"If we believe that tomorrow will be better, we can bear any hardship today"
Thich Nhat Hanh (Global Spiritual Leader & Peace Activist)
Dear Friends,
We hope that our latest update on our Community Service Internship Program (CSIP) finds you and your loved ones doing well. In the midst of all the uncertainties and despair posed by the ongoing global health crisis, we hope you are somehow taking one day at a time and forging forward.
Here at BEAM, thanks to your continued support, we continue to make progress and impact the lives of our students. The COVID19 pandemic has presented us with our share of challenges but we are glad for the opportunity to share updates from three of our students with you in this report. We hope you are encouraged by their determination, service, and appreciation for your support.
With joy,
Sarah.
Thel Thel, a 4th-year student at the Chiang Mai University studying Social Science:
How do you feel about this past semester? Were your classes challenging? Easy?
This past semester was a bit easier than the previous semester and most of the classes were not challenging because I had already taken some difficult courses in the first semester of the third year. In the past semester, I took 6 courses and only one course called Technoscience and Modern Society was a bit difficult for me. However, I did my best and I am satisfied with the grade.
How did you do on your final exams?
Since I had to take 6 courses in the past semester, I had to manage my time well in order to study every single subject regularly every day. Actually, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, all courses were take-home exams, so I got more time to prepare myself for final exams. I searched and collected information for writing research and essays before the exam day.
Have you participated in any school events/additional community service recently?
I have participated in one event called the International Street Fair Day. In the event, I participated by selling Burmese foods (Tealeaf Salad, Shan noodle, and Mote Hin Khar). I enjoyed the event a lot because many different nationalities tried the food that I and my friends made, and they really liked our food. And another thing I did was teaching Burmese to Shan children every weekend in View 17 (Shan Camp). However, due to Covid-19, I had to take a break from teaching. But now I am doing a small project with my friends which is about waste management and renewable energy at Chiang Mai University (CMU). I have been doing this project since the beginning of this semester and it will be completed in October. The purpose of doing this project is that I and my friends want to raise awareness about trash separation and how these different kinds of waste can generate renewable energy. And also, we want students to manage their own waste (not throwing unsystematically) and to benefit the CMU community. CMU has a biomass management center and it creates renewable energy from the waste to be used again in the university as well as using this renewable energy to generate some of the electricity within the center. Therefore, we are doing this project because we want the students, staff, and visitors to know that this center exists to manage waste.
Did you enjoy your internship? What were your responsibilities? What did you learn?
Teaching is my joy and I enjoyed my internship with the children. Children are innocent and they are very active learners. Even though they do not know how to write the Burmese alphabet and speak, they never stopped learning. I really love to be with them and I hope to see them again when things get better. My responsibilities were teaching Burmese to children from 5 to 10 years old. The children are of different ages, but I chose to teach younger children basic Burmese. Children above 10 years were taught by my friends. What I have learned from this internship is that I love sharing what I have and know. These children allowed me to contribute my knowledge to what they know and I do not want to stop contributing my knowledge and skills. With any small contribution, I hope that we can change something and become a strong community.
What did you find most challenging at your internship?
The most challenging is that the location is very far away from where I live. It takes about 40 minutes to reach the internship site and the children are free only at night. So, it is usually very late by the time I go back home after teaching. Everything is okay for me apart from the teaching location.
How was your summer break?
My summer break was over without going back home to Myanmar and doing my internship fully because of COVID19. In the coming semester, I have to do an internship for four months. I am now thinking to do my internship at MAP Foundation, but I am not sure yet whether the foundation has called for internships or not. If they do not, I have a backup plan to work back in Myanmar.
What suggestions do you have for the CSIP committee or your internship? How can we improve?
I have no special suggestions for the CSIP committee, but I would like to say thank you for supporting me until my final year. Without CSIP, I would not be here today. I really appreciate your great support.
Chen, a 4th-year student majoring in English at the Chiang Mai Rajabhat University:
How do you feel about this past semester? Were your classes challenging? Easy?
I feel that this past semester was not really comfortable for study because all the classes were managed as online classes. It was quite complicated and there were many problems regarding online studying. We often faced bad internet connection during a lecture being given by a teacher. The worst thing was when the students turned in the assignments or homework, and the teacher lost them. This problem happened to me about four times. These were the challenging things I experienced. I felt that the efficiency of the study apparently decreased.
