Schools at the End of the Road… Mae Hong Son Revisited

“How long does it take to get to the school?” I asked Khru Apichart who had just turned off a minor road into an even more minor road.  “About 45 minutes,” he replied.  Then, with a twinkle in his brown eyes, he added: “Twenty minutes when I don’t have passengers!”

He was very proud of his new four-wheel drive utility vehicle, which was carrying us relatively smoothly over potentially bone-breaking potholes, up impossible inclines, and around dizzying single-lane curves. The patchy combination of concrete and packed dirt was too much for the van which had driven us into the Mae Sariang area of Mae Hong Son, so our official driver had lengthy breaks while we crossed all types of terrain to reach schools in remote hill villages.

Brown Water Buffalo and Baby

Thai Countryside: Water Buffalo in the Fields with their Calves

It was day two of a three day trip into the hills of Mae Hong Son to visit various school building projects managed by THEP (Thailand Hilltribe Education Projects) and to interview students who, without the benefit of modest scholarships, won’t be able to continue their studies.  I’ve talked about this collection of projects before, after my first visit, in my posts of mid- and late-November last year.

On the first day of this trip, we visited the new dorm that had been officially opened at Ban Mae Na Chang Nuea (you won’t find that on many maps!) on our last trip. Seven boys, ranging from age seven through to fifteen, were there to show us around. The other twelve-odd dormitory residents had returned to their families in even-more-distant and inaccessible villages for the weekend.

Canvas Shoes on Blue Tiles

School Shoes in the Bathroom

Squat toilet with blue water pail

Dormitory Toilet

Portrait: Karen boy

Looking Like a Little Angel : Young (Age Seven) Dorm Resident

We were re-visiting this school because the dormitory still had no furniture: no beds or cupboards and very little bedding.  The school principal was there, with costings in hand, to see if Susan Race, the THEP originator and manager, could find the necessary funding. They nutted out the details and we ate a full and delicious ‘pre-dinner’, knowing we were expected at another school for our main meal. But you can’t say no to food!  Nor can you say no to a late afternoon dance performance, when the girls have been so excited that they put their make-up on in the morning, only to have it melt off their faces in the heat of the day.

Four Karen Children in t-shirts and traditional dress

Our Keen Karen Dance Performers: In Traditional Woven Fabrics and a Liverpool T-Shirt (With Some Remaining Make-up), Ban Mae Na Chang Nuea

Group Portrait: Hmong Children

Hmong Children in the Neighbouring School Yard at Twilight, Huay Pheung Mai

These trips are about the children – and their ability to continue their educations against the odds. And it is the children that make these trips such a joy! Smiling, curious, making fun out of practically nothing, they seem to be thriving under very difficult conditions.

Once we reached our final destination for that day, we were treated to more food, more dancing, and a ceremonial opening of the canteen we had watched being built on our last visit.

Portrait: Karen Girls in Traditional Head-Dress

Karen Girls Ready for Church: This Karen Village is Mostly Christian

Portrait: Karen Boys in Traditional Tunics

Sunday Best: Karen Boys in Traditional Tunics

Formal group with a symbolic styrofoam key

Formal Passing of the Key: From Susan Race, THEP, to the Village Head Man, to the School Principal, to the Head Teacher, to a Student… Mae Tho School

We went on, in Khru Apichart’s new truck, to visit two more schools, where we were entertained by singing children and fed more food.  More importantly, other canteen and dormitory projects were reviewed and students looking for scholarships were interviewed.

Children Playing in the Dam, Mae Lit

Kids in the Dam, Mae Lit

Boys sitting in a dusty rural roadway, Mae Lit

Impromptu Grouping: Boys in the Road, Mae Lit

Mae Lit School

Khru Apichart’s Lovely Mae Lit School

Young girl with a hula-hoop

A local Five Year Old, Showing Off in the Kindergarten Classroom, Mae Lit

Terraced vegetable fields

View from the Mae Lit Canteen Window: Cabbages, Beans and Tomatoes…

Girl Sitting on a Bed

Girl’s Dorm, Mae Lit School, Complete with Mosquito Netting Canopy

Rustic Metal Bunk Beds

Eighteen Boys to a Room: Six in the Bunks You Can See in the Back Corner, Mae Lit

