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Living
Working
Preparations
Where will I be living?
You will most likely stay at the home of the village headman. The headman's home is usually the social and cultural centre of the village, so expect to see many new faces throughout the day. You will take an active part in the village activities, and the villagers will be as eager to talk with you as you are with them!
Older, traditional style houses are built on stilts, and have walls of bamboo, or teak and roofs of teak/palm leaves. The traditional homes are plain, and usually lacking the room divisions of western style houses. You will probably sleep on a mat on the floor, or possibly a wooden bed frame of some sort. The traditional Karen lifestyle is basic, with little or no furniture in the house. Modern style houses are made with sturdier materials, some with concrete walls and indoor toilets.
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What kind of facilities are available in the villages?
Most villages have a simple, even if its not much more than a few boxes in the corner of someone's house! The majority of villages have electricity, a primary school and a temple and/or church. Toilets are outdoor squat-style. If your village has a KHT water supply (which is likely) you will have clean drinking water straight from the tap. Villages have a tannoy system to inform villagers daily of events and news. These are run by the head man of the village, and when not in use often play the radio in the morning. As announcements are in Karen or Thai, it may be worth asking someone to tell you when something comes up that you need to know!
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In the small towns
In most towns there are cafes, a laundrette, a post office, DIY and hardware shops (that sell everything you might need!), a bank, an ATM, a pharmacy, a hospital and weekly market stalls. There is no public transport between the towns and villages but you can get lifts from local people that you know. The school bus (paid for by KHT) is also a possibility as it returns to the villages at night. You should be very careful about hitchhiking, and do not hitch with strangers at all after dark. National buses are available on Route 108 between Mae Hong Son and Mae Sariang.
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How can I stay in touch with home?
It's best to be prepared for limited contact with home.
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What kind of support will be available to me whilst there?
When you get there you will be introduced to Salahae, KHT's Karen manager. He is responsible for the time you spend working with the Karen people. There is also a Karen person working in the office who is there to support you. We like you to stay in touch with the UK office and let us know how things are going from time to time. Salahae is in constant communication with the UK Director and contact can be made very quickly in an emergency.
Every effort is made to ensure your safety and there is no reason why you should not be safe as long as you are sensible - for example, you shouldn't wander into the forests unaccompanied or be out after dark on your own. Your family will be carefully chosen to ensure someone is around during the day should you have a problem or feel unwell, but any concerns should be reported to Salahae.
If there is a health problem you will be taken to the nearest hospital (a maximum of 2 hours away) where your condition will be assessed. Most issues can be dealt with locally, but occasionally it is necessary to be transferred to a larger hospital in Mae Hong Son, Mae Sariang or even Chiang Mai. There are English speaking doctors in each hospital and Europeans are well looked after.
The Karen people are not known for using or trading in drugs.
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When might I have time for independent travel?
The best time for travel is before or after your placement, but there is also the opportunity to travel in the school holidays (6 weeks from March to May, or 2 weeks in October).
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Do I need a TEFL qualification to teach?
No, it's not necessary. Karen children learn Karen, then learn they Thai and English. Thai is a very different language to English so teaching methods will require a different approach. You will be given training and documents to help you with teaching prior to your placement.
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What are Thai schools like?
All schools communicate in Thai and are Buddhist, but every school is different in setting, facilities and commitment from teachers. Primary schools are often remote and the level of teaching limited. With minimal budgets, the buildings and resources can be primitive, sometimes with no electricity. As children are often poor, books, pens and paper are limited. However, where there is electricity, some schools are using TVs to teach some subjects. Secondary schools are more formal - teachers are highly respected and need to be formally dressed.
Each day (in both primary and secondary schools) starts with an assembly, often led by the students. During the day, classes can vary in size but sometimes reach as much as forty. Don't be surprised if the teaching day is seriously disrupted by an event such as a Buddhist ceremony, an inspection or a royal birthday. One day of the year is Teacher Day where students present teachers with flowers and then wai (take a Thai bow) to them.