How did you do on your final exams?
I did well on my final exams. Even though the results of some subjects were quite unsatisfactory as I expected them to be, I think I did my best. There were two subjects that I obtained unsatisfactory results in; English for Business and English Poetry Selection. There were no final exams arranged by the teachers for these two subjects. Teachers were assigned to write essays and all the exercises in the textbooks were submitted. The teachers then gave grades for these.
Have you participated in any school events/additional community service recently?
Yes, I have. Currently, I have joined the Shan Youth Power (SYP) organization. I volunteer and teach Shan and English. In addition, I volunteer to teach English and Burmese languages at Wat Sai Moon.
Did you enjoy your internship? What were your responsibilities? What did you learn?
Yes, I really enjoyed my internship. My main responsibility was teaching. Asides from that I had to do a lesson plan and attend teachers' meetings. Working with Shan Youth Power organization as a volunteer I learned about classroom management, teaching skills, and social participation.
What did you find most challenging at your internship?
The most challenging thing that I found at my internship was persuading students to come to the class. The children regularly go to school during the day and they have to come to the extra classes in the evenings. Sometimes they felt tired and they did not really want to attend the extra classes. Therefore, I had to find many ways to persuade them and make them interested in my lessons such as playing fun games that relate to the lessons. It worked.
What suggestions do you have for the CSIP committee or your internship? How can we improve?
I do not have any suggestions by now because I see that the CSIP committee runs an amazing project already.
Aung, a 2nd-year student at the Chiang Mai University studying Social Science:
How do you feel about this past semester? Were your classes challenging? Easy?
The past semester was a bit easier than the present. It was not pressuring for me. I got a chance to be the class coordinator this past semester and as the class coordinator, I was assigned programs, events, and activities; performed a variety of specialized duties to coordinate and support the day to day activities of class and maintain collaborative relationships with the different departments and lecturers.
How did you do on your final exams or upcoming exams?
There is a mid-term exam upcoming mid-September for the first semester of second-year students. For this first semester, I have taken 5 subjects which are major courses; contemporary theories, religions and social change, the introduction of economics, critical writing, and effective reading, and transnationalism course. There will be2 on-site exams and for the remaining 3 courses, they will be term papers. Everything is tight for this semester because not only do I have classes to study for, but there are projects to do in the community as well. Time management is the most important thing to handle my classwork and community services.
Have you participated in any school events/additional community service recently?
Recently, I participated and led activities in two different communities, the Samsai migrant construction Camp and the Human Rights Development Center. The main aspects of our project were to create awareness on the dangers of COVID-19 and to learn about the ways to prevent it. The duration of the projects was 3 months.
Did you enjoy your internship? What were your responsibilities? What did you learn?
As the youth club leader and as an intern at BEAM, I helped to organize and contribute to the activities and workshops which we meant to promote solidarity and unity among migrant youth. The opportunity that I have gained helped me to learn things about good communication, good leadership skills on how to lead a team, accountability at work, as well as how to behave in public and the basic ethic to take duties and responsibilities.
What did you find most challenging at your internship?
The most challenging thing at my internship and during the community services were the languages. Most migrant workers I worked with are of the Shan ethnicity and other ethnicities from Myanmar. So, most of them did not speak Burmese. It was hard to communicate with them because of this.
What are your summer/break plans (classes, continue to intern, work)?
Currently, there is no plan for the upcoming break.
Links:
Dear all,
Hope that you and your communities are well! Life has changed quickly and drastically as the COVID-19 pandemic has become widespread throughout the world. Marginalized communities are especially vulnerable to the negative impacts of the pandemic. COVID-19 has deeply influenced the academic and professional lives of our scholarship students, but everyone is staying resilient and optimistic despite the rough situations. Su, Weh, Thel Thel, and Chen have shared their updates and reflections here.
On behalf of our students and BEAM, we would like to express our deepest gratitude for your support of their educational and professional opportunities that transform both their lives and our communities' development. We wish you and your loved ones all the best safety and well-being during this difficult time. Hopefully, this pandemic will be over soon. Please take care!
