Hello from Maggy!

Hi everyone!

I'm Maggy and I hail from sunny Southern California, specifically a little beach town called Ventura.

I graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara (another beach town-I really like the beach...) a little over two years ago with a Bachelor in Communications.

After graduating I did a bit of travelling around Western/Southern Europe and then landed a position in politics, working as a field representative for a state elected official. Through my experience in politics I was able to gain a unique perspective into state law and policy-making, while also using my direct ties to learn about significant issue areas such as water, education, the environment, public safety, and non-profits. Although all interested me, I felt spread thinly across several different topics and preferred to focus on, and be an expert in one field--something I deeply cared about.We can all strive to make the world a better place if we genuinely care about the work we do, right?

As far back as I can remember I have always been passionate about societal issues and helping at-risk populations. To be honest, there is nothing else I have ever really considered dedicating my life to-I don't feel as strongly about anything else. However, for a long time I just knew I wanted to help people. But help people how? I didn't really know. I just wanted to do some good. Working as a field representative I was able to learn a lot about government, but I knew it wasn't something I was going to commit my life to. I see politics as longitudinal systematic change and I'm all about direct, hand-to-hand, help. So I decided to take a risk and do something I have always wanted to do. And that's why you are reading this now.

I quit my job and came to Thailand to spend the next 6 months interning at Urban Light through CCT. Urban Light is dedicated to helping boys at risk of human trafficking and sexual exploitation. I am very excited to be able to not only immerse myself in the beautiful Thai culture, but to have the opportunity to learn about and contribute to such an important cause. I am really looking forward to making the most of my time here!

If there is anything else you need to know about me, it's that I am a super upbeat, positive, warm person, who really just wants to be your friend. Oh, and I LOVE to eat and be adventurous-whether it be with food or exploring some new terrain. Need a new buddy? Just say the word :)

Love,
Maggy

A Day in the Life of Mplus+ (สวัสดีครับ วันนี้ผมจะพูด เกี่ยวกับทำงานใน Mplus+)

Hello, Cormac here!

Today I’m going to write a little about a day in the life in Mplus+, an organization working in sexual health amongst MSM (men who have sex with men) and TG (Transgender) populations in Thailand, as well as promoting LGBTQ rights across Chiang Mai.  

Every day is different...

Working at Mplus+ it is fair to say no two days are the same. Some days we work in the evening, others in the morning, sometimes in the office, sometimes outside of it. There is a great diversity to the time and setting of work which is nice and spices things up, however for the most part our work is based at the Mplus+ office in Chiang Mai. This is a really nice two storey building with lots of space downstairs for meetings and eating, and with really good kitchen facilities. Upstairs is where myself and Maria work with the others - there are three rooms, although most of us work in one big room with lots of tables and computers, making for a really nice, communal atmosphere. However, in saying that over the last few weeks we have found ourselves in Chiang Mai University for the ‘No His-tory but Ours’ LGBTIQ event, at a local hotel for a series of workshops on empowering HIV community support workers, plus a local bar and a local sauna for outreach work. This mix of settings and times makes for an interesting and fun work environment.  

The most generous staff you could meet...

Myself and Maria are so lucky to be work with these staff members. I think you would be hard pressed to find staff as kind and as generous with their time, and with their food! On my second day here, one of the staff brought us to a café and bought us tea and cake, which was so delicious. Each day the houselady brings us something to eat, and one day gave us so much food and tea myself and Maria were totally full and just could not eat any more! Since then we explained that we got a packed lunch from home, and so we just eat that now, but any time we ever forget our lunch they are always first to get us something.  

The people here are also very generous with their time. I’m forever asking them how to say this, that and the other in Thai, but they never seem to get annoyed and are always willing to help. Because myself and Maria are the only native English speakers at the office, it makes sense that they talk among each other in Thai most of the time. However, when we’re at meetings or workshops, they are always willing to translate for us, for which I am very grateful.  

Looking Forward to the Next four weeks...

Today marks the beginning of my fifth week in the organization, and as such I have crossed the halfway point in my time here at Mplus+. All I can say is I can’t wait to see what the next four weeks have in store, as I learn more about Thai language, culture and from the other volunteers in the volunteer house.  

That’s all for now, โชคดี ครับ

สวัสดีครับ (Hey!)

ผม ซื่อ Cormac! ผมมาจากไอร์แลนด์ ครับ ทำงาน มูลนิธิเอ็มพลัส ที่นี.

Phew! Okay I need to work on that a bit more.

