Help Keep HDS Bus and Truck Running

On any given weekday morning in Mae Sai you’ll see a rusted truck, faded blue from years under the Thai sun, traversing the sleeping town of Mae Sai.  The truck follows its route through the verdant orchard grounds that lie in the shadow of the Sleeping Mountain up to bustling the border district.  Every once in awhile the bus comes to a stop and a child, still covered by the shroud of slumber, climbs in. The morning atmosphere is muted, children doze off against the stained windows, soothed back to sleep by the muffled Thai song in their ears. The more energetic children gather at the back where their rowdiness won’t disturb the less animated students.

At 3.30 the final bell rings and students shuffle from their class to the pick-up truck waiting to return them home.  The afternoon atmosphere is more jubilant. Kids chatter in the back hopping out at their stop with a cheerful wave to their friends and respectful bow to the teacher driving the vehicle.  Their exit trailed by a chorus of “See you tomorrow!”. And thanks to your donations they will. The ritual will repeat itself, children will come out in the misted morning to wait for the blue bus to rumble its way down their street and the beloved pick-up to drop them back off.  For the at-risk children that attend our school, our form of alternative transportation is their only means of transit to and from school.  Many of our students live on the outer boundaries of town or across the border.  Walking, biking, or riding motorcycles to work is not a viable option, and for our little ones it is simply too dangerous.  Our bus and pick-up enable the children to attend school everyday and gain the life skills and training to create a better, safer future.

Although beloved, the iconic bus and pick-up trucks are older vehicles that require attention and care to continue performing their duties.  This semester both the truck and bus have undergone repairs.  The bus was required to undergo a Safety Inspection by the Thai government for registration purposes.  In keeping up with the current standards, DEPDC has changed the brakes on the bus for the coming year.  We have additionally added reflectors to the sides and back of the bus so that it may be visible in the dim morning light to all traffic.  The pick-up truck also required additional care, needing an oil and brake change as well.  Each of these visits is an additional cost to our budget, outside of the gas we require to make our daily rounds.  With your donations we are able to cover these additional expenditures and continue to provide safe and stable transportation for the Half Day School attendees.  The safety and well-being of our students is our biggest concern. 

All the staff members and children sincerely thank you for your time and forsupporting our mission to provide free education to at-risk children and youth in the border town of Mae Sai, Chiang Rai, Thailand. DEPDC/GMS could not do this without the kindness of people like you.