Volunteering that makes a difference

In Bangkok, you'll never run out of things to do. The city offers various activities waiting for you to explore, from sightseeing and temple tours to cruising on the Chao Phraya River, strolling through Chinatown and tasting the mouthwatering street food. The choices are almost endless.

If you’re into volunteering though, and are looking for something meaningful to do in Bangkok, this story could well be of interest.

Cultural exchange

At the Bangkok School for the Blind, a group of expat volunteers holds regular events to teach English, and spends time with students. The group is called “Get Lost in BKK and Beyond” and they design engaging activities, specifically tailored to meet the needs of children with impaired vision.

Liisa-Maija Weckman, or 'Liisu', a Finnish expat living in Pattaya and working as an interpreter, has a passion for volunteering. Despite having lived in Thailand for 11 years and explored various activities and places, this is her first volunteer experience here.

She said thatinteracting with the children is not at all difficult, just keep in mind that they can't see. The important thing is the play and the singing, because everyone can do them.

“When you’re with the kids, you cannot say, ‘Oh, look at this!’ You have to remember that, sometimes, you have to touch the kids, like, ‘I'm here. My name is Liisu’, or ‘Let's go here’, and you cannot just assume that they will just follow you”.

There are around six volunteers of various nationalities, such as American, British, Finnish and Libyan. Liisu emphasised that the cultural exchange taking place here can broaden perspectives and provide new experiences for the students.

“We come from various countries and use different languages, and the kids…. I don't know if the kids travel, but if they don't travel, we bring the travel here,” she said.

Liisu pointed out that, while the children get some treats, like special lunches or sweets, she believes it's equally important to provide them with experiences, fun, lasting memories and English language learning.

She added, “It's just a little bit of my time and, when I see that they're happy, I also feel like, yeah, I really enjoy it.”

Liisa-Maija Weckman, or 'Liisu'.

Feel included

An English teacher from Chicago, Illinois, USA, Kimberly Blanchard, who loves children and has volunteered in various orphanages around Thailand, returned for her second session here.

She recollected her first experience with visually impaired children, saying that, at first, she didn’t know what to do, so she spoke with the other volunteers, and they gave her helpful advice.

“Because touching is a big thing, they want to touch, you know, some of your body parts, your clothing, smell you. I was just like, “Oh!” at first, but now, I understand it's to get to know me better, so that they feel comfortable”, Kimberly said.

She added that, by taking part in this activity, she learns a lot because, not only do the kids teach her, but she also teaches them, as they spend time together speaking Thai and English.

“It's a new experience for me, so it's a lot of fun and it's really special and rewarding,” she says with a smile.

Today’s event gives her a sense of warmth and happiness. Kimberly said she would recommend it to other volunteers, adding “I think it's a special opportunity to get to know more about Thai culture, but also to interact with the community of Bangkok and different parts of Thailand. I think that's really helped me feel included here.”

Kimberly Blanchard

Make a difference

‘Get Lost in Bangkok and Beyond’ was created by “Rinna”, or Warinrat Charoenpornsawat. All the events are organised by her, including contacting the school, arranging dates and times, and preparing games equipment and toys. With the support of like-minded members, together they can make a difference to the lives of these kids.

Rinna said that this group of children was her first choice, because she wants to teach the blind kids skills they do not learn in the classroom.

“We do not know whether society will be kind or passionate to them in the future. So, I want to prepare them for real life,” she added.

The activities for each session vary according to Rinna's initiatives and the members’ ideas. Other activities include teaching the kids to make soaps, herbal inhalers, Christmas cards, to grow plants, and tie shoelaces, and much more.

The most challenging part for Rinna, however, is ensuring that the youngsters enjoy themselves and gain the most from the activities.

She emphasised that she cannot do all these things alone and needs support from the volunteers, adding that, “Small people working together can create great things.”

Rinna or Warinrat Charoenpornsawat