Phayao Education Foundation

What an amazing time it has been helping out at the school. This was my first workaday, so I expected the rural nature of the school to be a shock. However, from the moment I arrived, I was welcomed with open arms and was immediately made to feel at home. Helping out in the classrooms and helping to engage the children was really rewarding, and watching them learn English was truly heartwarming. The work felt more like fun, and I was never made to feel out of my depth. Even with little teaching experience, I still felt that I was really adding value, which was important. Outside of school hours, one of the teachers kindly helped me arrange a motorbike rental (super cheap compared to tourist areas). This was really useful to get around and see the area, and allowed me to try different places to eat outside of the village. Nevertheless the teachers invited on a variety of trips, and welcomed me into their family homes for evenings of traditional Thai drinks and food, which was beyond generous. The people in the area were so friendly too - never before had I imagined that somewhere so comparatively un-used to foreigners, would be the most welcoming and friendly part of the world I'd ever been to - I drank many a beer with locals, was welcomed to look round a farmer's traditional fruit farm, and was even invited on a fishing trip on one of the local lakes - and I could go on! Seeing a completely different way of life was really eye opening, and I've learnt so much about myself during my time here. A big thank you to everyone that has been so kind to me, and thank you to Hani and the foundation for setting up this project and facilitating everything. And for other Workawayers: If you're still unsure about whether this will be for you, all I can say is just go for it!