PC Thailand 50th Anniversary

This July is the 50th Anniversary of Peace Corps working in Thailand. To honor the occasion, PC asked volunteers to do a community service project. I worked with Kruu Rath (my friend who teaches English in the high school) and Balat Sukon (City Manager) on a project honoring PC and Visakha Bucha Day. This day honors Buddha’s birth, death, and enlightenment. 50 high school students learned Buddha’s 8 fold path in Thai and in English and discussed how to relate the path to their everyday life. The path is: Right View Right Intention Right Speech Right Action Right Livlihood Right Effort Right Mindfulness Right Concentration They then made beautiful posters, drawing most of the pictures free hand, and flashcards to teach younger students what they learned. The high schoolers proved to be excellent teachers. They divided the primary students into 5 groups and taught them the path in Thai and English, rewarding good participation with candy. They had a rapt audience. The teachers and students had fun, learned a bit more about Buddhism, expanded their English, and contributed to community pride and volunteerism. A great way to celebrate Peace Corps 50th and Visakah Bucha Day. In July current and former PCVs will gather to celebrate the anniversary. The US Ambassador and the Princess of Thailand will take part in the celebration.