ダルニー奨学金－日本民際交流センター

In October 2005, Wanapa, a high school student in Thailand, and Nupon, an ex-scholarship student who currently works as a teacher in Thailand, visited Japan. The trip was arranged at the request of their donors, Mr. Sato and Mr. Takahashi, and was intended to deepen their relations. Also, the two were able to stay at their donors’ houses respectively and had a chance to experience Japanese life.

Shukutoku Primary School always makes the utmost effort to collect and send miswritten official postcards and phone cards to be redeemed for cash as donations. Also, the school covers the Darunee scholarship program under the theme of “Children in the World” in its sixth grade Information Science class. The school asked Wanapa and Nupon to talk about their experiences to the students of the school, and to see the school life in Japan.

I heard that Nupon is a teacher in Thailand, so I arranged for her to observe classroom instruction and to experience a Japanese school lunch. Wanapa, a high school student, told me that her life is busy because of all the household work she must do. However, she studies hard so that she may one day achieve her dream of owning a restaurant. Since our students heard directly from Wanapa and Nupon that students could understand how donations help make a brighter future for students in Thailand and other impoverished countries. Moreover, students were able to reflect on their fortune of eating three meals a day and going to school every day. I wanted our students to continue to learn about the cultures of Thailand and to deepen our relationships through letters.

Small gathering was held at Minsai Center Tokyo office to talk about daily and school life in the rural areas of northern Thailand, as well as the future dreams of scholars. It was also held to deepen the understanding of our donors. After the conference, we received e-mails from donors who had attended the conference. Many donors commented that they were impressed by the forward-looking attitude and innocence of Wanapa and Nupon.

Although I was born to a poor farm family, my father was hoping I would continue studying. Mr. Takahashi, my donor, always encouraged me by saying in his letter that he also grew up in a poor farm family, and that if I worked hard, I could do anything.

My parents wanted me to receive an education, but my father has eye trouble, so my family could not afford for me to go to junior high school. If Mr. Sato, my donor, hadn’t supported me, I wouldn’t have been able to further my education and would have had had to start farming at home after my primary school graduation.

Being the fourth of seven children in a rice farm family in Akita prefecture, I had to give up my university education. Knowing this made me decide to support a child like Nupon, who is so enthusiastic about studying. When she was in the third grade of junior high school, Nupon wrote a letter to me and said she wanted to get a higher education, so I decided to support her until she graduated from high school. During that time, I came to understand her life, family, and dreams through the exchange of letters. Even now she sends me letters. My impression from those letters was that she was a very diligent student and was sympathetic to her parents. I found out my impression was right when I met her. I am so happy to be able to see her growth.

Although Japanese people can go to Thailand, people in Thailand, especially children who need scholarship support, can’t visit Japan, so I asked the Minsai Center to arrange this tour for Wanapa. I supported three scholarship students in 2001 and sent letters to them; however, only Wanapa replied to me. She always tried to understand my poor Thai language and answered me. I was hoping to respond to her innocence and diligent attitude. I think that our exchange was meaningful not only for Wanapa, but also for my family. Wanapa stayed with my family during this trip and we could understand each other very well.

Salesforce.com, a U.S.-based company, supports “Children and IT Activities” in Asian countries as part of its social contribution program. In 2005, they supported two scholarship students from poor families in northern Thailand and donated computers and digital camaras to the scholarship students’ schools. In November 2005, Salesforce.com invited Suwimon Pasuk and Kanokwan Janjampop, junior high school students from the rural Buriram province in northern Thailand, to show their movie at the Salesforce.com Media Festival. With the cooperation of their teachers, they built a project team at their school to build the school’s home page and to work on a movie for the Media Festival. Suwimon and Kanokwan were the first junior high school students to visit Japan through the Minsai Center.

The continuous support of Salesforce.com gave Suwimon and Kanokwan access to a junior high school education. Suwimon stays with her grandparents, because Suwimon ’s parents work in a city. She helps her grandparents by doing chores and field work, while attending school. Kanokwan’s parents barely make a living from field work. Kanokwan helps her parents on weekdays and also helps her grandmother make Thai sweets to sell on her day off. Suwimon and Kanokwan expressed their thanks for the invitation to Japan and the support from Salesforce.com, and conveyed their dreams and hopes at the conference. The stories of Swuimon and Kanokwan made conference participants realize the importance of support.

The scholarship support allowed me to afford my own materials and stationery so that I could heighten my concentration on my studies and move forward with my life, even though my family doesn’t have money. I hope to advance my education as much as I can and find a better job to support my family.

My parents and older brother can’t find a job due to their lack of education, so I hope to get the highest education. Although my dream is to become a doctor, I don’t think I can afford the education for that. My realistic goal is to own a beauty salon with my older brother and sister.

Donors make the opportunity for education available to so many children. We, Minsai Center, want to express our warm thanks to people who provide support to our organization, as well as to scholarship students. We are hopeful and thankful for your continuous support.

A teacher at Bandongswangwit School in Roi-ed Province tells about Narissara Buangbon. "She is so busy with taking care of her father, who is suffering from total paralysis, that there is no time to spare for her to take care of herself."

Here is Narissara’s story. Five years ago, her father became brain-damaged in an accident and had no choice but to leave the company he had worked for in Rayong Province. What is more, he was paralyzed and had to be taken care of by the family. However, his wife became tired of caring for him, and abandoned the family.

Narissara’s family received financial help from her uncle, who lives in Roi-ed Province, and they moved there. Washing domestic animals, cleaning their hut, and feeding and watering them before and after school are now Narissara's daily tasks. However, the economic situation of the family is severe, and she lives in a cramped house with 11 people. She feels as if she will suffocate every day.

Taking a pessimistic view of Narissara’s future, her father put her up for adoption. He said, "When I lived in Rayong Province with my daughter, a person who sympathized because I could not afford to raise children due to my illness adopted her and took her to Chantaburi Province. After three days, Narissara walked 100 kilometers or more to my home in Rayong Province and said, ‘Why was I adopted? Don't you love me any more, Dad? Even if you do not love me, I will stay with you and take care of you to the last.’”

This is not the only unhappiness for Narissara's family. In 2002, Saichon, Narissara’s younger brother, attempted to jump from a classroom of the school. Fortunately, his friend stopped him before it was too late. Since then, the school recognized that they have to watch and care for the mental status of Narissara and her younger brother more than ever; children will do unimaginable things because of the pressure of living in poverty.

Since Narissara got a scholarship, she is eager to receive as high an education as possible.

"I would like to study harder. Studying gives me knowledge. I think that if my father had an opportunity to study, he would not have lived such a hard life. I would like to receive as high an education as possible and obtain the knowledge to get a better job to look after my father. I am determined to stay near him and take care of him to the last. Because he is my father."

A little schoolgirl found a glimmer of hope while struggling through the hardship of her daily life. Her hope is to study hard, get a better job, and live a fulfilling life for her father.

Piyawan is a junior high school first grader in Nakhon Rachasima Province, Thailand. Her skin is lusterless and dry from malnutrition. Her teacher at school and her friends know that she is not in good condition. Piyawan tells us about her life.

“I can recall when I was a child, I used to live with my parents. After that I began to live with my grandparents. My parents went to Bangkok to earn a living. I was brought up by my grandparents on the money that my parents sent to us. When I was seven, my parents returned to the village and my siblings were born. When my youngest brother was two years old, my parents started to live separately.”

Piyawan did not understand why her parents began to live apart, because they had been living together and they had children.

Piyawan sadly confesses what was in her heart. “My father had difficulties supporting the family. He was accused by a shop owner of stealing and selling iron materials from a bike repair shop, and was put in prison for nine months. My mother married again and works in Bangkok, although I have received neither communication nor a transfer of money from her. I cannot understand why she does not worry about me and my siblings.”

Piyawan’s father was released from prison on August 8, 2005. Now he lives separately from Piyawan and sometimes comes to see her.

“When my father comes to see me, he brings money with him. However, it is not so much. Because he is suffering from diabetes, he does not have the capacity for hard work.”

In addition, her grandfather suffers from a lung disease and her grandmother has heart troubles. Consequently, Piyawan is responsible for the life of the family.

“On Saturdays and Sundays, my grandparents do not work, so I cut weeds to buy rice and food. I am very weary from hard labor, but I have no choice but to endure it. Unless I work, I cannot get money to buy rice. Quite often, we cannot have meals. That may be the reason why we get thin and lack energy.”

Since it is eight kilometers from Piyawan’s home to school and back, she borrows a bike from school. There is no electricity in her home, so she uses a lamp when studying at night. The lamp is not bright enough, so she cannot always read. However, for the family and for her future, her enthusiasm for study never deteriorates.

“I always think how my grandparents, my siblings, and I can survive. My dream is to get a higher education, to get a better job and to support my grandparents and siblings on my own. The school principal and teachers heartily encourage me. I can eat lunch at school and I am allowed to bring leftovers, if any, home to eat with my grandparents and siblings.”