Lost in Time: Volunteering in Thailand

Over eight years ago, I left it all behind in search for something that would awaken me from the mundane, corporate life I was living.  My trip to Thailand was the first time I had ever traveled outside of North America.  It was the first time I really immersed myself in a completely different culture and in the process, discovered more about myself through two meaningful volunteer experiences.

My experience as a volunteer for The Foundation “Friends for all Children” (FFAC), an orphanage in Bangkok, Thailand

The FFAC is a not-for-profit foundation dedicated to the welfare of children in Thailand. I discovered the orphanage through a little bit of research while staying in Bangkok.  There wasn’t much information online at the time, so I decided to visit the orphanage in person to ask if there was anything I could do to help while staying a week in Bangkok.  They greeted me with open arms and suggested I come in every day for a week to play with the children.

““We shall never desert you as orphans or for being poor.” - FFAC’s pledge”

While it did take some time for the children to warm up to me, they eventually became very comfortable.  It was hard to believe that these beautiful, innocent children were waiting for their forever homes.  If I had the means, I would have taken them all with me.  The children ranged in ages from 7 months to 6 years of age.

My takeaway from this experience?

1)      Laughter is the universal language:  I could not understand the children nor could they understand me. Through pointing, smiling and laughing, I realized that there is one powerful tool that is greater than any language in the universe.  Laughter. Laughter is part of a universal language of basic emotions that all humans share and with this powerful action, I was able to connect with these children, despite the language barrier.

2)      There’s a male absence when it comes to mentoring and volunteering with children.  The women at the orphanage were almost shocked when I asked to volunteer.  Even the children seemed like they weren’t used to men around them.  Most of the visitors that volunteer are women.  There’s an absence of men when it comes to mentoring and volunteering with children and I think it’s time we step up our game!

3)      A little goes a long way.  While the children I visited nearly a decade ago will forever hold a memory for me, they have long forgotten about me.  But for an hour a day, for one week, I was able to put a smile on their faces, however small the impact.  The thought of this alone makes it all worth it.

The children I visited at FFAC. I still remember each and every one of these faces and personalities!

My Experience as a volunteer at the Thai Child Development Foundation

This is a blog post from December 17, 2011, around the time I completed my 2 month backpacking trip to Thailand and before I started ‘Lost with Luis’.

It’s hard to believe that nearly 2 months ago, I left everything behind including my job, friends and family to finally travel for the first time in my life. It was a life-long dream and although I was scared of the consequences of leaving a somewhat stable life behind, I finally mustered up the courage to let myself go and embark on an adventure of a lifetime.

My first month and a half was filled with absolute adventure and curiosity. I felt like a 4-year-old kid in a large toy store and the sites of the busy streets and markets of Bangkok, in contrast with the lush green mountains and beautiful turquoise seas was mind-blowing.

I did it all. I went North, I went trekking in the middle of the jungle where I stumbled upon some of the most beautiful landscapes and animals one can only read about in a book or perhaps a movie. To capture all of this in writing would take days and days, if not more. I saw tigers and monkeys, I hiked in jungles, I bathed with elephants, I swam with sharks. I met wonderful people. I immersed myself in the culture as much as I could and I tried my best to adapt to every situation possible.

Despite this wonderful period of adventure, a part of me longed to give back and my short lived experience in Bangkok didn’t feel like enough. I had no idea where to go or where to begin. Through word of mouth and friends I met while traveling, I heard of the Thai Child Development Foundation (TCDF). It wasn't long before I found myself on an overnight bus (nearly 9 hours), followed by another one hour ride to my final destination in the middle of nowhere.

I ended up in a valley surrounded by mountains in the middle of the rainforest. I had arrived at TCDF. TCDF is a non-profit organization aimed to help children. The organization runs a school for disabled children during the week and an English School for the local village children on weekends. TCDF also has a self-sustainable ecological garden that provides fresh food for both volunteers and children.

To say that this organization is absolutely incredible would be an understatement. At any given time there could be between 2 to 20 volunteers. During my stay I was lucky enough to be with an amazing group of like-minded individuals and formed friendships immediately.

I originally planned to stay for a week and ended up staying for 10 days. Work consisted of gardening, adorning the bungalows in stones from the river, building furniture, landscaping a beach by the river so that guests and children could swim, teaching English and activities with the children.

Evenings at TCDF were filled with delicious Thai food, great conversations, music, dancing, drinks and lots and lots of laughter. 10 days felt like months and I quickly found myself forming friendships.

Interacting and teaching the children was for me, the most rewarding part of TCDF. Out of all of the amazing children, the one that stuck with me the most was a young girl named Peng. This beautiful, smiling girl at the tender age of 12, had been through more in her life than many people go through in a lifetime. A year before, Peng lost her mother to AIDS, and her father had already passed away from it. Peng herself was HIV positive and was under the care of her grandparents. From what I was told, Peng had good days and bad days but at a glance one would never know as she was filled with so much energy and had a contagious smile. The kids at her school in town knew of her condition but they did not understand what it meant. Peng lived for the weekends when she was able to come to TCDF's Saturday school with other local kids and thrive with other children that welcomed her with open arms. This little girl will never know it, but she taught me so much about life and I am blessed for meeting such a special person.

My last day was bittersweet and after I said my goodbyes, I hitch-hiked my way back into the main town thanks to some friendly locals that allowed me to hop into their pickup truck. The entire experience was a great way to end this life-altering, eye-opening trip. I took so many things away from this journey and will always be grateful for this once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Story update:  I recently reached out to one of the founders of this organization whom I have kept in touch with.  She mentioned that Peng is now married and has since had a baby and is enjoying life to its fullest.