Tahng Ya Phraek Foundation

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Tahng Ya Phraek Foundation (YPF)

My “desk” is a nightmare of paper notes, pencil shavings and piles of photos, pieces of research and books. There are a hundred times in the day I’d like to abandon trying to sort out all the “things” I am working on and go find a market or beach somewhere. I don’t know why the brain tends to go into molasses mode here…I HATE it.

My applications to half a dozen programs are almost complete…almost, and a number of the projects are wrapped up, so my thoughts naturally turn to increasing the list of things to do to keep me in that motivated “busy” state.

To better coordinate my projects here and to ensure accurate accounting and movement of funds, I am developing a foundation. Right, I hear the groans, no one is surprised at this right? Seriously, this is a good idea…because I said so.

Actually, it just seems to be the way to do things properly. I am getting involved on a larger scale than just hanging my laundry along with the locals here. I want to make sure that anyone who supports my activities can have a transparent and proper accounting and the back up paperwork (and tax receipts) along with a positive flow of updates and photographs. The point behind the foundation for me is this and the ability to have a framework to work within to keep communication open. My desk is just a bit overwhelming without any rhyme or reason to it. So here’s the idea…

Here’s some background on the name first before going into detail on the management of this idea.

First I need to introduce my inspiration for the name; the celebration called “Wai Khru” or - Paying Respect to Teachers.

“Wai Khru” is a celebration held on a Thursday, in June or July. This is the Thai custom during which students pay respect to their teachers and one of the key characteristics includes offering various plants and flowers to their teachers representing respect and knowledge, similar to the idea of offering a teacher an apple…

One plant, the Ya Phraek grass is traditionally offered to teachers and is the symbol (in some form) for the foundations name.

One of my favorite Thai books on customs and culture says this:
“A plant traditionally presented to teachers is Bermuda grass, or in Thai, ya phraek. The symbolism is interpreted in this way: This grass spreads very rapidly across bare ground, so it symbolizes the growth and spread of knowledge in a student.”

Simply put, the foundation strives to encourage this growth and spread of knowledge in all the children and individuals it works with by opening opportunities for learning. The foundation will raise funds for cultural exchange in Canada, so that children in the Orphanage at Baan Tharn Namchai (in the Tsunami Recovery Zone) have the opportunity to see beyond the world they live in. It also endeavors to provide some of the basic necessities to ensure the children are healthy and happy and thus open and prepared to learn.

(Proposed) Projects under the Foundation:

An Annual one month cultural exchange for a child and staff member to Canada. As part of the ongoing development of opportunities to be self-supporting, the foundation is working with Canadian partners to create the “San Jhon” (‘Make a’ Journey) Project. This one month cultural stay in Canada will offer children with no other means to see the world.let alone their own county, a chance to explore a different culture and expand their awareness, horizons and hope for a future. San Jon includes a homestay experience and cultural emmersion in Canada. Most importantly it includes the ability to learn and practice English. For children and staff at BTN, this may mean the difference between gainful employment in the tourism industry, arguably one of the best paid employment opportunities in their region, and a life of poverty. B/ 78,000 - CDN 2,600.00

The purchase and support of Dance Costumes and Equipment for BTN. One of the most important tools to recovery for the children and community here is the ability to continue to celebrate their culture and community ties. In Thailand, music and dance are tremendously important aspects of this. In the past few months, large sums of money were donated by an elderly couple from Phuket and were used to purchase one set of “Angaloon” a melodious instruments set in scale that are fashioned from bamboo and wood that “rings” when shaken; and a “Kim” a traditional stringed instrument. The children have spent many hours practicing these new instruments. At least once a month the children have an opportunity to don traditional dance costumes and perform for one reason or another. Community gatherings, celebrations and events are just some of these opportunities. Dance represents so much to Thailand. It is a means to disseminate their culture by telling stories and performing shows and a means to celebrate themselves. I believe that there is nothing the children love to do more that dance together. The process of preparing for a dance is more than a day’s activity. There is practice for weeks or months (really just an excuse to dance every evening!) and the day of the dance is taken up with dressing and putting on makeup. Many of boys also participate in the dances and wear costumes that are equally elaborate and the make up equally dramatic. If the dance does not call for a “male” role, the boys don traditional shirts and fisherman pants and take up the drums.

Ban Tarn Namchai has some seriously talented children and the drums, angaloon and kim have offered them a chance to perform for hotels and large events to raise money for themselves. Unfortunately a large portion of the profits they can make are already eaten up by the costs of renting the dance costumes. On average, the daily costs of rental can exceed B/2,500 or B/3,000 if you include the stockings the girls require.
The cost to purchase a set of dance costumes for the orphanage is another fundraising project YPF will undertake. As part of the San Jhon Project, the children selected to come to Canada will also be dancers that are able to perform for a fundraising dinner held on behalf of the YPF. This further encourages the children to practice and take up interest in dance. B/ 70,000 - CDN 2,333.00

Annual purchase of medical insurance (clinic fees) for BTN children, this does not address the long term care costs of children who need to be hospitalized for serious illness that do not have residence cards for medical purposes…that is, children that live at Ban Tharn Namchai, but whom we do NOT have guardianship over. This is an ongoing issue that we are working to resolve). B/ 16,000 - CDN 533.00

Organization of the “Migrant Project” for Ban Niang (supported ChildTrac project). As a starting place for this project, the goal includes raising B/200 per child for a total count of 250 children in need of a set of clothing and a blanket. There are many more than this in need, an estimated 1,000 children, but reaching them and connecting aid with some of the mostly hidden communities is still underway. In the nearest villages to Ban Niang and the demographic group of migrant Burmese children that ChildTrac is tracking, the YPF will attempt to raise funds to provide the basic necessities of comfort for these children.
B/50,000 - CDN 1,666.00

Joo English School Project and ongoing support. Joo has recruited 11 women to attend her “school” and English training centre and the project is attempting to arrange Joo’s attendance at a Phuket training institute to give her the necessary skills to transfer her English knowledge to her future “students.” By providing her tools and necessities and outfitting each of the 11 women with school books and writing instruments, the foundation is helping more than one woman, it is increasing the earning potential of 11 families and their relatives, over 50 individuals in the survivor villages of Bang Naisi. The cost of Joo’s English Language Moderator program (one week program) is B/9,000, the remainder for the “school’s” materials and set up.
B/15,000 - CDN 500.00

For the first year, the foundation is hoping to raise a total of B/229,000 - CDN 7,633.00. This goal I think is entirely reachable and the benefits of the projects establish a cycle of ongoing self sufficiency and learning that represents the nature of the foundation’s intent.

Future projects will be carefully selected and screened ensuring each project fulfills these goals and intentions wholly. Additionally the foundation will encourage individual travelers and volunteers to direct their hearts and hands to the hidden people and their stories, and those not represented by the larger aid organizations.

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