Warmest regards,
Lulu
Su, 4th year studying Social Science at Chiang Mai University
How are you feeling about this semester?
This semester is the final semester of my academic career. I have only two subjects: seminar studies and Independent studies. I passed those stressful days of preparing for my seminar. My topic is on compensation and resettlement policy in Letpadaung (in the Salingyi Township of Sagaing Region of Myanmar) and this topic is new for me. I used to write about women's issues rather than other issues. To learn about new issues and new theories, I tend to spend 2 weeks collecting information and reading academic articles. Moreover, I tried to get a suggestion from my Ajarns (“professors” in Thai). I felt nervous doing the 3-hour seminar because this was my first experience in my life. However, I tried at my seminar as much as I can. I got good marks and comments from Ajarns. After that, I started my independent studies. I chose a new topic again, which is related to Myanmar’s migrant workers in Japan and South Korea. To do interviews, I went back to Yangon. Now, I am still working on this research paper.
How did you do in your most recent exams?
In this semester, we didn’t have classes and exams.
Have you participated in any events/community service recently?
I didn’t participate in any events/ community service recently because of COVID19.
What are your summer plans (classes, internship, work)? Or if you are graduating soon, what are your future plans?
Regarding my future plan, I will work at SAW (Social Action for Women) Foundation after this semester. SAW is facing a lack of donors and financial supports; thus, I want to find donors and network for SAW as much as I can.
Is there anything else you would like to share/comment/ask us?
I would like to thank the CSIP Committee for supporting my education. The CSIP scholarship is very beneficial for me because I got not only financial supports but also new experiences with the internship. Also, I get to learn Shan migrant workers and their livelihoods. I have no suggestions regarding improvement, and everything has been great for me.
How has this COVID situation impacted your education and internship in the last 3 months?
The COVID situation has impacted my education because I cannot go back to Thailand now. I don’t know when it will be okay to go back to Thailand. My visa will expire on the 31st of May, and so I need to go back Chiang Mai and cancel my visa. However, I cannot go back yet.
What other challenges/issues do you foresee might impact your education and working life in the next 3 - 6 months?
As I mentioned about my future plan, I will work in SAW (Social Action for Women) organization. However, I cannot go back to Thailand now because of COVID – 19. I cannot get out of my home. I might be jobless for the next 3 months.
Weh, 4th year studying IT at Payap University
How do you feel about this past semester? Were your classes challenging? Easy?
The first part before the midterm exam has been going well as this is my final semester, and I have been fully encouraged and motivated to make it big. This year I have to take 6 courses to graduate, but I have taken 7 courses in order to have options to choose in terms of grades as well as to gain more new knowledge related to my study. I believe that I have made a good decision in taking 7 courses this semester.
How did you do on your final exams?
As I am still halfway for this semester, I have just done with the midterm. I am satisfied with my midterm exam score, and I am doing well overall in most of the courses, including assignments and midterm exams.
Have you participated in any school events/additional community service recently?
There are not many activities that occurs this semester at Payap University. However, there was a major event—the graduation ceremony. As a PMSF president, I organized Payap Myanmar students to congratulate the graduating Payap Myanmar students.
Did you enjoy your internship? What were your responsibilities? What did you learn?
I have really enjoyed interning at BEAM. I am glad to do the internship at BEAM because I started my education dream at BEAM by studying GED. And now, I am doing the internship at BEAM by helping create GED online examination for people like me who are starting their dream by studying GED. My main responsibilities are digitalizing BEAM’s GED online examination and distribute the information effectively. Through this internship, I have learned the logical structure of the BEAM GED examination server. It reflected my studies on Web structure design.
Also, this semester, I have gained new experience such as recreating the writing and drawing contents from white-board into info-graphic contents. It’s not a hard thing to do, but I have faced some difficult time to understand the content as I was not there when it has been written. But, I have been successful by communicating and asking.
What did you find most challenging at your internship?
One of the challenges is that I have to give a lot more time to my senior project, and on the other hand, I also have to finish my assigned tests as a volunteer at BEAM. But I am really glad that I made it without failing those tests and my subjects.
What are your summer plans (classes, continue to intern, work)?
