For my Leadership in Action (LiA) project, I spent a month volunteering at the Foundation for Education and Development (FED) in Khao Lak, Thailand. The organization works closely to support Burmese migrant communities, and is centred around the pillars of health, education, environment, and migrant development. 

My work at FED consisted of assisting with various projects. Most notably, I was tasked with developing and teaching a comprehensive English curriculum for their summer program which was intended to help students develop skills for the GED. Every weekday, I went into the learning centre to give English lessons to a group of beginner-level students alongside another volunteer. Together, we navigated creating engaging learning materials and activities, and prepared them for a final assessment at the end of the month. I also helped to write a proposal for the school’s solar panel installation, which would help save long-term utility costs for the learning centre. This was especially pertinent due to the recent funding cuts from international funding programs. While I was ‘officially’ assigned to working with the Education sector of FED, as that was what was most relevant to my research last summer, my experience enabled me to see how the different pillars of the organization overlapped. For instance, I learned a lot about environmental factors that impact students’ ability to learn; this included how a lack of adequate infrastructure to cope with weather and climate-induced power losses frequently interrupted classes and inhibited students’ ability to learn. In this way, my work on the solar panel project crossed over slightly into the environmental domain. The other sections of FED, which were health and migrant development, also intertwined with the organization’s educational work in similar ways. 

My greatest takeaway from this experience was being immersed in the community and forming personal connections. Khao Lak is a relatively small village, and I saw familiar faces every day. At FED, I was able to work closely with Burmese students who had recently come to Thailand as a result of the ongoing conflict in Myanmar. I learned about the barriers that they experience, many of which I had never considered before. These included hearing about their time spent at internally displaced people’s (IDP) camps and the lack of opportunities and outlets for social mobility for vulnerable populations, including undocumented migrants. I also saw the various ways in which nonprofit organizations can struggle to make a large impact due to policy barriers and a lack of resources. For instance, the USAID cuts, which occurred shortly before I arrived, had a great impact on FED; the school was ultimately forced to make up for these lost funds with staff cuts and increased costs to migrant families, which hindered their ability to positively impact and support as many people as they had initially aimed to. Seeing the systemic nature of these issues solidified my interest in pursuing a postgraduate degree that will enable me to work in education policy. I hope to gain the skills necessary to enact far-reaching change and ensure that as many marginalized students as possible can obtain an education, which in turn will broaden their career opportunities. 

In Khao Lak, I met many students and organization staff members whose educations had been interrupted. Some students had been one year short from completing their degree but had no choice but to leave their studies for safety, resulting in no credentials and little ability to transfer to another university as few institutions would recognize and accept their transfer credits. Others longed to study at international universities, but had little way to apply as their schooling had been stagnant for various years, making it hard to complete their GED. Obtaining funding for university was also a struggle. I have never felt more fortunate and grateful for all of the opportunities I have been afforded; I realized that having access to education and to be able to work towards pursuing my desired career path is a great privilege that should not be taken for granted. 

Ultimately, my time in Thailand was an unforgettable experience. Although it was a challenge at first to adjust to different cultural customs and to be immersed in an unfamiliar environment, seeing the other staff members, students, and other volunteers every day and being welcomed into the FED community with such kindness made my month there invaluable. I enjoyed everything that Thailand had to offer, including its vast national parks, beaches, delicious food, and buzzing night markets. I hope to return someday to reconnect with all the wonderful people I met. Finally, I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone at FED for their support, guidance, and generosity. I am truly grateful!