New Shelter Project Coordinator.

Pee Mee, New Shelter Project Coordinator.

This month, Childlife gets a new shelter project coordinator. His name is Wanchalerm Petcharak- Pee Mee. He has worked at Childlife for 6 years as volunteer, driver and child care taker and assistant of shelter project coordinator, namely, before he is promoted to the shelter project coordinator this month.
Wanchalerm, Pee Mee, first came to Childlife in 2004 with Kru Ngaow, just visiting. Kru Ngaow just brought him here to travel and visit, not for working. First week, Pee Mee stayed in first house or office where Kru Ngaow stayed at that time and Kru Ngaow took hime to wherever he went and let Pee Mee helpe whatever Kru Ngaow did. Then Kru Ngaow took him to shelter and left him here and Pee Mee stayed in the shelter from then. He stayed in the shelter with kids and staff for a while and then staff asked him to help in mime drama show as volunteer. He said that he liked it very much because it was creative work and he could have travelled to where Childlife had drama show. Then he began to join in the staff meeting and became a volunteer getting some expenses. When many staff resigned from Childlife and there were few staff, he was offered to help work in Childlife as driver and child care taker. His jobs were driving and taking care of child in mime show group. It was quite difficult for him but he still fought to work. Sometimes he wanted to quit but he thought that he should help kids and Kru Ngaow so he did not quit. During working in Baannana, Childlife, with many kids he saw many kids left school before finishing some exact level in primary school and in non formal school. He wanted to tell kids how important education was for them and wanted to tell them to study until they finish some level but he was one who could not finish his study of the higher vocational level so he could not tell them completely.
Because of this thought, he decided to go back to school again to try to finish that level of study in order that he can tell kids to study until finishing exact level and how important education is for their future life.
He went to college in Chiang Rai again to reach his dream. He usually went to college during week days and helped work in Childlife on weekends as part time job. During his study, he got the idea that he wants to develop kids about education and other skills and tried to make plans and details for this idea. While he was studying, he worked in shelter as child care and driver and also helped other work shelter needed. He travelled between Chiang Rai and Maesai until he graduated that level of study. After graduated, he went back to work at Childlife as full time staff in shelter. His duties are to take care and to supervise the group of older kids. He wants this group finish studying at most according to their ability and to teach vocational skills in mechanic. The first intention to work at Childlife was just for 1 year and then he would go to find other job related to the field of his study. He became the assistant of shelter project coordinator after working for a half of year and this changed his mind a little bit. Although he was not in readiness for this position, he said, he never stopped. He still fight with the work with his full ability. He started to work more systematically and harder by making many plans and followed the plans.
This month he is promoted to new position, the head of shelter or shelter project coordinator according to the structure of Childlife. As having 6 years experiences in working with kids in Childife, he is ready to do this job. He says that he doesn’t think he is proper to the position because this position needs staff to be good at preparing many kinds of documents and he is not good at this kind of work to prepare such those documents. When he is promoted to the position, he is going to fight with work by his best and he is going to learn to improve himself during working, that is ‘learning by doing’.

Welcome back to Childlife, Pee Jane.

Welcome back again, Pee Jane.
After getting married, Jane got pregnant and had to quit from work in Childlife for many months to take care of herself until she gave a birth to her son just for few months, Jacob, she decided to come back to work in Childlife again because there is no anyone to take care of the girl house. Pee Jane comes back this time to manage and take care in girl dormitory in the beginning of this June.
Pee Jane is one of few staff who understand Akha and can get information from kids in case they don’t want to speak in Thai. Pee Jane can ask questions to get more information in case there are cases of new kid and they don’t understand Thai well enough to tell their stories. Moreover, when kids have something to speak between them or have some argument and want to keep secret, Pee Jane can understand what they said to each others so she can understand kids deeply and make it easy for her to find the solution.
Pee Jane began working here in Baanana or Childlife after she finished from Maesai Vocational school, Maesai, Chiang Rai, for few months. She had worked here for around 2 years before quitting job to take care of her pregnancy after she got married until she gave a birth to her son. What makes her come back to work in Childlife again is that she cares of the girls and worries of their daily life because there is no staff, specific to take care of them, to manage the things in girl dormitory. It is because of lacking of staff in shelter now. Although now her son is still very young, she decided to come and work again to help children. When knowing Pee Jane comes back again, many girls are very happy to welcome her.
You’re welcome to Childlife again, Pee Jane.

1 Million Hours Project from Tesco Lotus, Maesai to paint kitchen.

On Saturday 29 of May, 2010, 10 staff of Tesco Lotus, Maesai branch, both coordinators of this project and volunteer staffs participating the activities “1 million hours project” from Tesco Lotus department came to Childlife to do their activities at Childlife. This project is a good project of Tesco Lotus to give benefit back to communities by setting good activities and useful and letting staff of Tesco Lotus to be part of this project to do good thing fro communities. This project to do at Childlife is to paint the kitchen. This kitchen was repaired by changing new roof after it was broken by the strong wind in April. They did not only paint the kitchen but also offered lunch for children. It consisted of food - Rad Na, noodles with a topping of pork – and fruit - rambutan and water melon. It was nice meal for children in Baannana.
That morning they arrived Childlife very early and then were given the introduction to Childlife and its work at the meeting hall by the new shelter project coordinator, Pee Mee. After Pee Mee finished introduction to Childlife presentation, they moved to the kitchen nearby the meeting hall and then prepared paints and painting equipments and started painting. Staff from Tesco Lotus were very eager to paint the new color for the kitchen to give to Childlife and children as a gift. Pee Pui and other staff of Childlife and children, both small and older children, came and helped paint. Some children helped the adult to paint and some helped carry a bucket of paint and brush. It is a very good picture to see children helping paint in a group. Some Some staff from Tesco got into the kitchen room to prepare lunch, warming Rad Na and peeled of water melon shell.
When lunch time coming, children became hungry and staff finished preparation meals, before having lunch staff had introduced themselves to all children in kitchen. Then children sang some songs, both Baannana song like the song “Under the Bridge” which explains the life nearby Maesai bridge and under the bridge when sleeping before coming to stay in Childlife and other songs like Rong Rean Khong Noo school on hills of up-country children. When activity finished, children started having food and fruits. It was very delicious for them. Thank you for this meal and painting to our kitchen.
Tesco Lotus started this project in 2009 and its staff went out to communities 2-3 months a time. Staff of the project said that Tesco at first set the project to finish in a year but it is extend for many year, many non-stop project because they want to do the good thing to communities who are their customers. The previous activities were just to donate books and note book and some other school stuff. This time project to do in Baanana is bigger than previous time.Some staff wanted to come back to visit children in Baannana again when they have a chance.
From chatting with the project coordinators, Pee U and Pee Kung, Tesco Lotus let Childlife to place donation box in Tesco Lotus, Maesai branch. Childlife just send the donation box with the letter to ask for permission to place donation box and then it is allowed to place.
Thank You very much for such a good project.