Volunteering for a few weeks in CNX - possibilities?

[jko]

A young girl we know is touring Asia, and wants to do a few week's volunteer work in Chiang Mai next month - orphanage, elephant camp, etc.

Any ideas please?

[Thakkar]

Childsdream.org

"Childs Dream is a charitable, not-for-profit organisation dedicated to empowering marginalised children and youth in the Mekong Sub-Region, which includes Myanmar, Laos, Thailand and Cambodia. We achieve this by working in partnership with communities to improve the educational and health situation for their children and youth."

[muchogra]

I can't help but to state that why always the children instead of the olds? The old folks need more help than the children in my book.

Perhaps NancyL can find you something? Beetlejuice, please don't comment about work permit, thank you!

[Chicog]

Why not comment about a work permit? Do you want him to get into trouble?

[taotoo]

She's welcome to do my housework. I'll dress up in tribal costume if it will sway the deal.

[Mapguy]

No one will get in trouble as a short-term volunteer who is otherwise innocent. Regrettably, Thailand has attracted some really nasty characters, but this does not appear to be such a case.

Unfortunately, effective volunteer work is really not a short-time student "meaningful summer vacation activity." Such adventures have begun to crop up more and more in applications to competitive universities. Such a visit, with all that is involved, really serves the volunteer, not the organization served.

Summing up, not to be cynical, the impulse may indeed be genuine, but the experience is not really of much if any benefit to the place receiving the volunteer. To be cynical, some organizations in Thailand make it into a business to "traffic" short-term volunteers.

All in all, the issue has been discussed for some time. Google it. I am very wary of some organizations.

The answer is probably a "paid stay" at something like an elephant camp. Those are available, fun, and there is some contact with local culture beyond the programmed experience, if a person is mature enough to seek it out.

[mesquite]

I'm curious why she and many other young western travelers to Thailand feel the need to volunteer.

[NancyL]

I'm rarely in agreement with Mapguy, but I do agree with him this time. Muchogra's right -- the oldsters are in need of help as much as orphans. That's why places like McKean hospital welcome groups that come in from time-to-time to do special projects, like painting and refurbishing buildings. Often these are overseas church groups, many times youth groups on holiday breaks. Note -- they are doing well-defined projects, set up in advance and the youth in the groups are supervised by adults who come with them. The youth (or their families) have paid their own way. Basically the kids are having an adventure holiday.

As Mapguy says, the best answer for a single person, who is not part of an organized group would be to pay for an adventure holiday somewhere like at an elephant camp.

[harrry]

I'm rarely in agreement with Mapguy, but I do agree with him this time. Muchogra's right -- the oldsters are in need of help as much as orphans. That's why places like McKean hospital welcome groups that come in from time-to-time to do special projects, like painting and refurbishing buildings. Often these are overseas church groups, many times youth groups on holiday breaks. Note -- they are doing well-defined projects, set up in advance and the youth in the groups are supervised by adults who come with them. The youth (or their families) have paid their own way. Basically the kids are having an adventure holiday.

As Mapguy says, the best answer for a single person, who is not part of an organized group would be to pay for an adventure holiday somewhere like at an elephant camp.

I have seen those those volunteers at McKean and it realy saddens me. THe young people come to experience Thailand and its people and give some of their time as they wwant to do good. They spend hundreds of dollars for every day here when you take their airfares into account and spend their work time painting in a group of other volunteers without any contact with the Thai people. It is much better they spend 500baht ande donate it to the organisation if the organisation promises to employ someone to paint it and pay them that. That way the place gets paintedl. A thai gets work and the visitor can use the time iin a way that lets them see more of Thailand.

McKean is a good institution. This does not help it though.

[Beetlejuice]

I can't help but to state that why always the children instead of the olds? The old folks need more help than the children in my book.

Perhaps NancyL can find you something? Beetlejuice, please don't comment about work permit, thank you!

Ah please, now would I do such a thing?

If she`s an animal lover, the furry kind I mean, she could try to the dog rescue centres. I know these establishments are always wanting voluntary help.