My plan for this school break is going back to my hometown because I haven’t been home for almost 3 years, and I have also lost my wallet with my national ID inside so I will go back and redo my ID. On the other hand, I will go meet with my grandmother, my uncles, aunties and the relatives. After that, I still wish to do the internship at the BEAM and I am really happy to continue my internship at BEAM.
ThelThel, 2nd year studying Social Science at Chiang Mai University
How are you feeling about this semester?
The previous year was very challenging for me. However, it was filled with so many exciting things and new experiences. The second semester of the third year was actually much easier than the previous semester because I had to take fewer courses. At the beginning of the semester, I enrolled in six courses, but I withdrew one course called Popular Culture in Southeast Asia before the mid-term exam. I withdrew from that course because I had to take the hardest subject called Technoscience and Modern Society, and I was afraid that I could not do well on its term paper and presentation. Therefore, in order to focus more on that course, I withdrew from my Popular Culture in Southeast Asia course. Actually, it was a major elective course. So, I could enroll in it again in the coming semester. To be honest, this semester has been flexible, and I do not have many challenges. I really enjoy this semester.
How did you do in your most recent exams?
This semester is almost over and I just have finished two exams. Due to the current COVID19 situation, I could only take these exams online. I believe that I have done well on both exams since I have fewer courses this semester and got more time to prepare for the examinations.
Have you participated in any events/community service recently?
In this semester, I participated in BEAM’s 10th Year Anniversary event and got a chance to help with cooking in February 2020. I was doing my internship at View 17 Camp and teaching Burmese to Shan ethnic children. However, because of the current COVID-19 outbreak, I am taking a break from the internship. I will be continuing when things get better. Recently, I joined to help with cutting fabric face masks at Chiang Mai Polytechnic College for BEAM’s Community Campaign for Fighting against COVID-19 (check out our GlobalGiving fundraiser please).
What are your summer plans (classes, internship, work)? Or if you are graduating soon, what are your future plans?
I guess I will be in Chiang Mai during my summer break. I have nothing special to do but I will continue my internship and preparing for my seminar for the next semester at Chiang Mai University.
Is there anything else you would like to share/comment/ask us?
Firstly, I would like to express my greatest gratitude to CSIP and teachers for continuously supporting my studies. Now, my third-year journey is almost finished, and I am excited for the final year. CSIP provides me with not only financial resources but also it new knowledge, experiencse and skills to contribute to our community. It is a great opportunity for me because I can apply these experiences and skills in the future after I graduate from university. Thank you so much for your support.
How has this COVID situation impacted your education and internship in the last 3 months?
This COVID19 outbreak has not only impacted my education but also the internship in the last 3 months. I have been studying online due to the current situation for a month now. Because of this COVID19, I have to stop studying one course called Participatory Development Field Research. This course required fieldwork or field research practically, and it is a compulsory course. However, every student who enrolled in this course finished only one assignment, which is evaluated only 30%. There is 60% more to do with fieldwork and I have not completed it yet since the COVID19 outbreak period. Therefore, I have to continue this course in the coming semester and the whole class grade for this course will be I (“Incomplete”) this semester. Moreover, the COVID19 also impacts my internship and I think that I only did 18 hours of my internship in the last 3 months. Therefore, I am not going back to my hometown in Myanmar during my summer break and I will be continuing my internship until it is completed.
What other challenges/issues do you foresee might impact your education and working life in the next 3 - 6 months.
I have to attend classes for only one semester in my final year and another semester will be an internship. If the current COVID situation could not improve, then I guess I would have to attend online classes and it would impact my plan to do a 5-month internship in Yangon.
Chen, 2nd year studying English for Communication at Chiang Mai Rajabhat University
Unexpectedly, the last half of the second semester of our class had just begun for a couple of weeks, because the COVID-19 started hitting Thailand and other countries. As we know, the virus has forced many enterprises to shut down. My university has started online classes since March 20th. Since then we have been taking online classes. For me, studying online is quite challenging. It was not comfortable for me and many of my classmates either. Obviously, I had to do assignments and tasks double the amount when I was attending a normal class. On one hand, online studying is medically positive since it is less risky of getting infected because I didn't have to be in a crowded classroom. On the other hand, it was difficult for me that I couldn't get good internet access and need better technology stuff to enhance my studies. However, I now feel relieved because the final examination is over eventually. Now I am waiting to see the results of the tests.
