Previous volunteers can attest that Makhampom is an exciting group to meet but a difficult group to work with. At the heart of this is language. Without Thai language, there is a big barrier, as English, and other languages, are either limited or avoided. Another aspect is expectations, where hopes of working intensively with remote communities or in refugee camps are usually dampened by the cautious approach we take to working in new contexts. And the third point is culture. There is food, climate, work approaches, belief system, communication, behaviours to adapt to. So volunteering with Makhampom has its challenges.
We have found that participating in the Study Tour program is the best step into a volunteer role, as it provides an intensive introduction to the group, the place, the community context, and our methodology. Significantly, it also shows a commitment to work towards raising funds to support our work. And most importantly, it allows both prospective volunteers and Makhampom to know whether we can live together or not.
As of 2008, we have just said farewell to Mayumi Nomura, our Japanese volunteer who was with us for 2 years, working in Chiang Dao community programs, the refugee program, documentation roles, and developing international Study Tour for Japanese groups. Willow Kellock is currently 8 months into an AVI placement, working on the refugee program, and her partner, Marcus Veerman has initiated a Hands-On alternative education project, which is currently going full steam ahead with a playground project in the Pang Daeng hill tribe school.
Who is coming this year?
Htoo Ler, is an Australian-Karen human rights worker and former refugee, who has worked with Makhampom in Australia and will join Makhampom on a VIDA assignment, over several years.
Lian Low, from the 1999 Study Tour, is looking into 3 months from June working on writing, editing, and come community programs in Chiang Dao.
Georgie Davill, from Carclew House in Adelaide and the 1999 Study Tour, will join us for a 3 month Asialink residency from mid-September to give our training and organization approaches a bit of a shake up both in Chiang Dao and Bangkok.
Marbu, a Burmese Karen activist from the Karen Environment and Social Action Network, will have a 6-month internship later in the year.
And what is available?
We are also inviting volunteers to work with Makhampom in Chiang Dao, starting in July 2006. Our preference is for participants of Makhampom’s Study Tours as there is already a relationship, mutual familiarity, understanding of the Makhampom context, and a commitment to support Makhampom’s work. The volunteer roles identified by Makhampom are:
1. International Program Organiser
manage Makhampom’s English language website;
manage the PR program for Study Tours and Theatre School;
part of hosting team for Study Tours and Theatre School/Camp programs;
participate in general Makhampom programs in Chiang Dao and elsewhere.
2. English Teacher
teach English up to 4 days a week, in poor local and remote schools, as well as for Makhampom staff and volunteers;
participate in general Makhampom programs in Chiang Dao.
Faces of 2007
Circus Project
After the performance of the Study Tour in the Pang Daeng ‘dalaang’ village, idea of a
circus program at our Chiang Dao base has grown legs. John Butler and Frank Minitti
from Swinburne/NICA, Shien Chee from Spaghetti Circus, and several Study Tour
participants have sparked interest amongst the youth groups in Chiang Dao. Recently,
Jerry Snell from New Circus Asia visited with the plans for an Asian circus network
and regional projects. We will join the conference in Battambang in April to become
involved in the network.
So, in short, the circus project we are looking at would involve two main parts:
1. Youth Circus in Pang Daeng
We are working with the youth theatre group from Pang Daeng village (displaced dalaang
ethnic group from Burma) every month of 2008 on a project that studies dalaang identity,
in terms of history, belief, performance, farming techniques, arts, etc. One of the objectives
is to create a performance of their stories that they can perform to tourists. They depend on
tourism as they are stateless people, cannot own land, and the current tourism is part of the
hilltribe zoo culture. The circus aspect would become part of the theatre training, devising,
and performing part of the project.
2. Circus School in Chiang Dao
We will set up a regular circus class at the Makhampom Living Theatre, with evening trainings
for members of Makhampom’s youth theatre groups in the district.
Volunteer trainers and circus equipment would be welcomed to make this project a reality.
