Would you believe us if we tell you that you can find lush forestry hills in Thailand within approximately two hours drive from the city?
It was also a wonder to many of us in the van that after a while of smooth driving on conventional flat roads, the path would suddenly change to steep trails alternating between upward and downward directions slowly making our way around a small mountain. What’s more was that when we arrived, we were greeted by a wooden bridge that villagers here built with their own hands as the only car entrance to the village. Here, we all wondered if the heavy rainfall the previous day would over flow the said bridge and whether our van would be able to cross it safely or not.
After we’ve crossed the bridge with both van and people still intact, we looked back and felt that the crossing over the bridge was not merely an act of crossing the creek just to enter the village, but it held a deeper symbolic meaning of the crossing over between two worlds. We felt that we have now entered a world hidden in the hills that lives in harmony with nature, very different from the fast-paced modern world behind us.
Baan Huay Paan Learning Center, established by the villagers in 2012, is a very important part of the community. Here they have developed their own unique curriculum for the kids. Small things such as how teachers refer to the kids as “Pi” (Older brother/sister) is one of the delicate details designed to empower the kidswith confidence and a sense of responsibility. The curriculum also focuses on being one with nature and promote curiosity, rather than just memorizing information from textbooks. This curriculum enables kids to truly learn and expand knowledge in their own areas of interest.
The center’s “Project Base Learning” also allows the only two teachers here to teach 11 students from 7 academic years, from preschool to middle school level.
“Time + Budget = Challenges” The operation of Baan Huay Paan Learning Center is not without obstacles. According to Saranphon Ratseewo, or better known by the students and villagers as “Kru Mon” (Teacher Mon), told us that since the inception of the learning center, teachers here are responsible for every possible task, be it cleaning, preparing lunch, and non-academic paperwork. Most importantly, because the learning center does not receive funding from the Ministry of Education, teachers like Kru Mon and the villagers have to devote most of their time applying for financial sponsorships from various foundations and charity projects. These activities eat up precious time that should have otherwise been allocated to teaching, taking care of the kids, and managing the Learning Center.
“When we met”
When Matilda met Baan Huay Paan Learning Center and learned of the challenges the center was facing in 2021, we were so touched by the teachers’ philosophy and determination for both the students and the Learning Center that we decided to help. We began by providing financial support to cover all the necessary expenses for the center’s operation, including teachers’ salaries, students’ lunches, teaching and learning equipment, maintenance of the Center’s infrastructure, etc. By doing so, teachers can focus on teaching the students without distraction from the previous financial stress and burden of paperwork requesting sponsorships. Matilda has also been slowly increasing our role as a “Coach” by providing guidelines and advices on important finance, priority setting, and management skills with the hope that the Learning Center can run on its own sustainably in the future.
“Matilda and Baan Huay Paan today”
Just as the trees in the forest surrounding them have grown taller as the year has gone by, the community, students, and the Learning Center have also grown over time.
Kru Mon as someone who has seen Matilda’s work from the beginning and witnessed the result after a year’s work reflected that “During this past year the students and teachers no longer have to travel long distances for funding, which previously worried some of the parents. We also have more time to focus on teaching the kids. Matilda did not just provide budgetary assistance, but also advised the center on many other issues.”
Finally, she added, “Personally I’m very happy and thankful that Matilda became part of the Learning Center. Having a companion on our path gives me strength to continue working for the kids.”
“Smiles that inspire us”
Our visit this time only lasted one day. The COVID-19 situation presented many limits to the things we can do while we were there, including activities we planned for the students at the Learning Center. However, for many of us visiting for the first time, the day was well spent. Not only that we were warmly welcomed and were very well fed by the villagers, but we also had the opportunity to talk to community leaders, parents, and teachers in person. Our team also visited the classrooms, built by the villagers using natural clay, in order to observe the students’ real learning condition, as well as the development of many structures at the Learning Center. What we saw assured us that the community is doing well and that Matilda’s support has materialised here in Baan Huay Paan. By the end of the day, we were so glad to have been part of the reason for the smiles on the villagers’ faces. As the wheels on our van started moving once again to bring us back to the conveniences of Bangkok. We knew very well that a part of us will always remain here, as a memory to be missed and as an inspiration to do more for the community to ensure that bright smiles can always be seen in Baan Huay Paan.
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