The most exhilarating experience I have had in Chiang Mai was teaching for a short period of time at one of the temple schools.
I had three classes back to back, each class had about 25 students. It was a very challenging job both mentally and physically, and I loved every minute of it!
In each class there was at least one student whose attention I could not keep, no matter how hard I tried. They often roamed around the room and rarely participated in classroom activities.
I am sure every TEFL teacher knows what I am talking about.
Children who have learning disabilities, and are unable to keep up with the rest of the class. Unfortunately there are no resources to help these children individually within the normal classroom setting. So they often get left behind.
I recently had the good fortune of meeting Keiko Samuels, a retired psychotherapist who practiced in California for 30 years. She started working with autistic and ADHD children in Chiang Mai, Thailand six years ago using NeurOptimal neurofeedback. She is certified by the Zengar Institute to operate and train others on NeuroOptimal equipment.
I was so inspired by the work she is doing to reach these children through her non-profit foundation Educating Autistics Chiang Mai.
COVID-19 has had an impact on all of us. For Keiko it has impacted her main financial supporter with his forced withdrawal of further support to the Foundation.
Knowing the work she is doing with children has a lifetime impact on their well-being and ability to catch up with learning skills, she began pursuing other avenues to raise money for her program.
She turned to Global Giving as a medium for raising both money for and awareness about her program. She is currently running her first campaign, which has a requirement of engaging a minimum of 40 donors to raise $5,000.
If she succeeds she will become a member of the Global Giving community, and will be able to participate in future fundraising programs that offer many benefits for small, locally run non-profit projects like hers.
Of course I was the first to donate when the campaign launched! But she needs help to reach her goal.
I am calling on all TEFL teachers to learn more about what she is doing here in Chiang Mai to help the neediest of children. Visit her website and I am sure you will be as impressed as I am with the difference she is able to make in a child’s life, their future.
Then I would ask you to go to her Global Giving campaign and show your support by making a donation to help her meet her 4o donor requirement. All it takes is a $10 donation to count as a donor. Of course the more you can give the better!
Every child deserves a chance at succeeding in life, a pathway out of poverty. Keiko provides that path.
http://autisticchiangmai.org/our-story.php?lang=en
https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/hilltribe-children-to-read/
