Sydney students at your service!
Each year as part of their Chiang Mai trip, students from MLC School have the opportunity to take part in community service projects, which are a rewarding chance for the students to experience life in a small community while providing vital assistance on building projects. This year the group was split between projects in Mae Jon and Mae Mae, two small villages located in Chiang Dao, about an hour north of campus.
Mae Mae
The groups that went to Mae Mae worked on several different projects, which will all make a difference to life in the village. One of the biggest projects was cementing a new road, which will be really important when rainy season comes. The students were quick workers, getting through 25 bags of cement a day and found it rewarding to be able to see how quickly the road progressed! Other groups helped to begin redecorate the classroom and build a platform for a Buddha statue while also playing games with the children.
Mae Jon
In Mae Jon the students were involved in building a new house for the schoolteacher, who currently lives in a room attached to the classroom. It was hard work and the groups spent time collecting rocks and mixing cement in order to lay floors and build walls. All the girls got involved in the work and quickly learnt new construction skills and enjoyed playing with the local children in their free time.
On their last day the MLC girls in Mae Jon were treated to a performance and small market by the local community and given the opportunity to dress up in traditional clothing. They also performed an Australian song and loved joining in with the dancing!