Kad Sala Village
Just over a week ago, I traveled south of Chiang Mai to my current workaway stay at Kad Sala Village. Every day is a little different. Some days, I teach English alongside the other 6 volunteers. We have students from 4 to 12 years old, mostly beginning level. Some speak English well but are very shy about speaking. At the end of the sessions, I lead the group in as many fun preschool songs as I can remember.
The hosts have taken our group to the Buffalo Market, a monk’s funeral, a night market and an ancient Lanna Historical Park nearby. Kad Sala is far enough from the main tourist attractions that we are noticed. The other volunteers are in their twenties and come from Italy, Portugal, The Netherlands and Ecuador. The people we meet have been so generous and curious to meet us. Sometimes they want to practice a little bit of English, sometimes they just want to greet us in Thai. At the monk’s funeral, so many people made a point of making us feel welcome. They showed us how to enter the temple, they brought food and water. I have never felt so included by strangers!
Workaway – the work
My main work here is to help market the village. Before Covid, 50 or more families were supported by tourists who came to buy pottery or carved teak. The tourists came for traditional carving classes, Thai cooking classes and various outings in the area lead by local guides. Like so many businesses who depended on word-of-mouth marketing before Covid, the sudden end of tourism has devastated the local economy. All but eight of the carvers have given up on earning a living with carving and have left to look for employment.
The hosts are very good at posting to social media. My job is to channel the effort to attract customers. I am hoping to create key messages and organize the content in a way to helps travelers in the area know what is here and be interested in coming. It is a big job and not one that is easily understood. Fortunately, the 20 somethings are also enthusiastic about helping and I think we can make good progress.
Upscaled from the dorm
The workaway stay includes a bunk in the dormitory with a shared bath and shower. I opted to spend part of my Required Minimum Withdrawal on a small apartment adjacent Kad Sala where I have very good wifi, a private bathroom, bedroom and small sitting area – quite the princess – where I can work on the book when I am not doing volunteer work.
Being part of such a large group of volunteers is new for me. I could not imagine a better group to spend time with. Each brings her own story, reasons for travel and world view. What the group has in common seems to be a strong desire to support each other and contribute. It is probably one of the most amazing group experiences I have ever had.
I was planning to leave on November 8th. Now, I will stay at least one week longer. This is a very comfortable place to write and as long as we are making progress that benefits the community, I would like to stay and continue helping.
One Response
What a wonderful experience. I hope the children are having fun practicing the nursery rhymes.