On Monday I meet Ralf and Thomas from Raintree for lunch.
Ralf is the founder of Raintree. He relocated from Germany in the 80s. Thomas
moved here from Stuttgart about 6 years ago. They both speak Thai and together
with Stefan have driven the expanding foundation into one of the most effective
NGOs in Chiang Mai. After lunch I visit the office in a large leafy compound by
a river just south of the City. I meet Khun Pe (the accountant) and Kruu Noi
(the office manager). Like most people from this part of the world they are
very welcoming, polite and friendly. I spend the afternoon learning about the
Foundation’s activities. Its staggering how much energy you need to run this
NGO. Raintree has only a handful of staff in the central office supporting a
plethora of projects over a large geographical area. 8 projects, 20 odd staff
and volunteers, almost 200 children and then they still got to find time to
raise donations.
My first week is spent information gathering and talking to the guys and Pe. I am the second AfID volunteer. Luckily for me, Stephen the first volunteer, did some excellent work in his 3 week stint at the start of the year. I can hopefully continue in a similar vein and build upon his blueprint. I arrive in the office about 9am each day. The offices are large and roomy but still get hot in the topical climate. Air con is necessary. I share an office with Thomas and Stefan and they suffer as I launch question after question at them about Raintree and Thailand in general. They good naturedly answer each and every one. I know I asked the same question more than once and even yet they never fail in providing a full answer and hide their irritation admirably. I then go and visit Pe and Noi on their side of the office and do the same. Again, they are exemplary in their accommodation of the intruder. We eat lunch together. One of the great joys of Thailand is the food. So tasty and creative. A little too spicy sometimes but always cheap. I pay THB 25 for lunch. That’s 50p and its not an insignificant portion. Like many office workers in London I used to queue to buy an overpriced sandwich and forced it down me as soon as possible before returning to my desk. Sometimes I ate at my desk. That behaviour is hardly acceptable here. After lunch I use the Foundation’s bike to cycle around the grounds. Raintree shares the area with the McKean Rehabilitation Center. The area is lush and green and surrounded by a river and canal. The Rehabilitation Center is a collection of large white buildings, churches and a collection of small cottages. It was founded in 1908 by Dr James McKean, an American Presbyterian missionary, as a hospice for leprosy sufferers. He acquired the land from the ruler of Chiang Mai who used the land as a corral for his elephants.
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| The Raintree Foundation |
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| The Raintree Foundation Office, Amper Seraphi, Chiang Mai |
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| Khru Noi & Khun Pe |
My first week is spent information gathering and talking to the guys and Pe. I am the second AfID volunteer. Luckily for me, Stephen the first volunteer, did some excellent work in his 3 week stint at the start of the year. I can hopefully continue in a similar vein and build upon his blueprint. I arrive in the office about 9am each day. The offices are large and roomy but still get hot in the topical climate. Air con is necessary. I share an office with Thomas and Stefan and they suffer as I launch question after question at them about Raintree and Thailand in general. They good naturedly answer each and every one. I know I asked the same question more than once and even yet they never fail in providing a full answer and hide their irritation admirably. I then go and visit Pe and Noi on their side of the office and do the same. Again, they are exemplary in their accommodation of the intruder. We eat lunch together. One of the great joys of Thailand is the food. So tasty and creative. A little too spicy sometimes but always cheap. I pay THB 25 for lunch. That’s 50p and its not an insignificant portion. Like many office workers in London I used to queue to buy an overpriced sandwich and forced it down me as soon as possible before returning to my desk. Sometimes I ate at my desk. That behaviour is hardly acceptable here. After lunch I use the Foundation’s bike to cycle around the grounds. Raintree shares the area with the McKean Rehabilitation Center. The area is lush and green and surrounded by a river and canal. The Rehabilitation Center is a collection of large white buildings, churches and a collection of small cottages. It was founded in 1908 by Dr James McKean, an American Presbyterian missionary, as a hospice for leprosy sufferers. He acquired the land from the ruler of Chiang Mai who used the land as a corral for his elephants.
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| Church in McKean Hospice compound |
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| Hospice cottages, McKean |
Apparently the locals used to believe that the spirit of a wild white elephant haunts the place. Now the hospice provides care to the disabled and elderly. As I cycle around I am warmly greeted with a “Sawadee krap/kha” and the famous Thai smile. One thing in particular amazes me. They have hitched a cart to the side of a motorbike. A patient sits in his wheelchair that has been lifted and secured onto the cart. The bikes handle bars have been relocated from the front of the bike to the cart. The patient is mobile and happily drives his bike from the sidecar.
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| Transport for the disabled |
I return to Chiang Mai at about 5pm each day. I spend my evenings wandering around town, trying a new restaurant each night (the street stalls have so far been the best- and a dish only costs around £1.20), reading and watching DVDs. Thailand is famous for its pirated DVDs. I have been good and become a respectable member of the local DVD rental shop.
