Visiting a School in Sri Saket

Last week Anette and I traveled 7 and a half hours by bus from Bangkok to Sri Saket province in the North East of Thailand.

Accompanied by Plan, one of the oldest and largest children's development organisations in the world, we went to visit a school during their celebration of the Thai Children's Day.

Thai people celebrate Children's Day every year on the second Saturday of January. On this day parents take their kids out for a day of fun, and places like amusement parks etc. let the kids in for half the normal price or even for free. In this way parents who normally wouldn't have the means would be more likely to afford a day of fun for the family. Naturally this is the day of the year for the kids!

The school we went to visit were celebrating the day before the actual day, with performances by the kids, fun games and lots of snacks and goodies.

What's up with the eyebrows, ey

Early practise makes the master

Where do they learn how to pose

Our ride

We also got a tour of Plan's projects around the school, like their "student bank" organized by the kids for the kids, teaching them about finacial management and giving them the opportunity to save money in their own account and be granted small loans for stationary, etc.,

At the school Plan was also supporting different agricultural projects where the kids grew vegetables and herbs, had a small fish farm and a smallhold of chicken, which produce could be served as lunch.

Anette with the Plan staff during the tour

Anette handing out snacks to one of the performers

Focused eye on the prize

"Blind-folded makeup-artistery"

New client ready to be made up,
cookie crumbs and all

Breef check to make sure there's no cheating

Preparing for talcum schmearing

Work in progress

Recieving "useful" help

Eager onlookers

Beautiful

Then we managed to squeeze in some touristy stuff before boarding the night bus and the 12-hour ride to Chiang Mai: