Project P.L.A.Y |
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Project P.L.A.Y 2 Baan Unrak – Home Of Joy Thailand, Sangkhlaburi (3 - 17 March 2008)
A team comprising 18 individuals (16 students from both Netball and Soccer Interest Groups and 2 Office of Student and Graduate Affairs staff) came together to embark on a service learning trip named Project P.L.A.Y (Playing and Learning Among Youths) Part 2. This project was aimed to instill values in the children and to promoting Baan Unrak and improve their facilities.
For this trip, we wanted to give something more than what we had given them the previous trip. We wanted to help groom them into better people for the future and guide them to pursue their dreams and goals. These kids have great ambitions and have the ability but are hindered by factors such as financial problems and citizenships. Our aim was to break the first barrier of self: ‘it all begins with me’. Hard work, perseverance, beliefs – these were the basics they had to overcome before they can tackle anything else.
The service learning comprises three major projects – leadership camp, playroom as well as documentation. The leadership camp project lasted for 4 days and was aimed at instilling beliefs and hopes to the children that “Everything is possible”; a phrase coined by founder of Baan Unrak – Home of Joy, Didi Devamala. Throughout the camp, they learnt to dream, to realize what they really want to be in life and how they can be that someone. Believing was not enough. We had invited guests like Sanjana to share with the children her story on how she overcame the barriers such as financial problems, to live her dream and continued to pursue her studies till she graduated from university. A role model like Sanjana would be a perfect model for the kids to follow. Throughout the 4-day leadership camp, these five main values were instilled in the children – hard work, study hard, never give up, humble and belief.
The playroom was a combination of both study room and a playroom for the kids. The objective was to allow the children to have a proper place to gain their knowledge while serving as an alternative play area for them in case the weather is not conducive for them to have outdoor activities. The playroom also displayed injury management posters and a photo montage too. The process of making the playroom had maximized our creativity and critical thinking; this was where the problem based learning (PBL) had come in handy as we handled the difficulties we faced. It was a joy to see the smiles on the children’s faces and most importantly we could feel the immense gratitude that Didi Devamala gave during the opening ceremony of the playroom.
Last but not least, documentation - the most important project. The main objective for documentation was to publicize Baan Unrak – Home of Joy. It was divided into three main sections consisting of photo montage, video and the official book for Baan Unrak. We interviewed some of the children as well as the single mothers and not forgetting, Didi Devamala. We wanted to get more detailed information about the home and the children’s background, thoughts and feelings.
At the end of the projects, everyone was more than satisfied to be able to give more to the children and made a difference in their lives. This project broadened our perspectives and we better understood the meaning of life and happiness. At the end of it, it was the entire experience that counted!
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