Building Community Knowledge

Since our evaluation camp at the end of March our university students have been hard at work, returning home for the holidays and conducting community surveys in their villages.  The surveys helped developed several important skills while also providing an opportunity for the students to examine their homes by researching a diverse range of topics including the local economy, governance, religion and infrastructure to name a few.  From the 9^th to the 11^th of May our university students came together to share their conclusions. While the results revealed a diverse range of experiences they also shone the light on what is several commonly confronted issues including development, gender role and land issues.

The communities in Mae Hong Son are rural and located in isolated, mountainous areas sometimes inaccessible during the wet season.  Environmental events were common as landslides and flash floods regularly affected life.  The location of many villages within, or near, national parks also has an impact on cultural traditions, agricultural practises and livelihoods that are connected with the land.

The belief structure in the communities was also discussed with a diverse range of beliefs represented in our student body. Christian, Buddhist and Animist were the most common with some communities containing all three religious and cultural groups.  One Shan student originated from a Buddhist, Shan and Muslim village.  What became clear were the varying degrees the different beliefs and cultures had blended.  In some cases students who considered themselves Christian retained a lot of their Animist traditions and beliefs.

An important skill developed through the exercise was that of analysis and it was when the students examined the gender roles in their communities that they drew some confronting conclusions.  Gender roles and the expectations of marriage are traditionally based, deeply ingrained and is something that many of our students, particularly the women, felt constrained by.  In some cases women who had exceeded their position in the community or marriages that had been deemed ‘illegal’ were blamed for bad luck, natural disasters and deaths in the community.  During the presentations many discussions were held around this issue in the hopes that it would create awareness and confidence in the students to address these pressures in a constructive way.

Conducting the surveys also presented the students with an opportunity to confront their own pre-conceptions.  Puu Saw, a junior staff member here at Sangsan, talked about a woman many neglected in the village due to her a practises in witchcraft.  For many years Puu Saw had been warned not to talk with the woman by elders in the community but in undertaking the survey Puu Saw decided to seek out the woman’s story.  The result surprised Puu Saw as the woman did not meet any of the negative pre-conceptions the community had held about her.  Quite the opposite and furthermore she provided a lot of interesting knowledge on the community.

Development has also brought change, and subsequent challenges, to the villages.  A consistent theme was the loss of customs, with songs and folk tales not learnt by new generations.  Often at ceremonies the elders of the community have to support the youth to sing a song and our students hoped that their survey results could help record and preserve some important cultural traditions.

A lack of infrastructure, access to health services, reliable electricity and poor road conditions were also common experiences.   Education for many children within the communities was obstructed by financial unaffordability, seasonal work demands, traditional gender roles and geographical access often making our students an exception within their communities to have achieved university enrolment.

Aside from the ability to analyse other skills are practised through the exercise.  Research, interviewing and presentation skills were employed and developed through doing the exercise.  Creating a PowerPoint presentation is another skill the students employ regularly at university and was also covered.  An additional short exercise on PowerPoint design helped the students develop their skills further.

The surveys revealed a lot about the issues and experiences facing our students but more importantly it provided a great opportunity for the students to learn new skills and further develop old ones.  Perhaps the greatest outcome was the ability for the students to analyse and reflect on the impact their communities have had on them personally and how they can then impact their communities when they graduate.

One Billion Rising

Since October 2013 Sangsan has engaged with an international movement aimed at increasing awareness of violence against women and girls.  One Billion Rising for Justice is an international campaign that uses dance to raise awareness of the approximate 1 Billion women and girls who experience violence based on their gender.  In 2013 tens of thousands of events, in which large groups in public performed the dance, took place in 207 countries to bring light to the issue and provide an environment of empowerment and safety for women to express themselves.

Sangsan has been actively engaged in this project over the past year and we have produced five videos of our own dance performances featuring our staff, students and other women from the broader community passionate about women’s rights.

The dance has also been a useful tool within our training camps as a creative and energetic activity that also touches upon issues of human rights and gender equality. 

At our recent evaluation camps for university and high school students the dance was performed with staff and students, females and males together.  While the campaign is specifically focused on violence against women it also encourages discussion about broader discrimination against women and girls.  With so many Sangsan students being female these messages are important to discuss when considering that our students are at a time in their lives when they are considering the career opportunities available to them.  For many of our students the opportunities presented to them by their families and communities are typically limited within traditional gender roles or by the expectations of coming from a minority group in Thailand.  Through discussion with the Sangsan team the broader opportunities available through education are explored and encouraged.

