Educate at-risk girls, end poverty cycle: Thailand

Due to the first really significant rise of COVID in Thailand, public schools are closed and restricted to online learning. The Provincial Governor made a visit to Dhammjarinee to evaluate the COVID safety protocols of this large, in-residence school. He was happy with what he saw, but has required the school to prevent outside staff and teachers from coming on campus. Off-campus teachers are restricted to teaching remotely to classes of students who gather in socially-distanced, small groups.

As always, your ongoing support is important for the continuation of every aspect of the school’s activities and the additional set-up expenses caused by remote learning.

With the shortage of in-residence teachers and staff, the older students are helping in the kitchen, on the grounds, and caring for the very young girls who are normally looked after by their teachers—making the beds of the younger children, tidying up for them, doing their laundry, and more. 

The older girls love being big sisters to the little ones. Fortunately much of the kitchen work and most of the administration are run by nuns who live at the school.

Students who were expected to return to school by August, have still not been able to travel from distant provinces. The local kindergarteners are not allow to come to school. Even with these challenges, since the June start of the new school year, the 650 girls who are at the school are very grateful to be continuing their studies together with their friends.

Special classes by Panyapiwat University Teachers

Panyapiwat, a highly respected University that has signed a memorandum with Dhammajarinee, has already started giving some of their preparatory courses in for their new degree programs in nursing, engineering, and 3-D engineering animation. The girls who are attending are likely to receive scholarships for these degree programs at Panyapiwat University.

Please Stand By!

The next opportunity to amplify your giving is a “Little by Little” campaign from 13–17 September. All donations up to $50 dollars will receive a 50% match from GlobalGiving. More details coming soon. Please tell your friends.

We all know this has been a trying time for everyone. Many of our friends have commented how challenging it is to keep their children purposefully occupied during lockdown. Dhammajarinee is meeting this challenge with creativity and great organizing power.

We thank you for believing in the school and making the challenges easier!

The new school year has begun and along with the returning students, a fresh group of new girls from poverty and problem backgrounds are about to experience the life-transforming good fortune of becoming a Dhammajarinee girl. 

Some of the girls have arrived at the school at the recommendation of officials who were aware of their unsafe environments and vulnerability to unstable family situations. Others have come from situations where the parents or guardians were too ill or impoverished to care for them.

In June the Thai government approved the girls to come back in groups of limited numbers. We hope that within a few weeks all the girls will be able to return.

See more photos below.

The girls are so happy to get back at school with their friends and fellow students and can now resume their studies after having been locked down longer than anticipated while on annual school break.

With social distancing required, the school is fortunate to now have an outdoor dining extension with lots of fresh air. 

Shifts are no longer necessary due to the expanded size of the dining hall allowing for adequate social distancing during one united meal time.

A donor sponsored a special lunch with coconut ice cream. Photo below shows girls lining up to get their ice cream treat. 

COMING SOON:  14 July USA EST Bonus opportunity !