Workshop in Chaiya Phum, Thailand
２００２．７．２８ − ７．３１
Keang Khro
２００２．７．２８ − ７．３１
Keang Khro
When this project started, I asked Ms. Yoshimi Fujii living in Bangkok for the arrangements. She introduced me, "Baan Suan Dek" which means "Children's Garden" in Thai. Two couples founded this "Baan Suan Dek" to take care of children who cannot live with their parents because of poorness, divorce, child abuse and various other reasons. Mrs. Koong, one of the organizers of this workshop, talked to seven schools in the neighborhood and twenty-five children of the schools raised their hands to join our camp.
28th of July, the children gathered. They met each other for the first time, so they looked a little nervous. We started by talking about what kind of image we had about "PEACE". After that, we sat around a big white canvas, which we brought from Japan. And we asked the children,
"What do you want to paint on this canvas?" They told us their images of "PEACE" and exchanged their opinions very actively. Then, each of us painted pictures on a drawing paper (not on the big canvas at this moment). After dinner, we gathered in a circle again. We exchanged the pictures each other and presented what he or she liked about the picture one by one. Lots of ideas came out. "I like calm scenery of rice field." "I like tall palm trees." "I like Buddha "etc. Then, we decided what we should paint on the canvas, the scenery they see in their usual life, "SONGKRAN Festival"(Water Splashing Festival), birds and animals. When I saw the whole ideas, I realized that their images of "PEACE" exist in their every day life.29th of July, 8:00 am, we began to paint in the garden of the temple where there is a big Buddha figure. Buddha seemed to watch the children who were painting under his knees. Besides painting, we enjoyed singing and playing games. Mr. Wichai, who is a friend of Mrs. Koong and usually works for environmental education, and his fellows, played with children during their lunch or free time. It helped the children from different schools to be good friends very much. After dinner, more people joined in painting and talked how we should paint the background or which color it should be.
30th of July, children kept on painting for three hours in the morning and three hours in the afternoon. Besides that, volunteer staff from Japan taught them Japanese and children taught them Thai. They enjoyed singing and playing games together. We also made "Onigiri" (Rice ball).
People in Thai eat rice as Japanese do, so they liked it very much. After dinner, we had a kind of ceremony of culture exchange. We played Thai dance, played instruments and sang a Japanese song. Children liked the song "Mori-no-kumasan" (Bears in a wood) so much. Just in two days, they could sing the song in Japanese! Even though we use different languages, after this happy time, we were like we had known each other for nearly 10 years! 31st of July, finally we finished the "PEACE" painting on the canvas and we carried it to the main room of the temple. Everyone signed his or her name on the painting and we took a picture in front of it. After lunch, Mrs. Koong read a story for the children under a big tree. We formed several groups and talked about " Five PEACEs". "Five" means i)Peace at home, ii)Peace at schools, iii)Peace at temples, iv)Peace in the community and v)Peace of the world. Each group presented what they talked in the group.
The teachers of the children's schools joined our ending ceremony. A Buddhist monk told us a story about Afghanistan. We realized that we lived happily in such a peaceful village but on the other hand, there are many people who are still suffering from war. I can tell that twenty-five children recognized what "PEACE" was in their minds. It was really a wonderful four days camp.
I greatly appreciate all the participant children's effort to complete this wonderful peace painting.
Lastly, I would like to thank people and Buddhist monks in KeangKhro village, all the teachers who agreed to give those children a chance to join this workshop as well as Mrs. Koong, her husband, Mr. Chatchai, Mr. Wechai and Ms. Srinaum who cooked delicious meals every day and gave us such a wonderful time and especially Ms. Yoshimi Fujii who introduced "Baan Suan Dek" to us. (Report by Keiko Hoshino)
Special thanks to Ms. Nami Nishimura who kindly accepted interpretation during this trip, and staff from Japan; Mr. Takafumi Miki, Ms. Mai Mochizuki, Ms. Aya Ito and Mr. Takao Nagahara.
Children:
DARIKA SOI KHUNTOD
NUN TAPORN WINGKHUMPHAN
RADCHANOK NINTARAT
NAMFON HATCHAIYAPHUM
SAYUMPORN MILINTAJINDA
JARUN JANKWEA
SUWAN TEAMRID
KUANRUTHAI CHUMNAN
RUNGNAPA POWCHANUAN
DARANEE SONPIW
SUPADA SRINANG
SUJIRA KUMSEEHA
DUANPEN NGAKHOM
RUTCHARAWAN KANSA
SUNISA TANSUNTEA
PRAWNAPA HANNOK
KAMONTIP KUMCHAIYAPHUM
PANAN SINGPHT
SRISUDA THONGSUKNORK
NUTTAKORN TAWEEKUAN
SUMEAT CHUMTHAISONG
MANUT NUKTHUMNA
MINGKUAN RITTISIT
ANU SANCHAI
RUNGARUN PHUMKONG
Participant Staff：
CHATCHAI ROJRUANRAI
SUNUNTA SOPATANAROT （Mrs. Koong)
SRINAUN CHAINAKRON
WICHAI NAPOR
Cordinator, Volunteer：
Fujii Yoshimi, Nishimura Nami ：（From Bangkok,Thailand)
Nagahara Takao、Miki Takafumi、Mochizuki Mai、Ito Aya、Hoshino Keiko ：（From Japan)