Chiang Mai  Values  in  Action  Write  Up

From 18th November to 2nd December 2017, a team of 14 Dunman High School students embarked on a 15-days service learning trip to Chiang Mai, Thailand, where they were given the opportunity to care, serve and lead.

 Over the span of two weeks, the team visited a total of 4 schools, namely, Muengdek Wittaya School, Thapa School, MaeChaem School and Somdejya School. Besides conducting English, Mathematics, Science and Chinese lessons, the team also planned dance sessions and fun games to inspire and impart their knowledge to the Thai students in every way possible. Being uncertain about the students’ learning abilities and the lack of experience in teaching, coupled with the time constraints, posed a challenge for the team to fully prepare lessons for the Thai students. However, with the team’s determination, they strived to carry out interesting lessons for the students and learnt how to adapt and be flexible in their teaching.  The Thai students’ initiative and passion towards learning could be felt strongly by the team throughout the entire teaching experience. One trait that stood out the most would be the respect the Thai students have for their ‘teachers’, as they often expressed their gratitude through small and simple acts. The Thai students inspired the team to be more appreciative of the people around them and to treasure every opportunity to learn. Their humility and zest in learning definitely spurred the team to improve and to deliver fun and engaging lessons to the Thai students. One highlight was the teaching experience in Somdejya School, where the team spent 5 days interacting with the students there. The Thai students taught the team the meaning of contentment – through taking charge of their own learning and maximizing their learning to the fullest. Even with limited facilities and resources, the students were still willing to learn and improve, which really inspired the team. Last but not least, another highlight would be the interaction with teachers at Somdejya School, who played an integral part in inspiring the Thai students to chase their dreams. In order to broaden the worldview of the students and to expose them to the culture outside of Thailand, the teachers introduced a variety of programmes that inculcate healthy moral values in the students so that they can be leaders of honour to eventually give back to the society. Through this experience, there is definitely one thing that will remain close to the heart of the team - the strong bonds forged with the Thai students and teachers.

As part of the cultural immersion at Somdejya School, the Thai students prepared traditional performances including singing and a dance popularly referred to as the Bamboo Dance. The team also participated in a variety of cultural activities at MaeChaem, such as pillow weaving, rice harvesting and cooking Thai cuisine, where they were able to have a first-hand experience of being immersed in the beautiful local culture. It enabled the team to comprehend how much hard work and patience the locals had to put in to finish those beautiful creations. This also allowed the team to glean insights into the livelihood of the locals, which was mostly based on handicraft and agriculture. Since these practices are not commonly observed in Singapore, the experience was truly an eye-opening and helped the team to appreciate the locals’ way of life more deeply.

Another highlight of trip was the experience at Doi Inthanon, the highest point in Thailand and the village walk, where the team experienced the culture of a local tribal village, the Karen Village. Though the ride up the mountain was not easy, the team was rewarded with a picturesque view of the mist-filled skyline up in the clouds. Although it was chilly, there was no doubt that the hearts of the team members were kept warm as they stood together at the summit, looking down at the amazing view of Chiang Mai city. It made the team take a step back and reflect on their own personal growth as well as the team’s growth during the trip.

All in all, this trip to Chiang Mai has definitely been an eye-opening and meaningful experience for the team. Over the course of 15 days, the team gained deep insight on the values and culture of Thailand and most importantly, they learnt how to serve with sincerity and kindness. As the saying goes, teamwork makes the dream work. Seeing the team embark on this journey together in order to make a difference to the Thai students, regardless of how small it may be, was a sign of the team’s determination achieve the common goal of service to the community in the midst of overcoming their own personal challenges.

Jolene Koh Jia Yi 5C44

“Giving frees us from the familiar territory of our own needs by opening our minds to the unexplained worlds occupied by the needs of the others.”

Through this service learning trip, I learnt to be more appreciative of the little things that I took for granted and to care for the people around me. With the opportunity to care, serve and lead, I definitely have received more than I gave. I hope that our team managed to ignite a spark in the children’s hearts and inspire them to work hard and dream big.”

Koh Chin Qi Reinald 5C12

“It is not about how much you give, but how willing you are to give.”

This trip has helped to show me so much more than I thought I knew and was a true eye-opener to the world out there. Through this trip, I have met truly inspiring people such as the teachers at the local school who work with minimal resources but still deliver quality education. This teaches me to treasure what I have and not take education, or even our living conditions, for granted.