This was the second time that King Edward’s had supported the school, having built them an extension to their Canteen and a new washroom block in 2006.
The majority of Prapan-Aree Hongsakul School pupils are from the Lahu Hill tribes who have been allowed to settle there by the Thai Government. The whole area is impoverished and many of the families that send their children to the school practise subsidence farming and have very low incomes.
During the year all of the participants were asked to individually raise funds towards the community project. They sold Thai Cookbooks, went on sponsored bike rides, cleaned cars and generally did jobs in their neighbourhood. There were also group fund-raising events held, which included an evening of Thai music and food with students from Bangkok University and an open-air blues concert held at King Edward’s in June. These events raised just over £6,000 that funded the construction of a new classroom block, which was desperately needed in this fast-expanding school.
The 35-strong King Edward’s team was divided into three groups, and over three days they worked on the construction project and also taught English to the school’s pupils. Most of the building work was completed before the team’s arrival by local builders, but drains and concrete paths still had to be laid between the new and existing buildings and the entire project needed decorating. The work was demanding in an environment of high temperatures and humidity, but all the pupils stuck to their tasks, which involved the entire Prapan-Aree Hongsakul School forming human chains to move sand, cement, water and other materials.
Many of the King Edward’s party stayed overnight with Hill Tribe families in their bamboo huts and experienced their simple lifestyle. A special farewell meal and entertainment was arranged at the end of the stay, with the Thai pupils performing traditional Lahu dancing and boys aged four demonstrating kick boxing. After an emotional farewell, the team departed, taking home with them memories of experiences they will never forget and a sense of having made a considerable impact on this very special school.