I have stopped going teaching at the construction camp as well. I hope this disease will be over very soon so that I can resume my teaching. I miss my students and I know that they also miss me.
Dear all,
Our BEAM team would like to wish you a very happy 2020, and we hope your year is off to a good start! After finishing their first semester of the 2019-2020 school year, our students are now in their second semester. As usual, Su, Weh, Thel Thel and Chen have been busy with both academic and community service work, both of which have been extremely rewarding to their personal and professional development. They have kindly shared their reflections and updates with us.
On behalf of our students and BEAM, we would like to express our deepest gratitude for your support of their educational and professional opportunities that transform both their lives and our communities' development.
What are the highlights and challenges of your recent experiences?
Su, 4th year studying Social Science at Chiang Mai University
Recently, I have only two subjects: Seminar Studies and Independent Studies. I attend my friends’ seminars every Tuesday and Thursday. The rest days are time to study by myself for independent studies and my own seminar, which will be on February 13. I like my education program because it has given me so much academic knowledge and makes me feel like a smart, driven student, especially compared to other university students in Burma.
I like all teachers and they can teach and explain every issue from every dimension to us. Mostly, I feel happiness in this semester because of a smaller workload. I believe that I could improve my writing and presenting skills more and more by studying and practicing. The challenge is that I was very nervous for my first seminar. I chose my interested topic, “Women and Tattoo”. I believe that I could do it very well. I will try even harder in my final semester and achieve more educational and personal goals.
Weh, 4th year studying IT at Payap University
2019 was a blessed year as I overcome, with the grace of God, a lot of challenges. In this past semester, I managed to take 7 courses alongside with an internship at BEAM, and I also facilitated at the Youth Conference organized by BEAM with the partnership with JUMP! Foundation. In this internship, I did something new: I recreated the white-board writing and drawing into infographic images. I faced some challenges trying to recreate the handwriting and drawing into infographics: the first one is that I was not there when it was written, and the second challenge is that some of the words and drawings were hard to see clearly as they were hand-written. However, I managed to do it very well by analyzing the overall details and then rechecked with staff who was part of the writing and drawing process.
The 2019 year was my second time volunteering as a facilitator at the Youth Conference, and 2019 was a bit different from the Youth Conference in 2018. In 2019, I had to facilitate the youths mostly by myself with other facilitators, without any facilitator coach from JUMP! Foundation during the conference. It was a big challenge for me. However, I overcame the challenge as a team with other facilitators and the MC Ms. Lu Lu. Although it was not perfect since it was the very first time we completely led a JUMP-style Youth Conference, I have learned a lot and gained very valuable experience as a facilitator and as a team member. The stated above two things are my best challenges and experiences for this past term.
ThelThel, 2nd year studying Social Science at Chiang Mai University
The previous year was very challenging for me but it was exciting and I have gotten many experiences throughout the year. As the third year is the hardest year at university, I have difficulty managing my time in order to do well on every subject. In the past semester, I took seven courses but there were only 6 courses when the grade was out. Due to the enrollment system, the migration course’s grade was excluded. However, its grade will be out in the second semester.
Moreover, I could not do my internship regularly because assignments kept me busy all the time; the schedule was too tight to give my time for the internship. Although I could not do my internship regularly, I did my best to manage my time to study regularly. Now, the grade is already out, and I feel satisfied and happy that I am able to maintain my GPA. Currently, the semester has already started I hope that this semester will be more flexible than a previous semester because I have to take only six courses this semester. Also, the subjects I take are not very hard except for one course called Technoscience and Modern Society. I think that this semester will be finished in the first week of May.
Chen, 2nd year studying English for Communication at Chiang Mai Rajabhat University
My study situation of last semester and volunteer work in Shan Youth Power organization were wonderful experiences to me. I am proud of myself that I can maintain a good grade in my studies even though some subjects were challenging to me. I think the subject, Chinese, was the most challenging one because I had to give more time and practice than other subjects. Frankly, I had never had any basic knowledge of Chinese before so that it was hard for me. However, I earned a good grade on it. Overall, I did all the subjects well in both midterm exams and final exams.
