Volunteers needed for Myanmar, research in rural Thailand

This project is on hold due to lack of fund

July 2018 update

[1/2] Volunteer teachers for the schools in remote places of Myanmar

* If you want to donate to this program please look at the bottom.

Primary and secondary schools in the remote places such as Chin state and Putao township in Kachin state need volunteer teachers. The locations are remote, and transport is difficult often requiring long walk over the hills. In winter the weather is cold to very cold; in rainy season the roads are inaccessible by even the hardy trucks. There is no electricity. The children there do not enjoy basic education like in the towns and cities. Most peoples there live in poor and do not have money to hire a teacher. Their main work is hill farming.

Primary school in Aye village in Mindat township, southern Chin sate (6200 feet elevation)

We need volunteers with following qualifications:

- Native Myanmar nationals, 25 to 50 years old

- Have a B.A or B.Sc degree or a Post High school Certificate, Diploma in Life Science, Technical, etc.

- Healthy, and fit and can hike for several hours in hill forest environment when necessary

- Can spend at least 6 months time (if you have less than 6 months please see at the bottom)

- Love education, children, open minded, patient, mature, friendly to everyone, and believe in proper education

- Can teach properly Myanmar, Basic English, Basic Math and Logical Reasoning, Basic Geography, Basic Social Science, Basic Drawing, and Basic Health

- Able to adjust the course work of study according to the local life

- Willing to adjust to and learn minority culture and life

- Willing to work together smoothly with the existing teacher if there is one already there

We will provide

- Cost of round trip travel (you will travel by land, no flight)

- Small allowance which will be more than enough to cover the cost of food, cost of personal hygiene, washing of clothes and bed materials, basic medication

- Books, text books, diary, and writing materials; and some teaching aids when possible

- Travel accident insurance or similar kind of health related insurance purchased in Myanmar

- A small guide book

The village will provide

- Accommodation (likely in a hut next to the school, or in a family house including bed, sheets, blankets, pillows, and mosquito net), pit toilet outside

- Help with fetching water and fire wood if that is necessary

Your usual teaching hours will be about 6 on weekdays at the school. However you will spend your private time doing preparation of teaching, correction of students' work.

You will also arrange students' field trip to nearby interesting places for learning purpose. You will also write diary daily basic.

Please understand that starting from when you leave home, you will face with the daily problems in travel, weather, delays, frustration, lack of something you need or you want, misunderstanding, inter cultural relationship and so on. You must be calm, very understanding, and mature enough to deal with problems. However there will be local coordinators who will help arrange the things and solve problems as much as they can. You will not be left alone.

You will coordinate with the existing teacher if there is one there.

So cooperation, understanding and smooth and proper negotiation are very important too. Usually government appointed teacher gets paid very low salary and they have to live there for the whole school year. They are not there for a short vacation. They may not be very happy being there and thus may not be highly motivated. However in my own experience the teachers there were there because they knowingly accepted the appointment. They were all enthusiastic about education. They just can not enjoy the city and town life for long time.

Classroom in the school in Aye village, Mindat, southern Chin state

These things are on your own

- Clothes and rain gear, foot wear, packing of your stuff, and other travel gear

- Personal medicines, eye glasses

- Communication with your family and friends

- Travels to other places than the location of the school during the school holidays. However depending on the situation the village can provide help such as free ride in a truck. In many cases it will be going on foot.

- etc.

At the end of your volunteering you will write a report. You will make copies for yourselves, for the school you volunteered, and for an education department of a nearby College or University or Government office in your place.

Other benefits

You will get to know lot of travel and nature, minority life experiences. There are so many things most peoples from cities do not know about the life in the mountains in far away places. It will be a life changing experience. Besides, the scenery is superb, peoples are friendly. During the free days you can go hiking to nearby peaks or go with the villagers to their farms. There are so many things to learn about them. It is a win win for both you and the village. If you come from a low land (thus more developed) then it will also help create healthy friendship and understanding between the regions of the country.

To apply please send by email to sheinli (at) gmail (dot) com with the subject "Volunteer for remote schools in Myanmar"

- A letter stating why you want to be a volunteer, and why you believe you can provide the good education to children of remote places

- The time frame you are available (minimum 3 months within the school seasons)

- Resume

- Contact details such as home address, phone if you have, and email address

- A recent photo

If you only have less than 6 months but you have a special skill or knowledge that will be very beneficial to the students of such remote places you are welcome to send us your application letter stating your special skills and knowledge.

To see how the travelling is like in these places please look at

http://www.asterism.info/reports/7/index3.html = Mindat, southern Chin state

http://www.asterism.info/reports/6/index.html = Putao, Kachin state

* If you want to donate to this program please contact to above email with the subject line "Want to donate for education in remote places of Myanmar".

[2/2] www.ourweb.info is looking for one or two students to do a research study about an area in Thailand.

Interested persons with following qualifications may apply:-

- Native Thai national, 19 to 30 years old

- Preferably a native of rural village area

- Currently studying in a college or university, or just graduated

- Excellent Thai, and working level English

- Open minded, honest, and hard working

- Able to travel to provinces; search information from books, Internet, peoples, etc.

- Available to do the research work some times between August 2010 and January 2011

The research shall be about a village or a group of small villages. Interested areas of study are ecology and geography, cultures and traditions, history, education, works and professions, products of the choosen area. It is likely that the area be where the home of the researcher is.

It is estimated that the researcher has to spend 10 to 15 hours a week for 4 to 5 months, plus one or two trips to the place in the project.

For more information please visit http://www.ourweb.info or http://www.trekthailand.net and send a cover letter and your profile (resume) via contact form or the email shown.

All related travel expenses, travel accident insurance, other necessary supports and guidence, as well as a small amount of monetary support shall be provided to the choosen student.