THAILAND TRAVEL NEWS: An American businessman and a Serbian social worker and engineer have joined together to provide children from four of Thailand’s hill tribes with a better future through the establishment of a residential village in Phrao, northern Thailand.

The Hill Tribe Children’s Village will house 40 boys and 40 girls aged from six to 16-years-old from the Karen, Akha, Lahu and Lisu tribes, as well as three attendant couples who will care for the children while they attend school.

The village has filled a vital need of the hill tribe children who, prior to its construction, had been forced to sleep on the streets, in wastelands, or in makeshift bamboo shelters rented by Phrao inhabitants, due to the schools being more than six hours traveling time from their homes.

The hill tribe children who will stay at the village are chosen by the villages’ councils, with those who live the farthest away being given priority, followed by those who show the most motivation for education next.

The village is the idea of Edward Wayne Jr., who for 30 years was CEO of OIC Valve Corporation in the USA, before he decided to sell the business to, “make the world a better place.”

He then used the money from the sale of his company to establish a nongovernmental organization (NGO) named The Bridge of Life, with the aim being to help children the world over.

The group has so far completed projects in Kosovo, Nepal and Serbia, where Tatjana Trickovic joined. When they became aware of the plight of the Northern Thailand hill tribe children they decided to ease their burden with the construction of the village.

Though The Bridge of Life has provided the children with a safe place to live, study and play, the Hill Tribe Children’s Village will need continuing support to pay for food, school supplies and daily needs. It is estimated that the cost for 80 children and six adults will be Bt100,000 (about $US3,000) per month.

Volunteers who can assist the children by supplementing their formal education by teaching computer sciences or English, participate in recreation activities, or even help them baking cakes in the facilities new kitchen, are also needed.

Unlike many other NGO provided facilities though, there will be no religious education activities allowed at the village.

Tourists or residents who wish to assist the Hill Tribe Children’s camp can contact the assistant project manager, Pairoj Topa, otherwise known as Tom, by email at tom@lannadiscovery.com or by phone on +66.(0)89.838.3135.

More information on The Bridge of Life can be obtained from its website at www.thebridgeoflife.net, while Mr Wayne can be contacted by email at Edwayne1@hotmail.com.

By John Le Fevre

Thailand Travel News for May 26, 2009