with 6 of the Fortune team at a really picturesque outdoor restaurant surrounded by fields currently planted with onions.
At lunch we learned of a local fair that was happening, so we visited that in the evening. There we saw and smelled a wide variety of Thai “fair food,” displays from various regions, technical schools, a local national park; and heard competing loudspeakers of a local Thai comedian duo (apparently not very funny as no one was laughing), and music from the main stage before the main event of the night started. We left the fair after 1 1/2 hours or so and went to nearby restaurant for dinner as we wanted something more than the food offered at the fair. We were the only party at the restaurant when we entered. We weren’t quite sure what to think when told that live music would start soon because we were seated right by the stage and had experienced live music at dinner the night before that was so loud we couldn’t talk. A few other groups showed up when the live music started, which turned out to be a small bad that played U.S. covers. They were surprisingly good and we enjoyed talking to them in between songs.
I love everything about the school you visited – the photo, your quiet voices and seeing the children, not all asleep. I love what you are doing. Thanks for taking the time to write about it and post all the photos.
What an experience you are having. Thank you for taking the time to scout out where you can help!