BNN Post Edn 4 - August/September

Please find below the link for the latest edition of the BNN Post featuring a story on how we feed our 130 hungry children!

http://www.childlife-maesai.org/newsletters/Edn4_AugSept.pdf

We would love you to pass this newsletter onto any of your family or friends who would be interested in our activities. If they would like to be added to our mailing list please email mailto:childlifemaesai@gmail.com

Keeping BaanNana clean - our new recycling programme

Today Childlife started our new recycling programme, to help keep the shelter clean as well as teach the children about the environmentally friendly practices of recycling. The programme also aims to teach the children to value and take care of the things they receive at the shelter.

To promote recycling, the children will now be able to exchange recyclable items in return for goods. Goods the children can now exchange for recyclable items include:

underwear, thongs (or flip-flops as you non-Aussies call them!) and hygiene items - shampoo, toothpaste, soap, toothbrushes, baby powder.

We will also look to expand this program in the future to include clothing.

After a period of time these recyclable items will be sold in town to earn a bit of money, which will collectively go towards purchasing items that the children can enjoy.

We are thankful for some donations from a few volunteers who enabled us to purchase the exchangeable items for the children as well as a donation from our friend in Bangkok for the hygiene items :)

An afternoon with clay!

This weekend we held the first (of hopefully many!) pottery workshops at Baan Nana

After a quick explanation of the pottery process and a few basic demonstrations the kids enthusiastically got ‘stuck-in’, once again displaying their extensive and varied creative talents…by the end of the day we had a multitude of sculptures, pots, vases, masks, animals and plaques….you name it!!

Not only was this a fun filled (..and messy!) day which channelled the kids creative energy but we hope to eventually produce pieces that we can display, sell and hopefully use!

Many thanks to Somluk Pantiboon, the owner Doy Din Dang Pottery for kindly donating 50kg of clay as well as the opportunity for some of our kids to visit his workshop in Chiang Rai where they’ll get to see all the different stages of ceramic making, as well as the chance to glaze and decorate their own masterpieces!

Childlife performing out and about

The last few weeks has seen some of our children display their drama and singing talents on various stages around the area.

Some of our children travelled to Chiang Rai to join a Youth Forum where they also displayed their drama talents. We also had the opportunity to have a display at the forum to educate and inform attendees of the work that we do.

Over the weekend our children performed in Mae Sai at an exhibition incorporating projects from students of Mae Sai Non Formal Education.

This group also headed to Chiang Mai to perform for at a celebration of minority cultures in Northern Thailand involving lots of great food, display and selling of handicrafts. Our children joined in by performing their drama at this celebration held at Chiang Mai University.

Most recently a group of our girls travelled to Chiang Rai to perform a selection of songs - some in Thai, Akha and even English! to some of our friends from Bangkok.

These opportunities are great for our children to display their enormous amounts of creative talents as well as giving them the chance to see different parts of the region.

Film Workshop with HOTS

Last weekend some of our children attended a Film Workshop run by Heart of the Streets (HOTS). HOTS is a Chiang Mai based organisation working to raise awareness amongst residents and tourists about the child sex trade.

One of the aims of the workshop was to raise awareness amongst our children about how they might be able to help other children out of a sexually exploitative situation.

The workshop was attended by over 20 children from Childlife and shelters - DEPDC and VGCD. The children learnt basic filming techniques and practiced their skills over the weekend. Some of this footage will be used in a HOTS film to raise awareness of the issues of the child sex trade as well as educating and breaking down prejudices towards children from ethnic minority groups in Northern Thailand.

Thanks Carly and Becky

A very big thanks to Becky and Carly who volunteered at Childlife over the last month through i-to-i.

During this time Carly and Becky taught at the local Sankhong School, spent time at the shelter with the children drawing and doing other activities and also spent time with the children at the bridge.

They also organised a huge birthday party for fellow volunteer Leni, including heaps of treats, balloon man and the kids' favourite...karaoke.

The girls sweet nature and beautiful smiling faces will be missed by everyone at Childlife.

Quick visit from Dom

Childlife said Sawadee ka to Dom who returned to Childlife for a weeks visit. Dom originally spent 6 months at Childlife through Global Youth almost a year ago and came back to say a big hi to the children and check out how they had grown over the time he’d been away!

During the week Dom got to enjoy the Akha Festival, after being the driving force behind the inaugural festival held at Childlife last year.

The kids all enjoyed Pee Dom's visit and can't wait for him to come back next time!

Football fever at Childlife and DEPDC

The children and staff from Childlife and another local shelter the DEPDC, fought out two tough but fun football matches to see who could claim bragging rights as the masters of the round ball game.

In the first match between the children of the two shelters the our Childlife kids showed who was best :) winning 5-3 !!!

However in the match between staff, the DEPDC squared the ledger winning that match 3-0.

The games were great fun for everyone who played and those who came to cheer on their team. This is hopefully the start of some regular friendly matches and greater interaction between Childlife and DEPDC.

Visit from University

Yesterday a group of students from Rajabhat University, Chaing Rai, visited the Childlife shelter. The students came to do some activities with the children as well as donate some toys. The students and children alike had some great fun!!!

We thank them for their visit and donations.