About Ingrid Emm

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So far Ingrid Emm has created 4 entries.

Widening our Community

As we enter 2016, we continue to grow our relationship with Lanna International School’s Community service program.

 

Lead by Lanna teacher and long time KLEO friend, Dave Arthurs, and Mr. Alex, the Year 12 Community Service class has sort of unofficially adopted KLEO and Jen’s House as their foundation of choice to target their fundraising efforts for.

 

Back in November 2015, the class presented us with an unexpected gift; these students raised 15,000 baht to help support our post-secondary students. They organized a number of successful fundraising events including car washes, garage sales and musical presentations.

Since then they hold weekly English tutoring session at Jen’s House, and have held a series of fundraising projects to collect money and food for our Ban Rai dormitory, (read Coleen’s blog about the community garages sale here: (http://www.kleosupportgroup.org/lanna-international-school-community-service-class-of-2015/)

Coleen and I will visit the class this week where they will present us with the

and will come to visit Jen’s House

 

We are so thankful to all the Lanna students. It’s wonderful to see such generosity and desire to help coming from our community here in Chiang […]

By |December 6th, 2016||
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Student Voices from Chiang Mai

Our 7 new post-secondary students have just completed their first terms at Chiang Mai universities and colleges.  The students filter back into Chiang Mai after short but sweet visits home to see their families for the holidays.  I ask how they spent their time off.  The lucky few got free time, most worked hard on their family farms.  Starting a new school is tough enough, with loads of homework, hours of studying, mid terms and final exams. But pile on top of that the process of adjusting to a large unfamiliar city, and a very new way of life: language barriers, lack of computer experience, motorbike accidents, illnesses, stress and weightloss, struggles with sudden independence and money  management, boyfriends. Let me tell you these students really earned their holiday break!

 

It’s a tough transition, but these young ladies are taking it all on, and with ups and downs they are succeeding. They have all expressed how very happy they are to be learning, and how very grateful they are to have this opportunity. They have also expressed how much […]

By |January 19th, 2016||
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Snippets and Scenes from Thailand, 2015 Part 2

To continue my 2015 memories as I interned with Coleen:

Ban Rai Dormitory, Mae Sarieng:  “We don’t have any books.” This group of students has time but few productive ways to fill it.  They have little homework because sometimes the teachers at their government school don’t show up. They sing in the choir and love music but have no instruments or teachers, sports equipment, or books. I asked what they would like to do in their free time and the girls said, “We would like books, you know, about accounting, computers, business. Work. And English.” They are restless teens and preteens living in a village that is threatened by an all-too-thriving drug trade, and all the seedy, dangerous “opportunities” that come with it. Coleen and I brought back some volleyballs, footballs, and badminton gear.  I spent an afternoon playing with the students. They were so happy and that night a little more open and relaxed to chat, and try out their English with me.  This dorm has come a long was in the year that KLEO took over support […]

By |January 8th, 2016|Tags: , , , |
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New Year is Here!

A long overdue “Hello” to all our friends and supporters from Thailand to Canada, and all in between.    I’m Ingi, KLEO’s “Girl on the Ground” in Chiang Mai.  It’s been a year already since I first met Coleen, my friendly neighbor, and joined her in working side by side with the Karen people.  And it’s about time that I popped my head up to introduce myself and begin to share my experiences, and help to continue spreading the stories and successes of our students and friends.  What an amazing year of growth and learning, and connecting with so many lovely people! I’ll share a few highlights from the year, so you too can share this connection.

Snippets and Scenes from Thailand, 2015

Maw Wah Khee Village: “Jenny Moe!!” (Jenny’s Mom) This was the endearing cry from the families as Coleen and I walked around the village on my first trip.  She is welcomed like a family member coming home, and I, by association and by the value of Coleen’s earned trust, am too so warmly accepted into their home. I […]

By |January 8th, 2016|Tags: , , , |
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