By Jordan Williams | International Volunteer, DEPDC/GMS
Education is Key
DEPDC’s Community Learning Centre (CLC) was created in 2005 to provide human rights education, as well as computer, literacy, and life skills training in Thai and English for undocumented migrants, refugees, and ethnic minorities living in Mae Sai. The centre is open to community members who are at-risk of being trafficked into the commercial sex industry and who may not have the means to afford outside tutors. However, due to a shortage of both monetary support and human resources, CLC is currently limited to offering English language and life skills classes led by our passionate team of international volunteers.
Following the departure of the participants of Ngee Ann Polytechnic’s Youth Expedition Project in March, another set of volunteers stepped in to facilitate classes for CLC students. Two nights a week, CLC convenes in one of the second floor classrooms of the Patak Half Day School. While the rest of the building shuts down at night - this particular classroom bustles with energy. The volunteers design interactive lessons to teach a range of grammar and vocabulary topics, while encouraging collaboration among the students and providing one-on-one support when needed. The significance of holding these nightly classes cannot be emphasized enough. They offer students, who are typically at work during the day, a feasible alternative to receive an education.
Beginning in August, six recent graduates of the Shan Youth Safety Training to End Risky Migration (SYSTERM) chose to continue their studies at DEPDC to partake in a life skills training program similar to that offered by CLC. In their daily classes, they learn a variety of topics that reinforce their existing knowledge and craft them into more well-rounded individuals. They hope to return home and share their experiences with goal of educating and inspiring their fellow youth.
Support CLC
CLC is still looking to recruit volunteers to teach English language and life skills classes! If you are interested in applying for a volunteer position, please visit our website for more information. As always, thank you for your continuous support of our mission!
Project reports on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.org by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.
If you donate to this project or have donated to this project, you can receive an email when this project posts a report. You can also subscribe for reports without donating.