Bicycle tyre staircase

Nothing Gets Wasted: Bicycle Tyre Staircase: Om Pai School

Kids in School Uniform o a Dirt Stairway

Heading up to Class, Om Pai School

Metal and concret shed canteen building

Checking Out the ANZWG (Australian New Zealand Women’s Group) Canteen

Metal Gate

ANZWG-Funded Canteen, Mae Lit School

Children in a Classroom

Grade Five GIrls, Mae Lit School

Portrait: Thai Man and Woman

Khru Apichart and his Wife, Khru Usa. Both Work Full Time – Not Just at their Schools, but Liaising for Projects and Advocating for Students and Schools in their Area.

Susan does these trips two or three times a year, and you have to admire her for it!  They are not particularly comfortable: the van has seen better days, and the roads, even the better roads, challenge it fully.  Accommodation is often on floors: on this trip we slept on mattresses on the floor: one night in teacher housing, and another night in ‘cottages’ on one of the King’s agricultural projects. But, the food is great, scenery is beautiful, and the people are warm and welcoming. Most importantly, they so clearly need what little we can bring them, and are very happy to receive it.

When I got home and was talking to my husband, he asked, “Why doesn’t the government provide these things?”

Why, indeed!

Here’s hoping we can all do better for the children of the future.

Happy Travels!

  • Gabe - March 3, 2011 - 5:13 pm

    Thought provocing and admiration for the enthusiasm of the children to continue their education. GreatReplyCancel

    • Ursula - March 4, 2011 - 6:51 am

      Greetings and thanks to my two most loyal fans!
      You’ll be glad to know, Signe, that some private schools in Australia bring their kids to these areas regularly. Hopefully, these children will develop a social conscience. Certainly, the gaps do not seem to be narrowing!ReplyCancel

  • Signe Westerberg - March 3, 2011 - 10:13 pm

    I’ve driven to work today listening to the bickering and lambasting of the new My Schools Website…to come and see these happy children who have so little while we here whinge and whine when we have so much is moving and somewhat humbling. I love that you share these experiences with us and appreciate the magic that is throughout the world… only a bumpy road awayReplyCancel

  • […] I’ve been on these trips before (see: Budding Potentials, Building Futures, and Schools), and what always impresses me – other than the beauty of the countryside – is the […]ReplyCancel

  • Robert Louthan - July 19, 2018 - 12:17 pm

    Hello,
    My name is Robert Louthan, an artist and teacher from San Francisco, California USA. I am currently traveling through Thailand, and today I arrive in beautiful Pai. Planning to be in this region for the next 2-3 weeks, explore the surrounding beauty of Mae Hong Son and beyond.

    Carrying paint and materials with me, I would like to work with youth in the region and guide art projects. Very open and flexible, single day art workshop for 1-2 hours, or, guiding the youth through painting their own wall mural. This can be a 2-3 day project. Allowing time each day to let the kids paint.

    I have much experience doing this, and come here to Thailand with the intention of volunteering my time for free. Art and creativity so important for the youth, I am here to help them play, express, and create. Teaching collaboration and teamwork towards achieving a goal is also a powerful aspect to this type of inspired project.

    Look forward to hearing from you and possibly connecting with anyone you are networked to in the region that may assist with manifesting a potential art project that is in service to the community!

    Any leads, connections to communities, or schools you have in mind are much appreciated!

    With Love,
    Robert Louthan

    You may view some personal work on my website to get an idea of my inspiration for color and imagination.ReplyCancel

    • Ursula - July 20, 2018 - 1:49 am

      Hi Robert,
      Thanks for your visit to my site. I’m sure lots of schools would be interested in what you do, but it is often difficult to fit short-term projects into full school programs.
      My THEP contact is not in Thailand at the moment, and is focussed on projects and scholarships. One of the teachers involved in THEP is now in a school in Chiang Mai, I think. Her English is reasonably good, and you might like to contact her through Facebook Messenger: https://www.facebook.com/krusa.inta
      Good luck!ReplyCancel

Your email is never published or shared. Required fields are marked *

*

*