At the same time, I am very excited and joyful with my volunteer work. I would say that I have learned many things from other volunteer teachers, particularly teaching skills. Besides, I feel delighted when I teach the students and they enjoy my lessons. The moment that was most rewarding to me was when we all were practicing Shan New Year songs together. We sang and then took a break and had some snacks. We laughed when someone sang in the wrong lyrics or keys. I notice that all the teachers and students have good relationships with each other.
Finally, I would like to thank the CSIP committees for giving me a great opportunity to continue in the program and support for my schooling fees as well.
Links:
Dear all,
Hope all is well! The “cold season” has officially started in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Also, our students are in their first semester of this school year. Recently, they have just finished their mid-term exams—it has been busy at the universities. Despite having busier academic schedules, they are still working hard to volunteer and support local communities with their diverse skills. Su, Weh, Thel Thel and Chen have kindly shared their updates with us.
On behalf of our students and BEAM, we would like to express our deepest gratitude for your support of their educational and professional opportunities, which is tremendously beneficial both short- and long-term for our communities.
Su, 4th year studying Social Science at Chiang Mai University
How are you feeling about this semester?
My schoolwork is more comfortable than in the previous year. I think that three-year experiences have helped a lot and made me strong in this final year. I am not afraid of deadline because I can manage my time and my abilities very well. I am studying 4 courses: Resource Management and Development, Cultural, Political & Resistances, Geography of Migration, Environment & Social Movement in SEA. I feel happy in this semester because there are fewer assignments. I believe that I could improve my writing and presenting skills more and more by studying.
How did you do in your most recent exams?
I only took one in-class exam and one take-home exam for the midterm period. The results are not out yet. For exam preparation, I read a lot of academic readings and notes in order to analyze or criticize one issue from every dimension. Mostly, I like take-home exam more than in-class exam because it is less stressful for me.
Have you participated in any events/community service recently?
I am volunteering as a Burmese language teacher, working with Shan children at a Buddhist temple and migrant workers at a construction site.
What are your summer plans (classes, internship, work)? Or if you are graduating soon, what are you future plans?
I’m very interested in things such as social work (e.g., counseling with women victims), traveling, watching adventure movies, reading books and writing articles based on my experiences. As my future plan, I will work at SAW foundation because I would like to work at a shelter that takes care of orphans, supporting the people who have malnutrition and helping the women who escape from human trafficking and domestic violence. SAW is facing a lack of donors and financial supports. Thus, I want to find more donations or networking for SAW as much as I can.
Is there anything else you would like to share/comment/ask us?
I would like to thank CSIP committee for supporting my education. The CSIP scholarship system is very suitable for me because I got not only financial supports but also new experiences with my internship. Also, I get to learn about Shan migrant workers and their livelihoods. I don't have other suggestion, and everything is fine for me.
Weh, 4th year studying IT at Payap University
How are you feeling about this semester?
Pretty great. I feel really calm because I have done taking 7 courses and passed them all. In order to graduate next year, I need to take more courses than before, like 7 courses for this semester and 6 courses for the coming semester.
How did you do on your most recent exams?
I did great in most of the exams and the papers too. But there was one exam that I did really badly and I had been worried that I might fail. But I passed it gracefully.
Have you participated in any events/community service recently?
I have been participating in church events as the Vice General Secretary of Church Youth. Also I worked in the media team by taking photos of the church activities. The most recent church event I have participated was the KBC Youth Day. I was part of the song-sing service leader team, and I led the youth to play a community-building game, which I have learned from the JUMP! Foundation’s Facilitator Training in Bangkok. (I and a number of BEAM staff and students attended the Facilitator Training together in September.)
What are your summer plans (classes, internship, work)? Or if you are graduating soon, what are you future plans?
Before the end of the previous semester, I had planned to go back to my hometown to meet with my family and relatives. But I only got a very short semester break and also I was needed for BEAM’s impact assessment project, so my plan to go back to my hometown didn’t happen. So, I have been using my free time by volunteering at BEAM and at KWAT (Kachin Women's Association Thailand), where I was helping them to translate from Burmese to English and from Kachin to English.
ThelThel, 2nd year studying Social Science at Chiang Mai University
How are you feeling about this semester?
