December 2024 – Moments of joy in difficult times
HAPPY LOY KRATHONG
It is a ceremony to give thanks to the water spirits, reflect on our own wrongdoings, and ask forgiveness so that we may follow the correct path.
Thank you for your support in keeping the Andaman Center afloat.
Teacher Spotlight
Teacher Thandar Moe is a Thai language teacher, and she has been with us for over two years. She takes her teaching responsibilities very seriously because she knows that her students’ families count on an education to provide a better future. She believes that the Andaman Center is just the beginning of her student’s educational journey. She sees how the Center is particularly helpful for migrants because it helps prepare children that want to attend Thai government school. When students learn Thai successfully, they then have the opportunity to continue their education.
Moe has always wanted to be a teacher, and she was inspired by her sister and mother who were also educators. She reports that as a child in Myanmar, she was afraid of her teachers who were very strict. At the Andaman Center, however, she feels the teachers are much more gentle, and the students are very open and trusting with their teachers about their lives beyond the classrooms. Outside of school, Moe is also very busy. She lives with her daughter and husband and is very involved in the Burmese Migrant community. She helps people with translation services when they need to go to the hospital or interact with the police. She also enjoys learning other languages and speaks Mon and Taway (which are regional dialects in Southern Myanmar).
Moe says her biggest challenge is coping with the influx of students, and hopes for more support in teaching them Thai.
We share Moe’s story as a counter point to the depressing stories coming from Myamar because change is about more than metrics. It lives in the values we nurture and the collective hope we support.
20 Years Later – a Journey of Hope
In very good news, our dear friends at the Jan & Oscar Foundation are sponsoring construction of a new school building. 20 years after the tsunami, Lennart is riding his motorcycle from Switzerland to Thailand to honor the memory of his brothers and support the new classrooms at the Andaman Center.
Sponsor kilometers to support this humanitarian project.by clicking here
Myanmar News – A Grim Situation
Here is a video update from a UN monitor to Myanmar.
Despite revolutionary forces making ground, atrocities seem to be escalating. Needless to say this means we can expect further demands for education among an ever-growing migrant population.
After watching the video, which is quite heavy, don’t forget to keep reading to see how we are planting seeds of hope that will support future generations in Myanmar.
Health Team Update
- Health checks for the students
- Personal hygiene training
- Road safety techniques
- Mosquito control to combat dengue fever
- Basic First Aid training for teachers
Volunteers in Action
- Painting the walls of the classrooms.
- Teaching English conversation and songs.
- Donating to the school lunch program and helping prepare the kids’ noontime meal.
- Playing sports and hula hoops with the kids, resulting in much laughter and silliness.
