November 16, 1999
Learning is earning ISAN: The Khru Thim Bun-ing Foundation was established to see that Isan children had more educational opportunities. It also loans money to the poor wanting to establish farms rather than migrate to Bangkok looking for work. But funding is limited Story & Pictures By Nilubol Pornpitagpan Suthidej Thisa is happy to see the new members of his mother's pig farm doing well. He hopes the extra income from hog farming will help keep his parents at home. Five years ago, Hattaya Taisuebchat had the feeling that life was turning against her. Her parents, poor farmers, had told her they could no longer afford to pay her school fees even though she had completed her primary studies and had hoped to the secondary level. Fortunately, the Buri Ram native says, someone told her about the Khru Thim Bun-ing Foundation in Chamni District, Buri Ram, which provides scholarships for needy Isan children, and also helps struggling rural folks establish their own farms. Hattaya applied for and was accepted by a boarding school run by the Foundation. She completed the Matayom 3 level two years later, and found herself equipped with various agricultural and husbandry skills. Now the 19-year-old young woman has become a small-time hog farmer earning a comfortable living while working as a volunteer at the school. But Hattaya is not alone. Thirteen-year-old Suthidej Thisa says he could not be happier. For the past two years, his parents have been able to stay rather than going off to Bangkok looking for work and leaving him and his two younger siblings in their grandmother's care. Thanks to assistance from the Foundation, Suthidej can now go to school, and his parents have begun pig farming, eliminating their need to seek work elsewhere. Suthidej hopes the spectre of his parents having to leave will become a thing of the past. "I missed my parents so much each time they left for Bangkok to find work. My grandma is kind. But it's never the same as living with my mom and dad," he said. There could be more Hattayas and Suthidejs if the Khru Thim Bun-ing Foundation had more money to cover the costs of its many programmes designed to help Isan people fight poverty and gain access to education. Because of the limited budget, the school, which runs solely on the support of donations, must limit the number of students to about 25. The foundation was established after the death of Khru Thim Bun-ing, a native of Buri Ram. A teacher and activist, Khru Thim fought hard to see that Isan children had more educational opportunities and more efficient educational programmes. He launched a campaign to expose the corruption involved in the construction of a school in his hometown in Satuek District and was shot dead in 1978. A group of teachers in Isan, wanting to keep Khru Thim's ideology alive, established the Foundation in his memory in 1983. Its initial objectives were to provide two-year-scholarships for needy students who had completed primary school. "Most children in the northeastern region come from poor families," said Ms Penporn Tasiri, a teacher at the Khru Thim Bun-ing Foundation School. "Many have to quit after primary school in order to find work or help their parents care for young siblings so the parents can leave home to find jobs elsewhere." "The screening system here isn't based on good grades, but poverty," added Ms Penporn. "We ask the teachers in various schools to propose the names of students that want to continue their studies but may not be able to do so due to a lack of funds. Then a representative from the school will visit the student's home to make a first hand inquiry." As the students are from Buri Ram, Nakhon Ratchasima, and Sa Kaew, daily travelling is out of question, so the school provides boarding for them. The school has a different sort of teaching concept. The curriculum is based on non-formal education, which cuts the normal three-year period of secondary education down to two years. The school also adds regional cultural studies and classes in folk wisdom to its syllabus as well as intensive agriculture programmes and others like weaving, fishing, and pig feeding. "I was disappointed during the first three months at the school," recalled Hattaya. "The system was so different, not like I had expected. But after a while, I found the classes interesting and useful. The skills I learned were very practical in daily life." Farm work becomes part of their studies at Khru Thim Bun-ing Foundation School in Buri Ram. Hattaya (left) and two current students work on the duck farm. When she completed her studies, she and a few friends formed a group and presented a hog-farming proposal to a jobs programme sponsored by the National Youth Bureau, a government project that loans money to