June 22, 1999
Teacher Yupa Tibwongse (centre) leads the children through their morning exercises at the Child Development Centre she built on her land in Baan Ke Ra Kee in Tak province. Ms Yupa, 32, is a high-school graduate which makes her the most educated person in the village. She has dedicated herself to teaching the local children to read and write Thai. _ pictures by Somkid Chaijitvanit High hopes EDUCATION: A devoted rural teacher believes literacy in Thai is the first step towards helping hilltribe children avoid exploitation and achieve a better future Chompoo Trakullertsathien Born mute, five-year-old Lek was trapped in a silent world as long as she could remember. Apart from the frustrations of being unable to communicate with her parents, she also suffered the ridicule of other children. Living in a remote Karen village in Tak province, Lek's poor parents had no hope that their daughter would ever speak. Until they met a devoted teacher named Yupa Tibwongse. It took Ms Yupa several months to teach the mute girl the basics of sign language. But her efforts paid off. Now that Lek can "talk" with her parents and friends, she has become a lively, gregarious girl. "When I first met her, she was so withdrawn," recalled the 32-year-old teacher at the Child Development Centre at Baan Ke Ra Kee. "She liked to sit in dark corners, looking gloomy and lost. Now she is a new girl." Her challenge now, she said, is to teach other children at the centre sign language, too, so Lek can widen her circle of friends. Lek is among some 70 Karen children who are getting a non-formal education at the centre. Established in 1994, it is the only school for the hilltribe kids of Baan Ke Ra Kee. According to Ms Yupa, most of the parents in the village are illiterate because they had no chance to get an education. And since the village is located in a national forest, the Office of District Primary Education won't allow them to build a school so they can educate their children. "As a result, the children had to walk 10 kilometres every day to the nearest school in Mae Sa Rieng district. So most of the parents didn't send their kids to school," said Ms Yupa, who is a Karen herself and grew up in Baan Ke Ra Kee. With a Mathayom 6 certificate, she is the village's most educated resident and she wants other Karen children to have the opportunities she had. In 1987, Ms Yupa and the local farmers banded together to build a schoolhouse with financial support from the Fon Yaad Diew Foundation. Ms Yupa was employed as the teacher and offered the children a non-formal basic education, but the cash dried up in 1993. Ms Yupa struggled to get financial aid from other sources, but to no avail. The school was closed and the children returned to helping their parents by working in the fields or looking after their younger siblings. "I tried to persuade the children to study at my house when the school was closed, but their parents said no. They said they would only send their kids back when the school reopened." Luck was on her side when a sympathetic factory owner gave Ms Yupa money to build another schoolhouse on her land. Although both teacher and pupils are grateful for the chance to resume classes close to home-"It is better than the 10-kilometre walk the children used to endure," said Ms Yupa-the simple wooden building is far from ideal. The two-room school can accommodate 40 pupils at most, yet 70 children sit elbow to elbow. The school has only two teachers and they must juggle teaching classes at different levels at the same time. Ms Yupa said she often feels distressed that she cannot give the best to her pupils, given the lack of personnel, expertise and teaching equipment. "It's sad to think about their future. I have to make peace with the simple goal of teaching the kids to be literate. Should they have to leave the village to work in the city, at least they can read the signs and speak the central Thai language so they won't be cheated," she said. Apart from literacy, Ms Yupa encourages the children to be self-reliant early in life because no organisations or individuals can support them in the long run. Health is also a priority. Since many of the Karen pupils are malnourished, which makes them slow learners, Ms Yupa grows vegetables at the school to give them extra food. The children help by taking turns tending the vegetable plots. "I come to school early every morning to water the vegetables. If I take good care of them, the vegetables will give me delicious food in return," said 12-year-old Nor Waa Hae. Apart from teaching, Ms Yupa also cooks lunch for the children. Though she is a poorly paid rural teacher, the woman with a big heart often buys rice and milk for her pupils. Ms Yupa and her colleague Ms Linin are each paid by the Office of District Primary Education about 3,000 baht a month. Both teachers spend part of their meagre salaries helping to support the children's schooling. "Their parents can't afford it so we feel it's our responsibility. Very often I would like to buy something for myself but I have to think of my pupils first. They are waiting for our help," said Ms Yupa. The teacher recalled when she was young and her parents couldn't afford her schooling either. Luckily, she got a scholarship which enabled her to finish high school. The Karen children of Baan Ke Ra Kee had no village school before a local woman built one for them. Though basic and overcrowded, the kids say it's better than walking 10 kilometres to the nearest government school. "I wanted to continue my studies at university but I had no money. So I made up my mind to help other children get an education instead," she said. A small village of 65 households, Baan Ke Ra Kee suffers from poverty like most remote hilltribe communities. The children's parents are mostly poor farmers, many of whom are deep in debt. According to Ms Yupa, the elder Karens are illiterate and cannot speak Thai. But thanks to the learning centre, most of the children can now read and write in Thai. This, she said, is a big step forward for the village. However the school still needs a lot more support if it is to help all the village children. The difficulty, she added, is especially great for the handicapped Karen children due to the inaccessibility of health services. Despite the odds, such successes as little Lek's ability to overcome her muteness is the reason Ms Yupa and Ms Linin persevere. "We know that we cannot really help the children much. But our mind is set on doing whatever we can to help make their lives a bit better," Ms Yupa said. Info for donations -Name of organisation: Baan Ke Ra Kee Child Development Centre -Contact person: Yupa Tibwongse -Address: Ban Ke Ra Kee, Moo 3, tambon Mae Song, Tha Song Yang district, Tak province -Bank account details: Yupa Tibwongse, savings account number 181-2-53426-4, Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Co-operatives, Mae Ramaad branch Alternatively, send your cheque payable to Post Publishing Public Company Limited (For Ban Ke Ra Kee) Send it to Mrs Kusuma Mintakhin, Editorial Manager, 136 Na Ranong Road, off Sunthorn Kosa, Klong Toey, Bangkok 10110. Her telephone number is 240-3700 ext 3224-5. Please also include your name and address with your cheque so we can send you a receipt. 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