Volunteering during the rainy season!

When stepping into Freedom House you cannot help but sense you are in a supportive and caring environment. That is certainly what I felt when I first stepped through this Thai style house, nestled within a cozy part of Chiang Mai’s inner moat area. The house itself has a community spirit, with every inch of the building covered in a piece of artwork created by a Freedom House child.

After much hard work and innovation, Lisa Nesser has managed to transform a once old and lifeless building into a creative art space for children to learn and escape harsh realities for a brief moment. Freedom House has an open door policy and as a volunteer you are overwhelmed by the warmth and friendliness of both Lisa and her employee Nong, who is also a student of the school and extremely keen to learn English.

Spending several weeks at the House gave insight into the operations of a small non-government

organisation (NGO) providing underprivileged minority children, a majority of whom have fled Burma with their parents, an education. A basic human right they are not afforded due to Thai laws and policy on the immigration status of these children.

Several of my own perceptions have been quashed for sure and when undertaking a variety of tasks, I am reminded of the mammoth task it must take one women to keep such a project running. Especially a project which so many families and children within the community are dependent on for basic education.

I have been lucky enough to see the beginnings of the recently established Freedom House Café , Free Bird Cafe that is based on the grounds. A quirky and neat little business run from the house by Lisa and the students, which helps provide some income for the organization, allowing it to be more sustainable.

I have been lucky enough

To try Lisa’s homemade cookies and hummus, as part of her trial run before she finalizes the café food menu, (which I may add is all vegetarian) was a delight. There were certainly no complaints from being the taste testing guinea pig.

Above all, the lasting memory that will stay with me from the entire experience will of course be the children. Amongst the many interesting things I have been doing for the school, I have especially enjoyed teaching English to the kids and young adults, who everyday show me affection and an enduring spirit of hope, despite their uncertain fate ahead.

The children’s lessons were always interesting and certainly kept me busy; devising lesson plans for classes which included the crafting of windmills, learning parts of the human body, shapes and colours as well as the creation of a Shan folk story book (with the view of being published).

Leaving Chiang Mai after spending almost a month in this eclectic city, I am revelling in the fact that an exceptional lady is caring for the children, and I have learnt so much and will miss the friendships I have made. This is an experience I would truly recommend to anyone interested in volunteering in this area of South East Asia.

Thank you, Sofia

Thai Freedom House Blessing and Open House at new location.

In May of 2009 Thai Freedom House moved to a new location, after a lot of rehab on the new house we moved in and celebrated with a traditional house blessing and an open house for the families of the students.  For more information about house blessing ceremonies in Thailand: http://www.thailandlife.com/blessingnewhouse.htm 
On the evening of the party the families of the students attended and the kids got to show off some dancing and singing karaoke for the crowd.  There were also speeches made by some parents expressing their gratitude for the school and all it offers.  It was a lovely evening enjoyed by all.
We are truly lucky to be in such a beautiful, convenient location with wonderful neighbors who are understanding and accepting of our project. 

Moved in the new school.

Hello Everyone!

At this point classes and life at the new school are well underway and commencing with many new topics regarding labeling the school (shelves, markers, glue, etc) and the completion of the kids' About ME Books. The house blessing occurred on April 22nd, the day the astrologer chose as the best day for an auspicious opening. The monks arrived early in the morning and the blessing began at 9:49 precisely. The event was exceptional to watch and Nong, one of the students, prepared an amazing feast of green curry as an offering. Many good friends came to join in the festivities and brought many Thai delicacies and a brand new fan for the school! A much warranted gift in the ceaseless heat of mid-April. The morning streamed into late afternoon with the commencing of the Open house for FH families, teachers, students, brothers and sisters, friends, and neighbors who all joined in celebration of the new school. The evening was great fun for all involved and many of the students entertained the crowd with exceptional karaoke performances. The overwhelming sentiment of the event showed immense support from everyone involved and demonstrated the love that permeates through the relationships at FH and can only bring great prospects for the coming months.
-Intern Jess

Interning at Freedom House.

I'm Jess and i've been interning at Freedom House for about 2 months. The organization presents an outlet for expression and growth in many aspects of daily life for the students, a blend of ages, all refugees from Burma. Structurally, a homegrown practice, the founder Lisa Nesser is intertwined with the school as intrinsically as the cement that composes its walls. This connection allows for each unique personality and creation to have a marked impact on the house and the group as a whole. These footprints of individuality are what fuel the eagerness to learn and my corresponding desire to teach, igniting much brighter prospects than those that stain their past. The school is led by a group of volunteers who make their way through the doors several days a week without compensation. The good nature of these contributions adds life to the energy that perforates through the wooden beams. The opportunities that exist within these walls are seldom possible outside them, as the remaining ties of suppression based on culture, language, and ethnic background are evident daily.

My responsibility within the house takes on many shifting roles depending on the time and the day. Primarily, I am an English teacher to the students. It is my job to teach them the basics of a language that will allow them to establish themselves as members of a growing world community. My own fluency in this Roman alphabet, as well as the color of my skin, unfairly allots for a level of privilege that is currently not available to the students. Incensed by this notion, I fulfill my other days attempting to implore the international world of aid organizations to help support our cause and weed out grant opportunities. These are not easy tasks as the legalities that define the ability to promote change are binding. Ironically they work based upon the same biases that perpetuate such inequalities. Perusing the internet for these small available resources, I also publicize the school and the plight of the children in news postings, volunteer sites, and in any area of high exposure. In total, my extensions of influence reach directly to the children in the clarification of the issues surrounding "foot fingers" and to advocacy work that will hopefully help support the school long after my many months rooted on Thai soil have passed. The work has directly made its way into my heart and soul and what I contribute now holds a deeper meaning that what I could have ever imagined.

The students constant improvement contests directly to their earnest desire and motivation to learn. This personally is one of the most admirable of traits from my perspective and compliments my intentions to benefit their lives in any way possible. I'm learning from the students the capacity to find faith in humanity even after such horrendous mistreatments is simply possible with kindness and compassion. Things that are too often in short supply, but are readily available within the family structure of Freedom House.

Life at Freedom House

studying

making music

yoga time