Datum: 16. June 2019 Gepostet von: Urs Schmid In: News

Theewado is a small settlement in neighboring Burma's Mon State, 44 km from Sangkhlaburi and 20 km across the border. The majority of the approximately 200 inhabitants belong to the Karen ethnic minority.

Ricardo Zoleta, manager of Baan Dada Children's Home in Huay Malai, Sangkhlaburi, initiated the construction of a new school building here in Theewado, and realized it with the help of Singaporean architect Trecia Lim and her circle of friends and sponsors from Singapore.

The old school building was aged and dilapidated and limited in space. Only 3 primary school levels could be taught in a single room. The children of grades 4 to 6 had to walk to school to the neighboring village 4 km away, which was often impossible during the rainy season on muddy and flooded paths. There is no public transport here.

Moreover, this schoolhouse was hardly usable in the darkness during the rainy season. There is no electricity in this remote village.

In the newly built school building, all 6 primary grades can now be taught in several rooms. A library will be built in one room and the teachers will also have a separate room as an office and storage space for school materials. Translucent elements in the roof and electricity generated by solar panels make the rooms usable also during the darkness. The new school building will also be used for community meetings in the future.

Almost all the building material for the school building was brought by Ricardo Zoleta in countless 3 to 4 hour trips from Sangkhlaburi on roads that are difficult to drive on, even with a 4WD pickup truck. This was also only possible during the dry season, in the rainy season this region is inaccessible. Ricardo also supervised the construction. The construction workers were all from the region, many villagers and children also helped energetically and voluntarily when there was something to be done.

After almost one and a half years of construction, the inauguration could be celebrated on March 21, 2019.

Our charity has contributed to the costs of furnishings and initial school supplies.

The video shows the construction phases in a sequence of images and the opening ceremony in video sequences.

A video by Urs Schmid