Community Enterprises
It is intended to generate income through enterprising units which will contribute to the self-sustainable development of the School for Life within the next years. Profits will be used exclusively for charitable purposes and are allocated to the care and education of the children of the School for Life.
Hospitality Services
A start in this respect is the accommodation facility with eight bungalows and 15 guest rooms, and a restaurant. The School for Life encourages culture sensitive tourism and was started to fulfill two desires:
• The desire of experienced travelers who want to truly arrive in a country, have authentic experiences and make friends, and who are no longer satisfied with “tourist destinations”, “tourist art”, “tourist events”, “tourist excursions”, “tourist prices”, or the boredom of hotel lobbies.
• The desire of culturally-open locals who supply hospitality in place of barracuda behavior often witnessed amount tour guides, and who want to combine cultural, ecological and economical development.
The School for Life opens doors into Thai daily life that bring guests, the school’s community and local residents together as active partners and friends. Some guests do not only want to observe, they prefer to actively participate in what they see. More than a few of them want to leave tracks behind. For this reason, the School for Life combines investigating reality with the opportunity to make contributions towards the development of the school and the community. Guests are not treated like “black boxes”, but as experts with professional experience. The guests do not have to take on this role, of course. They can also choose to simply take vacation while they are there. But they know that the invitation to actively participate – regardless of how small or large their contribution is – stands.
Camps for children and youth
The School for Life is located in an attractive natural setting deep inside a royal forest in the Doi Saket Mountains. His Majesty the King of Thailand, supports organic farming in this area through different projects. A training center in the forest accumulates and disperses knowledge. The School for Life has dedicated itself to organic farming. A large piece of land of about 17 Rai (27,200 square meters) is available for children and youth camps. Children from schools all over Thailand can gather experiences here that go beyond ordinary scout camps: intensive experiences of nature in combination with organic farming.
Organic Farming
Organic agriculture does not use artificial chemical substances but is based entirely on existing organic resources such as plant and animal remains. This process uses traditional and modern knowledge to support and intensify the ecological process of growing and prospering agricultural products while at the same time enabling a system of recycling. His Majesty the King strongly supports and implements this “New Theory” in exemplary models, thus initiating a departure from chemically contaminated mass production.
Grounds and Facilities of the Camp
The core of the camp area consists of farmland that is used to cultivate an extensive variety of Thai vegetables. Twenty huts have been built on the land and, during camp time, each of them can accommodate six to ten children that form a team. The huts are equipped with mosquito nets, seating pillows, running water, a rainwater tank, electricity, and cookery. Bathrooms are divided into boys and girls sections.
A large open tent is available for meetings. Additionally, the auditorium of the School for Life may be used for special occasions. The camp area also includes two playing fields: the smaller one can be used for basketball and volleyball while the larger one is suitable for soccer matches. A small stream that has been constrained by a dam and allows for fish breeding borders the area. An adventurous bamboo bridge leads across the stream to the other side. From there, hikes in the forest and walks to the nearby Pongkum village and its hot springs can be organized.
Apart from the cookeries of the huts, there is a large kitchen that can be used for grilling and cooking rice, among others. A small convenience store supplies the campers with everything they need for cooking. A small pottery including a kiln is available for use. High quality soil is created using compost. It is part of the recycling process that also incorporates other waste products such as glass and plastics. Three small houses are home to farmers who introduce campers to their work and ensure their safety.
Activities
The camp emphasizes life on a farm pursuing new paths in the midst of a forest. The children and youths learn to cater for themselves: planting professionally in the fields, harvesting, and receiving products that are required for nutrition. The surrounding forest can be understood as a plentiful supermarket including departments such as ‘animal and plant nutrition’, ‘health and herbal medicine’, and ‘re-growing construction materials’. Participants learn to know, use, and at the same time protect the resources of the forest through ‘soul trekking”.
Participants learn how to use organic products to prepare various delicious dishes of the Northern Thai cuisine. Activities are offered that support the development of English communication skills among participants. Provided for participation are traditional rural songs and dances but also modern western works such as the musical “Cats”. Pottery classes are offered that teach children the entire procedure ranging from designing tableware up to burning. The potteries can be kept as souvenirs. Participants receive knowledge about microbiological connectedness and the design of an ecological agriculture cycle.
For each hut, two experienced students of the School for Life will assume the role of guardian angels and peer educators. Participants benefit from the experience and knowledge of the School for Life students. Teachers of the School for Life as well as farmers will be available for certain activities.