[mesquite]

How about volunteering to "help" the Chinese tourists?

[northernjohn]

I'm rarely in agreement with Mapguy, but I do agree with him this time. Muchogra's right -- the oldsters are in need of help as much as orphans. That's why places like McKean hospital welcome groups that come in from time-to-time to do special projects, like painting and refurbishing buildings. Often these are overseas church groups, many times youth groups on holiday breaks. Note -- they are doing well-defined projects, set up in advance and the youth in the groups are supervised by adults who come with them. The youth (or their families) have paid their own way. Basically the kids are having an adventure holiday.

As Mapguy says, the best answer for a single person, who is not part of an organized group would be to pay for an adventure holiday somewhere like at an elephant camp.

I have seen those those volunteers at McKean and it realy saddens me. THe young people come to experience Thailand and its people and give some of their time as they wwant to do good. They spend hundreds of dollars for every day here when you take their airfares into account and spend their work time painting in a group of other volunteers without any contact with the Thai people. It is much better they spend 500baht ande donate it to the organisation if the organisation promises to employ someone to paint it and pay them that. That way the place gets paintedl. A thai gets work and the visitor can use the time iin a way that lets them see more of Thailand.

McKean is a good institution. This does not help it though.

THe young people come to experience Thailand and its people and give some of their time as they wwant to do good.

If they want to give some of their time let them. It is not a forced labor gang.

If they don't want to give some of their time then follow your suggestion.

[NancyL]

I'm rarely in agreement with Mapguy, but I do agree with him this time. Muchogra's right -- the oldsters are in need of help as much as orphans. That's why places like McKean hospital welcome groups that come in from time-to-time to do special projects, like painting and refurbishing buildings. Often these are overseas church groups, many times youth groups on holiday breaks. Note -- they are doing well-defined projects, set up in advance and the youth in the groups are supervised by adults who come with them. The youth (or their families) have paid their own way. Basically the kids are having an adventure holiday.

As Mapguy says, the best answer for a single person, who is not part of an organized group would be to pay for an adventure holiday somewhere like at an elephant camp.

I have seen those those volunteers at McKean and it realy saddens me. THe young people come to experience Thailand and its people and give some of their time as they wwant to do good. They spend hundreds of dollars for every day here when you take their airfares into account and spend their work time painting in a group of other volunteers without any contact with the Thai people. It is much better they spend 500baht ande donate it to the organisation if the organisation promises to employ someone to paint it and pay them that. That way the place gets paintedl. A thai gets work and the visitor can use the time iin a way that lets them see more of Thailand.

McKean is a good institution. This does not help it though.

The volunteers do more during their stay than their projects at McKean. Remember that most of the people served by McKean are Thai, not foreigners! There are several Thai villages on and near the island. They have opportunities to interact with the people who live on the island.

Incidentally, for the sake of beetlejuice & others, by doing projects as a group, it facilitates an organization getting a a temporary work permit, like the foreigners who did the charity fair at JJ Market last November did. It's not realistic to expect an organization to do this for a sole traveler who wants to "help out" for a few weeks.

[uptheos]

Childsdream.org

"Childs Dream is a charitable, not-for-profit organisation dedicated to empowering marginalised children and youth in the Mekong Sub-Region, which includes Myanmar, Laos, Thailand and Cambodia. We achieve this by working in partnership with communities to improve the educational and health situation for their children and youth."

Yes and by working together with organisations, that pay your regular staff very nice salaries.

Hardly 'not for profit'..........

.........and I won't mention work permits

[Thakkar]

Childsdream.org

"Childs Dream is a charitable, not-for-profit organisation dedicated to empowering marginalised children and youth in the Mekong Sub-Region, which includes Myanmar, Laos, Thailand and Cambodia. We achieve this by working in partnership with communities to improve the educational and health situation for their children and youth."

Yes and by working together with organisations, that pay your regular staff very nice salaries.

Hardly 'not for profit'..........