One discussion at the evaluation camps was particularly resonant.  One student reflected in the group discussion about the pressures placed upon her by her family to fill a traditional gender role within her household and not to continue her education.  This related to not just the expectations placed on her but also on her brothers who, while receiving much more acknowledgement and encouragement, also struggled with the expectations of their traditional gender role expectations.

Further discussion occurred during rehearsal for the dance in which Jeab formed small groups to discuss the issues of violence and discrimination against women.   The discussion proved to be a powerful forum for both the female and male students to talk about gender roles and gender based violence in their own communities.

Sangsan is supportive of the campaign and is very proud of our involvement and contributions.  The One Billion Rising for Justice movement continues this year.  Please visit http://www.onebillionrising.org/ to follow the campaign and to find our what might be happening near you.

We are proud to present the videos produced by, or in collaboration with, Sangsan below.

The 2014 High School Student’s Evaluation Camp

March 31st to April 2nd

Gratitude for a safe environment and improved self-confidence were outcomes highlighted by 51 high school students who attended the annual end of year evaluation camp at Mae La Noi.   Running across 3 days and 2 nights the camp provided an encouraging space for students to evaluate the past year, set new goals and help direct the focus of their Sangsan training in the coming year.

The camp began with all students evaluating their experiences over the past year revealing many startling revelations about the difficulties they face at school and in the boarding house.  While the experiences varied from student to student, common issues became apparent about the treatment by teachers and school officials, discrimination, and difficulties in time and budget management.  The work demands on students living in the boarding house were particularly concerning and left students with little time to dedicate to their studies, added stress and affected their confidence.

The work of Sangsan over the past year had clearly had a positive impact on the students in helping them overcome these difficult circumstances.   Training in budget and time management, along with heath and exercise, had all helped students reduce stress and manage their mental health.  The camps received positive feedback, one student declaring, 

“I need the camps. It teaches me useful skills but also gives me a place to feel confident and safe”.

The impact of a safe environment became clear as the camp progressed with many students gaining confidence with each activity.  Many students also thanked Sangsan for the financial scholarships, saying studying would be impossible without it.  The benefit to their families was also noted as it alleviated financial demands on the family as a whole.

After evaluation the students discussed areas of training they would like to focus on in the coming year.  For many this involved building on the knowledge they already had in budget and time management, but also continuing to learn about managing their health.  Other topics, such as English language workshops, stress management and public speaking skills, were highlighted by the students.

Finally, the students set new goals for the coming year, in both their achievements academically but also personally.   Aside from better grades notable goals were to keep better budget records, be healthy and ultimately support each other in overcoming the obstacles they face. 

While evaluation and planning was the key focus, active and engaging exercises in English and dance also took place.  The dance exercise involved both male and female students participating in the 1 Billion Rising dance.  This was an activity that engaged students in a physical and collaborative exercise but also created discussion and awareness of violence against women.

At the conclusion of the camp information on the details of the scholarships were delivered and agreed upon.  As they were leaving the students described mix emotions, grateful for the experience of the camp, excitement for the activities ahead but also sadness as the camp was coming to a close.   With an exciting year ahead Sangsan would like to thank the students for their contributions at the camp and we look forward to working with them in the coming year.

The 2014 University Student’s Evaluation Camp

March 29th to 31st

An increase in confidence, better time management and effective budgeting skills were notable outcomes highlighted by 16 university students at the end of year evaluation camp, running from the 29^th to 31^st of March in Mae La Noi.  The camp was an opportunity for students from several universities to come together and evaluate their outcomes from the past year while setting goals for the year to come.  The camp also provided a forum for students to define their training needs in the year to come and participate in a workshop on community surveying.

An open forum for evaluation kicked off the camp with many students showing encouraging development resulting from the training conducted by Sangsan in the past year.  The holistic approach of Sangsan to provide students with life skills, including budget and time management, was noted by students as having a positive effect.  “The budget training helped me stretch my scholarship further” said one student.  Another student commented on the time management training saying “I have tried to use the time management skills learnt in the training every day, it has helped me achieve better grades and live a healthier life as I have more time to exercise… I am not as stressed as I was”. 

