Thai-Belgium Bilateral Camp

Our project was in Trang, the south of Thailand from 5-20 July 2015 . We have 10 people in the camp, 8 are scouts from Belgium, 1 Thai boy and me, a camp leader from Bangkok. We feel like we are in the same family since the first day. The Boahin farm stay is very comfortable place. The view of fish ponds in the river and mangroves conversation were the best. In the beginning of the camp we had Thai language and culture classes. My campers are the fast learners. They know how to ask the basic questions or to complement like Aroi (delicious) or Sood yod (awesome).

They have the high motivation and lot of energies but because it was rain  almost everyday made us cannot follow the schedule that much. We tried our best to work out door are go to a beach or sometimes just swam at home when the sea was not too dangerous with the big waves and animals like little stingrays or some sharp shells.

We plant trees on the sides of the street, continue from the last group of Belgian volunteer did 2 years ago. We painted a short wood walk way in a mangrove forest and enjoyed our boat trip after working. We skipped many Marine activities like planting sea grass or collecting sea grass seed since the water level was too high to plant. Normally Muslim people in an island near here will take us to collect the sea grass seed but since at that time  they were having the celebrate after the big fasting called "Ramadan".

 The greatest time of our activities was when we were at the fabric village called "Na-mean-sri". We lived in a home stay with mommy and her family. They were so kind. She took us to her pine apple farm to get baby pine apple trees and plant them. At night we went to a local public party and dance with the populations. The last day at the village we learned how to make fabric by a manual loom, it was very enjoyable.

Backed to the farm stay we went to the closest beach to clean it up. The mangrove forest and small mountain there make the view look so wonderful. We decided to go there again in our day-off. Even we didn't spend time in the sea that long because of the rain but we have the nice tracking on the way back.

Another activity that we love was teaching. We taught the high school and primary school students. They were very active and have good reaction with our lessons. We love them!

On the last day of the camp we finally worked with sea grass seed. We took the seeds out of the sea grass fruits. People at the farm stay are kind, funny and helpful. They tried to find activities for us even the weather was so bad and always took us around by truck, our favorite vertical.

JAM