Schools work on a semester system, with the academic year starting in May. As a result, although all schools celebrate Christmas (even though not Christian) there is no school holiday.
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What age-groups will I be teaching?
This depends on your skills and age. Younger volunteers are likely to teach at primary school but some may spend one day a week at a secondary school. Older volunteers may teach at a secondary school but will still have some experience teaching in a primary school.
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Will I have any free time during the teaching term?
You will need to manage your own free time - it can sometimes be difficult as children may not understand about 'your space'. Your room may be filled with them in the evening, all longing to learn from you! Life with the Karen people in their villages is very busy and varied with weddings, funerals, youth groups, hunting, fishing, planting rice, weaving and camping - you're encouraged to get involved with it all! If you're interested they'll take you to interesting local places, for example nearby waterfalls or temples.
You may get the chance to go to Chiang Mai once in a while (changing your visa is a good excuse for an evening in the city's night-spots), but it is a full day on a bus to get there and if you're away too often at weekends you'll miss getting involved with the Karen culture.
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What is involved in installing a clean water system?
There are still hundreds of villages without a supply of clean water. The installation projects find a natural source (which may be several kilometres from the village, high in the mountains) and dam it. Water is passed through a filter tank then transported to the village by lengths of pipe dug into trenches sometimes 10 kilometres through the mountains. In the village, large storage tanks are built and taps set up near the houses. The system is gravity fed and requires little maintenance. More details can be found here: Clean Water Systems>>
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Will I need a visa?
If you are likely to be in Thailand for more than one month, you will need a visa. Please contact the Thai Consulate in Hull - not the London office. You can download the application form from their website. Visas can be applied for up to one month before departure.
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What kind of insurance do I need?
You'll need travel insurance to cover your time with the trust. You should get a policy that provides at least the following:
Medical Expenses £5,000,000
Personal Liability £2,000,000
Cancellation £3,000
Personal Accident £25,000
Baggage/Personal Effects £1,500
Money £500
Legal Expenses £50,000
Loss of Passport £250
Missed Departure £1,000
The trust requires you to take out insurance which covers light manual labour. Please read the small print carefully to ensure that the policy allows for this. If in any doubt, contact us. If you intend to ride a motorbike whilst working for the charity, it is vital that important points are considered:
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How do I arrange travel to and from Thailand?
You'll need to book a return flight - the sooner you book, the cheaper your ticket is likely to be,
but make sure you check your proposed dates with the UK office before you make the call!
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What vaccinations / malaria medication do I need?
You must seek advice from your GP or local travel clinc and you can consult the World Health Organisation's website for their current guidelines. Sometimes the vaccination courses take several months to come into full effect, so please ensure this is all up-to-date before you travel.
If you have any other specific health or medical conditions, let us know and we can try to place you in a location with adequate facilities, or make other arrangements. Bare in mind that you will be within hours of a hospital at any given time where there is likely to be an English speaking doctor on duty. Serious problems will be referred to larger hospitals.
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What should I take with me?
There are a few items which are hard to obtain in the local towns. Sleeping bags, mosquito repellent, suncream and sunglasses are best brought from home or bought in Chiang Mai (which will be significantly cheaper than the UK). It may also be difficult to find suitable clothes so it's generally best to bring what you'll need to wear with you . Other items such as mosquito nets, socks, hats and waterproofs are easily obtainable in the towns.
In terms of spending-money, if you're supplementing your diet with snacks, emailing a couple
of times a week, going away for the weekend a couple of times a month and posting letters,
a very rough figure would be about £50 per month. Be aware that if you spend time in Chiang
Mai, it will be more expensive. We don't recommend travellers' cheques. There are ATMs in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Mae Hong Son and Mae Sariang, all with Visa and Cirrus etc., so just take enough Baht for about one month
(THB 3500-ish).
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