2017 KARE Trips

Volunteer teachers bring smiles to hundreds of Karen students!

 

This year we were overwhelmed by the participation of so many amazing KARE volunteers! Thank you for bringing education and the gift of your time and energy to the Karen people at Mae Ra Moe refugee camp.

January – Billy Coleman, from Illinois, USA. Billy has extensive volunteer teaching experience in classrooms in India, Nepal & Thailand since 2012. Our first Workaway volunteer!

On his way to camp Billy stopped in Chiang Mai to pick up two projectors and screens purchased by our friend Menno Hoekstra from Norway. Billy delivered these exciting tools for education to High School No. 1 and Karen Adventist Academy in Mae Ra Moe.

February – Sara Carlson and Melissa Gerads from Minnesota, USA.  Sara has Masters of Social Work and a TEFL certificate. She lived in India for three years helping women and children. Melissa is an artist and a scientist. She has a four year degree as a medical laboratory scientist and experience training students at her hospital lab.

March & April – Schools are closed at Mae Ra Moe. Schools open again on May 22.

May – Three volunteers!

  • Stephanie Wright, from NJ in USA, is teaching for two months at High School No. 1. Stephanie started a crowdfunding effort months in advance and she filled a truck loaded with school supplies and delivered that to Karen Adventist Academy (KAA)
  • Tim Flangan is a Fulbright Distinguished Teacher with 29 years of teaching experience. Tim taught English for three weeks at KAA and at MRM Jr. College.
  • Lauren Griffiths from the UK has TEFL qualification and she recently finished volunteering in a refugee camp in Northern France. She taught for 10 days at KAA.

June – Ellise Johnson, from TX in the US, is joining Stephanie Wright at High School No. 1 where she will teach for almost two months!

October – Billy Coleman, from Illinois, USA. Billy returns! Billy came back to teach at High School No. 1. We’re pretty sure this will not be the last time we see Billy at Mae Ra Moe 🙂

November – This KARE Trip was our biggest yet! We had a team of 11 people at Mae Ra Moe. All three KARE co-founders – Su Baw, Ron Levis and Michaely Rosas and we were joined by Lah K’Paw (Su Baw’s husband), Bryce Thompson, Cory Schuver, Levi Bechtel, and Tammy all from the USA, Nadine Kueber from Germany, as well as Amy Thomas and Maddy Sanders from Australia. What an amazing accomplishment and adventure!

December – The perfect ending to an amazing year! Tara Constantine from Antigua and the UK and Sorcha Turnbull from Scotland delighted students at Mae Ra Moe Jr. College.

Two projectors donated by Menno Hoekstra
August John and Billy at waterfall in Mae Ra Moe
Sara and Melissa at their fundraiser in Minnesota
Tim Flanagan and Lauren Griffiths donating much needed school supplies to Yo Poe, Principal of High Two high school
Volunteer Stephanie Wright with August John, Principal of High One

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Amy Thomas, Tammy Petry, Bryce Thompson, Nadine Kueber, Maddy Sanders, Ron Levis, Lah K’Paw, Michaely Rosas, Cory Schuver, and Su Baw, (plus Levi Bechtel taking the photo!) with four trucks loaded with school supplies ready for delivery to Mae Ra Moe and Karen State in Burma!

 

Tara from the UK and Antigua and Sorcha from Scotland – celebrating life at Mae Ra Moe Jr College