.........and I won't mention work permits

I don't know if they pay themselves a lot. But here's how I know of them. They were introduced to me years ago by an investment banker friend who was helping finance them and was here visiting the operation. The guys running this were young energetic former investment bankers who'd already made good and could have remained in banking to make loads more. They'd instead decided to devote their time to educating the various neglected minorities in the northern mountainous regions.

This is purely conjecture on my part, but I would've thought that if they cared about or felt they needed more money, surely they would've remained in their former lucrative careers.

I only met them very briefly, but for what it's worth, they struck me as idealistic do-gooders in the best sense of the term.

T

[uptheos]

Childsdream.org

"Childs Dream is a charitable, not-for-profit organisation dedicated to empowering marginalised children and youth in the Mekong Sub-Region, which includes Myanmar, Laos, Thailand and Cambodia. We achieve this by working in partnership with communities to improve the educational and health situation for their children and youth."

Yes and by working together with organisations, that pay your regular staff very nice salaries.

Hardly 'not for profit'..........

.........and I won't mention work permits

I don't know if they pay themselves a lot. But here's how I know of them. They were introduced to me years ago by an investment banker friend who was helping finance them and was here visiting the operation. The guys running this were young energetic former investment bankers who'd already made good and could have remained in banking to make loads more. They'd instead decided to devote their time to educating the various neglected minorities in the northern mountainous regions.

This is purely conjecture on my part, but I would've thought that if they cared about or felt they needed more money, surely they would've remained in their former lucrative careers.

I only met them very briefly, but for what it's worth, they struck me as idealistic do-gooders in the best sense of the term.

T

T, I appreciate your comment in response to mine. I can assure you that I know quite a lot about this organisation and how it operates, but here is not the place to discuss it.

[Mapguy]

I'm rarely in agreement with Mapguy, but I do agree with him this time. Muchogra's right -- the oldsters are in need of help as much as orphans. That's why places like McKean hospital welcome groups that come in from time-to-time to do special projects, like painting and refurbishing buildings. Often these are overseas church groups, many times youth groups on holiday breaks. Note -- they are doing well-defined projects, set up in advance and the youth in the groups are supervised by adults who come with them. The youth (or their families) have paid their own way. Basically the kids are having an adventure holiday.

As Mapguy says, the best answer for a single person, who is not part of an organized group would be to pay for an adventure holiday somewhere like at an elephant camp.

That's ok, NancyL. Often I don't agree with myself!

[NancyL]

Someone sent me a link to this organization -- not about this thread, but in another capacity. I don't know anything about it and can't vouch for it. But, this is the type of "adventure vacation" we're talking about where someone pays their own way and joins an organization that already has a structure in place where the tourist feels like they're doing volunteer work, but, well, they're really not. I'm not saying it isn't worthwhile or enriching, but it isn't volunteerism in the eyes of the Thai labor dept, either.

http://www.wwoofthailand.com/home/

[Thakkar]

Childsdream.org

"Childs Dream is a charitable, not-for-profit organisation dedicated to empowering marginalised children and youth in the Mekong Sub-Region, which includes Myanmar, Laos, Thailand and Cambodia. We achieve this by working in partnership with communities to improve the educational and health situation for their children and youth."

Yes and by working together with organisations, that pay your regular staff very nice salaries.

Hardly 'not for profit'..........

.........and I won't mention work permits

I don't know if they pay themselves a lot. But here's how I know of them. They were introduced to me years ago by an investment banker friend who was helping finance them and was here visiting the operation. The guys running this were young energetic former investment bankers who'd already made good and could have remained in banking to make loads more. They'd instead decided to devote their time to educating the various neglected minorities in the northern mountainous regions.

This is purely conjecture on my part, but I would've thought that if they cared about or felt they needed more money, surely they would've remained in their former lucrative careers.

I only met them very briefly, but for what it's worth, they struck me as idealistic do-gooders in the best sense of the term.

T

T, I appreciate your comment in response to mine. I can assure you that I know quite a lot about this organisation and how it operates, but here is not the place to discuss it.

Fair enough. I've already stated above everything I know about the group. I have no reason to doubt you when you say you know more. But, as you say, this isn't the place to discuss that.

Cheers

T