The evaluation activity highlighted many areas of personal development the students had experienced as a result of the training and support of Sangsan.  Confidence and self-awareness were consistent areas of improvement that several students said helped them face discrimination from other students and teachers.  The camp has also provided students with a safe environment to develop their public speaking skills, which when combined with more self confidence, helped the students overcome negative attention they often face during public speaking assignments at university.  This is a common problem faced by our students whose different accents make them a target of discrimination.

Participation in the camp also brought the students together in a space in which they can openly share and discuss their experiences.  This forum has helped many realise that they are not alone in facing discrimination, an outcome many students reiterated.  The training camps were also described as a personal release, relief and a place of encouragement and understanding. 

Further evaluation suggested that the earthen house workshop had been a great success with many students describing it as a highlight of the year.  One student said “when we made the bricks it made me realise that anything was possible as I never thought I could do something like that”, another commented, “I want to go back to my village and make my own earthen house”.  Better study habits, analytical skills and exercise routines were other notable benefits of Sangsan training highlighted by the students.

After evaluation it was time for the students to define the training they would like to receive in the coming year from Sangsan.  The success of the earthen house workshop was again evident as many students declared an interest in more earthen house training but also agricultural training in vegetable, rice and fish farming.  Camps were scheduled throughout the year on these topics as well as further training in English, public speaking, analytical and study skills.

The camp then progressed to a training exercise on conducting community surveys.  While the students come from a broad range of academic backgrounds, the ability to research, interview, monitor and evaluate are key skills required by all and were the focus of the exercise.  

The students formed groups, mapped out the geography of camp and then conducted interviews with the staff and management to discover the geography, history, culture, economy, education, infrastructure and health of the camp.  The exercise was a success, many students declaring their desire to return home and conduct surveys in their own communities.  Students described the skills learnt, such as interviewing, mapping and observation, as highly useful for their studies and eventual careers.  The ability to form a greater understanding of the communities in which they hope to work was another key outcome highlighted in discussion after the activity.  Finally, presenting their results provided students with another opportunity to speak publicly in the encouraging environment of a Sangsan camp.

As the camp concluded the conditions of the scholarship were discussed and committed to while the various training activities were tentatively scheduled to fit with the students study schedules.  With an exciting year ahead Sangsan would like to thank the students for their contributions at the camp and we look forward to working with them in the coming year.

February Youth Empowerment Camp for Graduating High School Students

Last month, Sangsan held a final end of year 3-day empowerment camp from February 7^th-9^th, for 31 scholarship students set to graduate from Sob Moei High School this March. The focus of the camp centered on two main themes: planning for the future and a follow-up/evaluation of students’ involvement in the Sangsan project. In addition to these two main themes, as part of Sangsan’s dedication to education on social activism and awareness of human rights issues, students were also introduced to the One Billion Rising campaign to end violence against women. 

Day 1

Students and Sangsan staff members and volunteers shared a group dinner followed by a brief check-in where they identified both student and staff expectations for the weekend. Many of the students identified that they hoped to gain more information about applying to university and continuing education opportunities as well as scholarship and funding resources.

Students give brief updates on school, family life, and
expectations for the weekend.

Additionally, students stated that they were in need of advice and encouragement as many were uncertain of their future plans and were hoping that the weekend’s activities would provide them with more clarity. Others also identified that they were looking forward to getting the chance to relax after an intense week of studying in preparation for the final exams and to enjoy the weekend together one last time before graduating and going their separate ways.

Day 2

On Saturday, students and staff started the day off bright and early with dance practice at 7AM with staff members and volunteers teaching students choreography for the One Billion Rising campaign. After learning the dance, Sangsan Director Jeab, explained the meaning behind the song and the connection with movements in the choreography and how this dance is performed by women, girls, and men all around the world to show their support and advocacy as a movement to end violence against women and girls.

Students share ideas for the future, challenges, and reflect on
how the program has helped them throughout the years.

After breakfast, students and staff gathered together and each student was encouraged to describe their current/recent challenges, tentative future plans, and their reflections on the program; how the program has helped them and what could be improved. Most of the students identified an interest in continuing their education after graduation and many indicated that they had already been accepted to various programs but were unsure of their next steps. Many of the students expressed their struggle to make decisions because of a lack of financial and family support/difficulties.