This first semester of the third year is the most challenging for me because I have to take seven courses. As I have to take seven courses this semester, it is very difficult for me to manage my time well in order to study each subject regularly every day. Additionally, I have to write weekly summary for Space subject and Migration class. Another subject is Research Methodology and it has weekly quiz. To be honest, all these subjects I take in this semester are more difficult. Moreover, I have 6 term papers to write and have to complete all by 6th December 2019. So, I am worried that my GPA will be dropped since every subject has been hard for me.
How did you do on your most recent exams?
I have finished mid-term examination two weeks ago and I had to sit only two subjects, which were Migration and Space subjects. As I did not have to take many subjects, I believed that I did well on both subjects.
Have you participated in any events/community service recently?
In this semester, I participated in leadership training from September 25-26 with my juniors for their activities. I got a chance to help them by preparing some activities. It was my first time joining this training and I got many experiences by helping them. Moreover, I intern at Wat Sai Moon (Myanmar temple) on every Saturday. My responsibility is teaching English to Shan children and it is a very wonderful internship for me. And also, I will have another internship at construction sites and I will be teaching Burmese to Shan children every Tuesday and Friday.
What are your summer plans (classes, internship, work)? Or if you are graduating soon, what are your future plans?
I do not have any special plans for my summer break because my final year will start again in June, and I may have only a few days of summer break.
Is there anything else you would like to share/comment/ask us?
Firstly, I would like to say thank you very much for CSIP and teachers for continuously supporting my studies. CSIP provides me with not only financial assistance but also a lot of new knowledge, experience, and skills to contribute to our community. It is a good opportunity for me because I can apply these experiences and skills in the future after I graduate from the university. Thank you so much for your support.
Chen, 2nd year studying English for Communication at Chiang Mai Rajabhat University
The midterm exams have just ended for a few days. And I have a good feeling for the results.
I paused teaching at camp for a while during the examination period. However, I will resume it this week. Shan New Year is coming soon so P' Ying and I are planning to teach New Year songs to students after class. I hope the students will enjoy the classes and practice songs.
I would like to say that everything is going well with my studies and volunteer teaching as well.
Million thanks to BEAM and CSIP project for all of your support and encouragement.
BEAM Education Foundation is committed to supporting migrants, refugees, and underprivileged applicants who have a limited chance to further their studies and who have the potential to contribute to their communities. Among the migrant population in Thailand, there are more than 1,000 students finishing high school equivalency programs every year, but the opportunity to continue their education is restricted. Currently, only an estimated 25% of college-ready students are provided with the funding needed to attend university. Please help BEAM raise this number! Thank you very much for your support!
Links:
Dear all,
Hope that you are enjoying your summer! In the fall semester semester, we had a shortage of scholarship funds. However, thanks to your generous donations, we were able to have adequate financial support for our students during the spring semester. Thank you so much for your continuous support of our students’ education access; it means so much for them, their families, their communities, and BEAM.
Our students have completed another full year of college. They have different summer break schedules, working hard on various professional, academic, volunteering, and/or personal endeavors. Su, We Hkawng, Thel Thel and Chen have kindly shared their updates with us.
Su, 3rd year studying Social Science at Chiang Mai University
Summer Activities:
During this summer break, I am working as an intern at Phan Tee Eain (Creative Home) for cooperative studies of CMU. Cooperative Studies aims to provide the opportunity for students to undertake a work internship in a social science related field after the 3rd academic year. The grade for Cooperative Studies is based on a Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory criterion. Students choose one organization as their interest areas and they must undertake a comprehensive research report on an issue related to their internship. This research must be approved by the student’s agency supervisor and university liaison officer. Length of report depends on the issue of research, but it needs to be no fewer than 6,000 words.
My interest area is gender equality, women empowerment, and women rights issues. Therefore, I chose Phan Tee Eain (Creative Home), which is local NGO based on Yangon, Myanmar. Phan Tee Eain (PTE) is supporting and facilitating to empower women by enhancing their knowledge and capacities, providing social services, conducting research related to gender inequalities in politics, strengthening local youth networks, and advocating women issues Their target regions are Sagaing, Magway, Ayeyarwaddy, Yangon, Shan (North), Naypyidaw, Bago and Mon states in Myanmar.
