Send 70 At-risk Children to School in Thailand

On Tuesday, January 15th at 9:30 a.m. over 80 children (including 17 members from Daemen College) gathered for the much anticipated event of the year: Sports Day!  In keeping with tradition the students spent weeks practicing for the big day.  The children were divided into two teams; the red team and the blue team. Students wore shirts donning the colors of their teams. Everywhere you could hear the dialogue: “Which color are you?” Followed by an enthusiastic, “I am red. We will win!”

The day started off with a long flag ceremony and some announcements. And then it began! The children are always most excited for the different sports. First the relay races: running, potato sack race, rolling the tire, water balloon race, and a few more. Each team cheered loudly for their runners. Both boys and girls of different ages compete and receive a medal made by the DEPDC staff. At noon the centre provided lunch, drinks and shaved ice with syrup and in the afternoon the action continued. This time they were onto team sports: folk sport, face make up, land ski, hula hoop and tug-of-war. Although there was a lot of energy in the air the whole day felt very relaxed and the students exemplified a healthy competitive sportsmanship. The staff of DEPDC put a lot of work into this day from arranging music and songs, setting up the field and providing foods and drinks to cleaning up after the festivities. The work, though, is always worthwhile as this is a favorite day among the students of DEPDC. Sports Day was a huge success and a day that will not be forgotten soon by the children.

Thank you from all of us here at DEPDC.  We would not be where we are without the support of our donors. The children would not have these special memories and we cannot thank you enough!

A Look at the Past Three Months

Another three months have passed by and life at DEPDC/GMS has been busy as usual! At the Patak Half Day School (HDS), you could find our students diligently learning in class and eagerly participating in a variety of life skills workshops. Using education as a preventative strategy to combat human trafficking, the Half Day School provides holistic and hands-on education to children who may be at risk of being trafficked in Mae Sai and surrounding areas. When students are equipped with practical skills like Thai, Burmese, and English literacy, as well as knowledge on human rights, health, victimization, and sexual abuse prevention, they have a greater opportunity to flourish. With financial support raised through platforms like GlobalGiving, the Half Day School has been able to provide alternative education to 52 at-risk children this semester so far. With so much that has happened over the past three months, we want to take you behind the scenes with some of the activity!

 Life Skills Workshops!

Half Day School students have participated a diverse array of life skills workshops to develop and refine their practical knowledge. The classes offered centered on topics that included cooking, sewing, and basic electrical engineering. Some students elected to take massage classes, as well as learned to make handicrafts out of recycled materials. These experiential learning opportunities are incredibly vital to the overall education of our students because they build on some of their own passions and foster their creativity.

 Visitors from Singapore!

This past September, students from the Ngee Ann Polytechnic Institute in Singapore visited DEPDC for two weeks. Our Singaporean visitors instantly connected with the students at DEPDC and have established lasting friendships that extend beyond any language or geographical barriers. While in Mae Sai, they spent time at the local street markets, restaurants, and temples. DEPDC also hosted a series of cultural exchanges with a focus on native cuisines. Students cooked and shared foods from Shan State, Thailand, and Singapore. This allowed for for a celebration of knowledge, diversity, acceptance, and of course, good eats with good company! Along with the cultural exchanges, our Singaporean visitors also led some English and life skills workshops with Half Day School students. Because of the relatively small range of ages of the students, this peer teaching model created a comfortable and engaging atmosphere within the classroom.  

 A Big Thank You!

On behalf of all the children, teachers, and volunteers at DEPDC, I would like to say thank you for your generous support of our mission. People like you represent the crucial partnerships that keep our centre thriving, and I appreciate having you all as allies as we push to eliminate the risk of human-trafficking for our youth. Please continue to provide your much appreciated support and don’t forget to spread the word about the Half Day School by following, liking, and sharing our updates on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn!