I am fortunate enough to be a recipient of a Fulbright
Scholarship to Thailand that began about 5 months ago. Since that time I have taught English in the
Northeastern region of Thailand, known as Isaan. Isaan is a largely ignored area even though it
is home to a third of Thailand’s population.
It is exceptionally hot and is the poorest region of the country,
largely due to the lack of tourism. Less
than 1% of tourists visit this region, so foreigners are few and far between. I
am the only white woman in my town and as such I get many stares from people
who have never seen a Caucasian woman before.
It is this lack of global attention combined with other factors such as
poverty that lead to Isaan people getting passed over. The people of Isaan are
often written off as poor, uneducated and unimportant. The rest of the world tends to ignore this
region and its people.
On the other hand, people the world over recognize Chiang Mai. It is a place brimming with tourism, where
the pace of life is faster, where one can hear several languages being spoken
at any given time and where a variety of global cuisines line the streets. When I first came Chiang Mai, it seemed that such
a diverse city must a place for everyone to thrive in. Yet there are still those who are written
off, those who are brushed aside. These
are the groups that ARI shines a light on:
children who are seen as defective, women who are viewed as tainted and
men who are regarded as useless.
What I love about working with ARI is that they have the
same goal for the overlooked people in Chiang Mai as I have for my overlooked students
in Isaan: letting them know their worth and learning from them. Showing them that their opinions are valid by
listening to what they have to say.
Providing opportunities for them to express their ideas. Letting them know that there are people who
care about them by being a smiling face in their day. And showing them that they are valuable by
being open to learning from them. My
experience here at ARI has inspired me with ways that I can further teach and
learn from my students back in Isaan and I am so grateful for that.
- Written by 6-week Art Relief International volunteer, Sarah C.
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