From Nancy With Love

Swah dee caw! (Thai for Hi!)

I left Chiang Mai yesterday (along with my hubbie Lorne) after a wonderful visit with Coleen.

You know, we do such good work with all our KLEO activities in Ottawa and when I see the fruits of all our efforts, I am blown away! These young Karen people whom we support are giving their all to make the most of the opportunities we provide. They work extremely hard to do their very best at school, they sparkle with sweetness and they are very grateful, having thanked me many times for helping them. It was an absolute joy to meet them.

Coleen first arranged a dinner in Chiang Mai where me met some university students along with Ingi, a wonderful volunteer who is tutoring students in English. At first the Karen young ladies were very shy but so happy to see us. As the evening unfolded, they began to speak more English and eat less modestly! They made sure the leftovers were taken back for their roommate.

The following day we journeyed by tuk tuk, bus and […]

By |February 11th, 2016||
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A visit to Jen’s House

Sarah and I made a very special trip today to Jen’s House, located approximately one hour’s drive outside of Chiang Mai. Who is Jen and why was this trip so special? Let me back up a bit to explain.

In December we met Coleen Scott and her husband Bob while visiting with some other farangs (foreigners) on our little laneway in Chiang Mai. Coleen and Bob are from Ottawa and come to Chiang Mai each winter, but their purpose here is much greater and more noble than to simply escape the frigid temperatures of Canada’s capital. It is as much a personal mission as it is an annual holiday. Coleen first came to Thailand in 2001 with her daughter Jenny, and while trekking through the mountains became acquainted with the Karen hill tribe people, an ethnic group living in the mountains of both Myanmar and Thailand. Coleen and Jenny were instantly captivated by the simplicity of their lifestyle and the kindness and love they displayed. They also saw first-hand the challenges faced, in particular the lack of education. Jenny […]

By |January 7th, 2014||
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Ni Ki’s photographs Ma Wah Kee

As part of the photo project I conducted at Jen’s House, I gave some students cameras as they visited the village of Ma Wah Kee during the time of a unity ceremony (also known as a string tying ceremony).  Ni Ki, a student  is from Ma Wah Kee who is currently in middle school (which runs from grade 7-9) was one of the students who participated in this project. Every time I have interacted with Ni ki, I really enjoy my time with her; she tries really hard to learn and is always ready with her sweet smile.  She is pictured above with her parents.

I asked Ni Ki to take pictures of things that, to her, represented Karen culture and that she would want people in Canada to see. When I got the camera back (which she had shared with several other students) there were many, many pictures on it! With a small group of students we went through all her pictures and she chose three of her favorite pictures, and each of the other students (and Coleen and […]

By |March 13th, 2013||
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