Anyways, my name is Cormac, I’m from Ireland, and I’m volunteering with Mplus+ in Chiang Mai this summer as part of the EIL Ireland Global Awareness Program in HIV/AIDS.  Like my partner in crime at Mplus+ - Maria Flavin – I’m a travel award winner with EIL.  

Mplus+ is a fantastic organization that works mainly in promoting sexual health among men who have sex with men (MSM), preventing HIV and other STIs by promoting safer sex with condoms and lube, and encouraging and facilitating testing. In addition it aims to promote LGBTIQ rights and positive visibility – just last week we had an event on LGBTIQ rights and social movements in Thailand (shown below), and on Sunday Mplus+ hosted the annual Miss Healthy Thailand, an event focusing on sexual health, rights, wellbeing and positive visibility for trans women in Thailand.  I am really excited to be working with this organization, and I have already learned so much from them.  I hope that my different experiences and background in LGBTIQ and HIV efforts back home will mean I can contribute at least in a small way to the project, as we exchange ideas and experiences in this area.

You can spot us quite easily in the above picture. I’m to the left of Maria and we’re in the left of the photo. This photo was taken at the opening of the LGBTIQ History Gallery for the ‘No His-tory but Ours’ 2 day event on LGBTIQ issues last week. That’s most of the team there – they are so much fun! Also shown below is myself and Maria at the opening of  Miss Healthy Thailand 2015!  

About me: I’m a medical student in Dublin just finished my second year at University, and I’m also a committee member of my University’s LGBTQ+ Society – so you’ll usually find me at a lecture, the library, a coffee morning or workshop.  I’m interested in sustainability, renewables and development – I was that ten year old kid who used to pester the principal about getting a compost bin and pleaded with my parents to get solar panels – I still get really excited about developments in the field and how each one of us can empower ourselves to make for a more sustainable, greener life. I’m also a Disney fan and like to listen occasionally multiple times a day to cheesy pop music!

So far my experience in Chiang Mai has been thought provoking, adventurous and inspiring.  I have already learned so much not alone from the people at work and in the locality but from living with the other volunteers.  Each of us has our own unique background and experiences and it’s allowing us to find out more about each other, which is fantastic. 

I also like languages (I’m learning some French in University and I did Spanish in secondary school) and the language here (especially the written language) is very different to my experience of European languages. The language is tonal which means how you say a word changes its meaning, and Thai script so far has been a bit of an unfolding mystery. For example, Thai script is written as an abugida rather than an alphabet (which means that vowels can go above, below, to the left or right of consonants and the form of the vowel changes depending on the syllable in question), so reading it is like playing detective, because you do get more familiar with it in time and there is a nice feeling of accomplishment when you finally get why something is written like it is. At the same time, while the tones and script make for another dimension to the language, much of the grammar is simpler than its European counterparts, such as with tenses, plurals and conjugations. Given how friendly and willing to engage the locals are - even with my plundering tones and faulty strung-together phrases – I’m looking forward to getting more familiar with this interesting and exotic tongue

I can’t wait to see what the next six weeks has in store for me, both in work and with the other volunteers. You can follow my EIL blog at http://www.eilireland.org/users/cormac   

Thanks, Cormac 

Let me introduce myself!

My name is Maria (far right) and I am studying International Development at UCC.  

Being a strong activist of rights; you can find me either tweeting or posting stuff on Facebook or going to talks, conferences, and demonstrations. 

I am an EIL Access Travel Award winner for 2015 with a real desire to make a difference. My interests range from gender equality to global conflict but what has been my main focus of study and research is sexual health. 

Sexuality plays such a large role in many people’s lives. It is a large determinant in their health and well-being, which is why I am such a strong advocate for the sexual wellbeing for all. With regards to developing countries, HIV has posed a large problem to many people’s sexual health and it is a battle many countries are still facing today. 

In the case of HIV, prevention programmes are essential to the health of the population, which is why I’ll be working with the M+Plus Foundation in Chiang Mai this summer on the topics of HIV education, prevention and treatment, as well as LGBT* activism. After all my reading, I am finally going to see the work that was being done, the impact that is happening, and I have never felt so motivated and driven. 

So far I am loving Thailand. The weather’s amazing, the food is delicious and you’ll find some of the nicest people you’ll ever meet (especially all the gang at Cultural Canvas Thailand and the M+Plus Foundation). 

I’ll be putting up a blog soon about my adventures in Chiang Mai and the amazing work at the M+Plus Foundation so watch this space! Be expecting loads of blogs, vlogs and photos from me and the rest of the volunteers while we document and share our time there! 

Until next time…

Maria