Happy New Year everyone. In the past few months O has been continuing to support the people mentioned previously in the blog. Things have gone well and we want to thank you very much in supporting the various projects.
In December and January O has been in contact with a small Karen village in the jungle near Sangklahburi, about 200 kilometres from the town of Kanchanaburi. Up until three years ago the village had no electricity. Now they have solar power which provides lights, telephones and television etc. A giant leap backwards perhaps that appears to divide the villagers along lines of traditional values. The village also has a primary school where the children are taught the standard curriculum in the Thai language according to the legal requirements of the educational system. The Karen language, lifestyle and traditions are becoming threatened by the increasing encroachment of the modern world.

In response to this Dai, a local villager has initiated a Karen language teaching programme at the school one day a week. Dai also teaches traditional Karen dance and and music most evenings. There are about 30 young dance students and 6 music students. For all his efforts Dai receives no payment and is required to cover the costs of repairing and upgrading his musical instruments himself. The sala, an open air roofed hall where they practice has holes in the roof and leaks making practice much more difficult in the rainy season. Dai has approached us to ask if we were in a position to help him to cover some of the costs of his work so that he may continue promoting the culture of his village. O has therefore agreed to provide him with a single payment of 5,000 baht to assist with the repair of the roof and musical instruments.