Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai

So on Saturday, Febuary 26th we all packed up our things and went our various ways to practicum. I'm working with Mekong Minority Foundation in Chiang Rai. http://minorityleadership.org/ check it out! We'll be taking a few days at a time to observe and work with each of their separate projects. But back to getting here. 4 of us girls took a bus to the city and then for the first two nights stayed at Blessing Home (a childrens home for Lahu kids) and got to once again practice our squatty potty skills as well as bucket showers!

On Sunday we went to a Karen village church for a service that lasted 3.5 hours! We were there for 2.5 hours and lunch afterwards was great. It was in the same village as the elephant rides. After church we went to the river to swim and hangout and grab some typical Thai dinner. It was a great time of bonding with some Blessing home staff and in the evening we played soccer with the boys and then let the girls braid and put flowers in our hair.

Monday- we had MMF staff worship for the first half of the day. In devotions we heard about a little girl who runs around the office who is a nanny. She was trafficked from Burma and has already raised 3 babies... however, she looks about age 6 but claims to be 12. One of the staff has taken her in and treats her as her own daughter while she also helps to care for the baby. Crazy stuff. We spent the second half at Blessing home and helped to prepare dinner for the congratulation dinner for graduating students. (By the way... congratulations sounds a bit like concrete solutions with a Thai accent. haha good times). In the morning they had killed a pig so that at night we could BBQ it. Each group of 6-8 got their own cement-bucket-fire-pit and we cooked the pork on it and ate it... delicious! (which I now can say in English, Spanish, Swahili, Thai, Lahu, and Akha!) I ate a fish eyeball...it was really good actually!

And Tuesday... we left the house at 7 to go to the migrant service center and children's day care to observe and work with MMF's Human Rights Project. Phichai drove around to pick up about 18 kids in the van. The center is a daycare for the children of Burmese migrant workers. The kids are of all different ages and ethnic backgrounds but have the common background. The children at the center are usually ones who have parents working illegally and can't get papers to go to school. They do very hands-on learning and being there was absolutely precious. We drove around to see the conditions of their parents' work and where they live. The first stop was a tile and cement block shop in the front, but the back was where the men actually made the materials. The conditions did not seem too bad and they explained that starting salary was 130Baht a day (about $4) but in Burma they could only make 30Baht ($1) per day so working in Thailand. We went to a village (tin shacks linked together) and met a man and wife with a 2 month old baby. He explained that he suffered from gout and could not work all the time because it is too painful. His job is to carry and deliver heavy boxes of fruit and other foods at the wholesale market just behind the houses. Also, his wife could not work either because she had to take care of the baby, so they worry about how to live. We also visited a man who is literally dying of diabetes because the doctor did not treat him properly (due to the fact that he is Burmese in Thailand). His leg had already been amputated and he has lost all feeling in his left side and cannot speak or really do anything for himself (probably a result of a stroke due to the diabetes). It was absolutely horrible to see and experience this and the implications of racial injustice and migrant/minority oppression. We also went to a migrant camp where contractors set up temporary living facilities for the construction workers. (sidenote: I ate raw pig head there...) We walked through on sketchy bamboo platforms that felt as if they may break or collapse any minute. Inside one 18x10ft room (where an entire family lives and keeps all belongings) we met Papa-a Burmese woman with her 9 month old twin daughters Ruby and Rosie. Can we say precious?! The father also came home because he will work overtime at midnight on the construction sight. A huge problem in the camp is that not all of the workers have permits and are working illegally, but there is no enforcement. The conditions are dismal, but it is significantly better than being in Burma. Part of the work of the MMF human rights project is to help meet the needs of the people in the camps (for example: if the contractor does not pay them one month they will advocate for them and go report it to the company so that they can have their money). After we left there we went to an area where the workers collect and sort the recycling bins. There, we met a woman who had her drunk husband literally set her on fire back in December. Fortunately, he was put in jail and her 6 year old daughter was at school in the north and was not there to witness it. Her in laws have to support her because her burns are still healing and she can't work. She is an absolutely gorgeous woman with the most beautiful smile. AND ALL OF THIS HAPPENED BEFORE 1PM (and I had to leave parts out)! Talk about a crazy day at work! We had the opportunity to attend a traditional Thai funeral which is a whole different post for a whole different day. I learned so so so much and have so much more to say, but I'm sure you're tired of reading this and I have to go grab some dinner now.

IN the words I used to express it to a friend: I love this place. Thailand is so AMAZING. But here's the problem... I go to different parts of Africa and fall in love with it. I go to Thailand and fall in love with it. I'm in love with the world... and that is tough. I leave little pieces of my heart everywhere but I wouldn't have it any other way and still always feel whole.

Peace and stuff,
Tiffany

Ps. apologies for typos... I'm exhausted (as you can read) and don't feel like proofreading! email me at tiffany.dukes11@houghton.edu if you want to hear more and update me on your lives!