I have to complete 14 weeks in this internship with 8 hours of work per day. My internship started on the 6th of May and will end on the 9th of August. Now, I have finished 11 weeks and I am learning how the PTE implement activities and how network organizations collaborate with each other. I follow their workshops and activities in Northern Shan State and Kayah State to assist my project officer if needed. My research is “Gender Based Violence and Kayah Women”; therefore, I have to conduct interviews in the Kayah state for the sake of comprehensive research with the support of the organization. Also, I participate in gender forums, workshops and trainings organized by PTE and other NGOs in Yangon. I have received many work experiences from this internship and gotten a chance to visit communities in remote areas of Shan state and Kayah state. Thus, I enjoy this summer break.
Plan for the Upcoming Semester/Year:
For this coming semester, my goals are to study hard and participate in new field trips, seminars and other activities organized by CMU. I have to study more than I did during the previous semester because I want to improve my GPA. I will do my work internship by teaching Burmese language at Wat Sai Mon monastery during weekends. I hope that I will gain new experiences through volunteering.
Photos (attached at the bottom of the report):
Phan Tee Eain (Creative Home) was implementing ‘Gender Equality and Local Governance’ workshop as one of their projects. The participants were Shan ethnic people and government officers. The venue was in Hsenwi city, Northern Shan state and we went there last week. My job is to help my supervisor and organize these workshops as much as I can.
We Hkawng, 4th year studying IT at Payap University
Summer Activities:
“For 2019-2020 academic year, Payap university has changed the whole International College department schedule by shifting the university opening period two months earlier. Therefore, as a Payap international student, I only had a very short summer break. I stayed in Chiang Mai and continued my internship at BEAM, where I had a chance to teach computer basics to the new GED students along with Saya Thor Zin. This was the first time I have taught basic computer skill to others in a class. It was a very exciting experience for me, and I have enjoyed it.
On the other hand, I have been volunteering in the media team at Wunpawng Christian Church. Within my short summer break, the church media team was working on the church photo magazine about the church’s half-year activities. I am glad that I had a chance to be part of the team, and I have gained experiences through serving.”
Plan for the Upcoming Semester/Year:
As this academic year will be my fourth year, I will have to study much harder in order to finish a bachelor’s degree within four years. Therefore, I have been prepared mentally and physically for this coming semester. Now, the semester has already started and I am doing well with academics. This semester, I am taking 7 courses and aiming to finish all of them with no lower than C. I will do all the assignment and homework and pay focused attention in all my classes and lectures.
Thel Thel, 2nd year studying Social Science at Chiang Mai University
Thel Thel could not do a summer internship because she went back to her hometown; this is her update from the spring:
Currently, I am doing my internship at Shan camp and teaching Burmese to Shan children. I teach Burmese at Shan camp every weekend. There are about 15 students, but they are different levels. Some children can read and write basic Burmese and they are fast learners. So, we divided into two groups to teach Burmese. For me, I teach children who do not speak or read Burmese at all. I love teaching and I learn many things from this internship. I am delighted to make a contribution of my knowledge and skills to children by teaching Burmese.
Chen, 2nd year studying English for Communication at Chiang Mai Rajabhat University
Summer Activities:
I am happy to share what I am doing in this school break. Yes, I am taking a part-time job and doing community service. Everything is going well with me. From Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 4:00pm, I work as a tourist guide at an elephant camp in Mae Taeng district. On Thursday and Friday evenings, I teach basic English and Shan language at Shan Youth Power organization. And on weekends, I help as a facilitator at Community Learning Center, Burmese Class, at Wat Sai Moon. I feel happy with my private job and volunteering currently.
Plan for the Upcoming Semester/Year:
For the coming next semester I hope I will learn very useful subjects and skills that will improve my English. As usual, I will do my best to maintain my grade standard, which looks good
BEAM Education Foundation is committed to supporting migrants, refugees, and underprivileged applicants who have a limited chance to further their studies and who have the potential to contribute to their communities. Among the migrant population in Thailand, there are more than 1,000 students finishing high school equivalency programs every year, but the opportunity to continue their education is restricted. Currently, only an estimated 25% of college-ready students are provided the funding needed to attend university. Please help BEAM raise this number! Thank you very much for your continued support! You can also learn more about our programs by visiting these links:
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