In terms of the Sangsan program and how it has helped the students throughout the years, there were common themes mentioned: the provision of funds which has allowed many of the students to continue their studies and enabled them to make it through their final year in high school; budgeting and financial management training; empowerment training, encouragement, and support that they not only receive from the staff but from each other which has given them a safe space to share their struggles, worries, dreams and ideas which has helped to build their self-confidence and strengthen their self-identity.

In the afternoon P’Jeab lead a discussion on sustainability and what it means to lead a sustainable life. She began by identifying that there are two forms of sustainability: external and internal. It is the external sustainability that we tend to focus on most finding a job and making money to support ourselves. She identified that students often have this notion that if they go to university and complete their degree they will automatically find a good job and have a successful career and as a result a financially successful life. In essence we tend to be consumed by the superficial external factors of sustainability such as a job, money, and education.

She asked the students to think about this idea— “Is this it? If you have these things you will be fulfilled? If so, how do we achieve these things?” And so taking these external factors she tried to identify how one might achieve these different aspects of sustainability: Graduate from a good university, get good grades, get a good job-perhaps with the government. While this is the likely answer, she explains that this is not simple to achieve.

P'Jeab talks sustainability with students.

Getting into a “good” university is difficult. Even if you manage to get into a prestigious university and graduate, there is no guarantee you will find a good job right way. Finding government jobs in particular will be difficult. If you do not have Thai citizenship you cannot work for the government. Even if you do have citizenship your ethnicity will work against you— mainstream society will push you out.

Following this path to external sustainability— education, job, money— is no longer enough. So, if this path is no longer enough, how else can we conceive of sustainability?

P’Jeab identified that to be sustainable we need to be able to support our livelihood and ourselves- focusing on basic human needs. We need food, so we learn how to grow our own crops, we need shelter so we learn how to build our own homes, make our own medicines, etc. Of course this is hard to do and it’s difficult to be completely self-sufficient but taking little steps everyday will teach us how to be less dependent on the material world and will soon form habits and a way of life.

Moreover, she acknowledges that you can’t completely escape mainstream society, you will need a job and you will need money for the things you cannot get on your own. However, P’Jeab stressed that we should look at how we might achieve these things differently. As identified earlier, it is not enough just to go to university and expect to get a well paying job afterwards.

She expressed the idea that school/university is not for everyone. She gave two examples of friends who did not go to university but who put in the hard work and effort to become successful in their professions. One is a hair dresser who started his own business and became very successful and financially well off; the other is a mechanic who learned the trade by volunteering hours and being an apprentice in a shop and who is now a well known race car mechanic.

In the end, P’Jeab indicated that whatever we choose to do, it must be something that we are passionate about because it is not enough just to go through the motions, whether you choose to go to a trade/vocational school or to enter into traditional university. P’Jeab identified that students should be working towards their passions because it is their passion that will drive them to go above and beyond; it will push them to take on extra work, to be involved in outside activities, to take on an internship, all of which will ultimately allow them to gain experience that will set them apart from the rest.      

Following the conversation on sustainability, P’Jeab introduced the different educational options that are available such as regular university, open university, community college, and vocational training schools/programs. Talking through each one of these options, P’Jeab pointed out the pros and cons of each and encouraged students to really think about which option would work best for them. 

Students perform One Billion Rising! 

In the evening students put their One Billion Rising dance practice into action. Everyone dressed in traditional Karen attire to show their pride and confidence in their culture and heritage. Students and staff performed the dance several times while volunteers helped film the event. You can check out our video on YouTube @ Sangsan Sob Moei High School Students-One Billion Rising!

Day 3

On Sunday, students and staff met for a final meeting. During this meeting P’Jeab and staff members provided students with tips and tricks for taking the final exams. After this, P’Jeab went into more detail about the different educational options identifying the average costs for each of these different types of programs, the length of time each would take, the logistics of being able to work and study simultaneously, how much living expenses would cost, and the different scholarships that are available.

After covering these details, P’Jeab encouraged students to make a strong decision about their future plans and post-secondary educational aspirations. She encouraged students to really consider their own dreams and desires and to make their own decision free from guilt over family wishes/demands. She then had students share their decision with the group, as well as, what their next steps will be.

P'Jeab talks about university, tuition, and scholarships.

It was incredible to note the difference in the students attitudes from day 1 to day 3. In the beginning it was clear students were worried and preoccupied with upcoming exams and the uncertainty of the future. However, by the end of camp students' confidence, strength, and certainty in themselves and their future plans and goals had been renewed.