Monday: New Blood, Compasio, Starflower, Pyi Chit, Hsa Mu Htaw

The Head Teacher of new Blood School

New Blood School is indisputably poor.  It receives 15000 baht (£300) per month from the Catholic Church, nothing from anywhere else.  The teachers are not paid often, there is no money for food for children.  Yet the spirit of the school is astonishing.  The children are bright, responsive, and very obviously well-taught.  The staff are confident, competent and dedicated.  We overstayed our welcome by an hour, so warm was the welcome and so interesting the conversation. No complaints, no moaning, just intelligent questions and a simple acceptance that this is who we are, this is who you are: there is a divide which cannot be bridged. Of course that is not a view which we can share, we believe that divide can and must be bridged.  Every child is precious, each one deserves the opportunity to make the most of their life. This school does not just need help, it deserves it.  These children deserve an equal chance, and their dedicated teachers need to know the children have that equal chance.  That is all they ask.

I love Starflower Day Nursery, and I think we all do.  It is the only facility for migrant children with special needs along the whole Thai-Burma border, and helps 25 children with physical and/or learning difficulties.  The closing sing-song is a joyful, funny and moving experience.  The children are transformed by singing and dancing with the effervescent Khun Usina and the very talented guitarist.  This tiny project offers fun, friends, love and a moment of precious normality to children whose lives are beset by difficulties.

OK, a born teacher.  About 3' 6" tall, he rapped out the formula responses, rapped the board with his stick, and expected an immediate, accurate and certain response.  A huge character, like so many at Pyi Chit School.  The school, on the edge of Mae Sot, is small but essential to its community.  This year it will have help with lunches for its pupils and rent for its premises thanks to the generosity of donors to our Big Give appeal.

In the early evening we had the huge privilege to be entertained as guests of Hsa Mu Htaw school.  And when I say the school, I mean all of it, teachers and pupils.  This is a tiny but beguiling school whose head teacher, Saw Htet Htet Aung, is a woman of huge ability and charm.  Only her dedication to her children surpasses her charm.  Our invitation to dinner included a performance by the children.  There may be some film of this later, so I will confine my photos to one very apposite T-shirt above and one magically pretty photo below*

It is hard to believe that these are undernourished children from a migrant school, but that is the case.  The performance was stunning.  The children have no TV, so they practice every day.

Again, our Big Give donors have done the business for this school and their lunches start next week.

I cannot thank our supporters enough.  These children are wonderful, and the schools staff are beyond praise.  I am told that when Daw Htet Htet Aung heard that the lunch money was available, she did a little dance of joy.

Thai Children's Trust is so privileged to have the chance to work with children and teachers like those at Hsa Mu Htaw.

* You may not think the photo was beautiful, if so apologies that it does not do justice to the children and the costumes, which definitely were.