young people to start up businesses. Under the auspices of the Foundation, they received a 60,000 baht loan to begin their project. Last year, the school allowed the group to build a pig farm on the compound, and they bought two sows and one boar. "We can help with the delivery of the piglets as well as sterilise the hogs ourselves," said a proud Hattaya. The group has sold piglets seven times since they started the pig farm. They have also earned extra income from other farmers seeking the services of the boar for breeding. So far the group has paid back 80 per cent of the loan, as the Foundation requested, so that the funds could be used to help other farmers. Mrs Sunet, Suthidej's mother, hopes the piglets she is tending can earn her family some extra income. "You know, my husband and I have worked real hard, but we rarely make ends meet on our small income. We have had to leave our children in my mother's care to go to Bangkok or the other big cities to find work. "When my children got sick or a new semester started, we had to borrow money from loan sharks to pay for it. The interest was so high that a few hundred baht could turn into a thousand since we couldn't pay the whole amount back. It seemed we could never free ourselves from debt." She added: "We like to see our children get as much education as they can. We're lucky that Suthidej got the scholarship last year. It helps ease our burden a lot. The foundation doesn't charge interest on the loan they gave me. We can pay back 50 per cent of the loan after we sell the hogs." Mrs Sunet and her husband rent a 15-rai farm to grow rice. But once the rent is paid after the harvest, there is only a little bit of rice left for the family. "My husband and I did all the farm work ourselves since we couldn't afford to hire a helping hand," she said. In addition to the school, the Foundation also offers various agricultural training programmes for youths and other programmes for parents and other adults. It also finds loans to farmers who want to start certain farms or projects. The Foundation's main financial support comes from the French organisation Terre des Hommes and donations from the public. But Ms Penporn said donations have run dry since the country's economic situation went sour. Each year around 40 to 46 candidates seek scholarships from the Foundation, but the school can only take 10 to 12 students per year and must turn down the rest. The school has four teachers. One is an agricultural expert, one handles the non-formal studies, one handles regional cultural studies, and the other is an art teacher. All left more comfortable and higher-paying jobs to teach at the Foundation's school. "I used to visit the school when it organised training camps for young students. The kids were different. They talked like adults. I found that very interesting," said Ms Penporn. "And teaching here-you put your brain to maximum use." Hattaya says, "I'm glad that I didn't end up finding work in Bangkok. If I hadn't got the chance from the Foundation, I might have headed for the big city to find job. I have a happy life now." And when asked what dream he has for his future, Suthidej said: "I wish I could have a big piece of land so that I could do a lot of farming. I would like to help ease my parents' burdens." ***"We Care" is a weekly series honouring people who believe in giving. Apart from supporting these causes, you can also let us know about people who unselfishly help others so we can make more people aware of their efforts. Fax 'We Care' on 240-3668 or call 240-3700 ext 3208 or 3212. Email can be sent to: sanitsuda@bangkokpost.net. For a comprehensive list of charities covered by Outlook's 'We Care' weekly series, see the Bangkok Post Web site at http://www.bangkokpost.net/ outlookwecare/. Info for donations - Name of Project: The Khru Thim Bun-ing Foundation - Contact person: Penporn Tasiri or Kiattisak Pramual - Address: 74 Moo 8, Chor Paka Sub-district, Chamni District, Buri Ram 31110 - Telephone: (01) 390-2045. - Bank details: Bangkok Bank (Nang Rong branch) savings account, Khru Thim Bun-ing Foundation, account number 4140229610. Alternatively, send cheque payable to "Post Publishing Public Company Limited (for the CCD)" to Mrs Kusuma Mintakhin, Editorial Manager, 136 Na Ranong Road, off Sunthorn Kosa, Klong Toey, Bangkok 10110. Telephone number 240-3700 ext 3224-5. Please include your name and address with your cheque so we can send you a receipt.		Daily Main Entrance Page Local News Business Outlook Weekly IT news Horizons Travel NiteOwl (Trink) Real.Time Motoring Student Weekly Entertainment & Lifestyle What's on Dining out Recipe of the week Movies Music Book Review Beauty Fitness Nutrition NEW! 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