Volunteer Opportunity - Baan Dada, Thailand

Baan Dada Children’s Home provides a loving home, education, a healthy diet, and access to creative learning opportunities to 42 abadoned boys and girls from remote villages on the Thai/Burmese border. The majority of the children are Karen, an ethnic minority not considered full citizens on the Thai side and persecuted by the military government on the Burmese side.

The children are cared for by Dada Ricardo Zoleta, with support from 10 staff members hired from the local community. The Home is located in Huay Ma Lai village, a half hour from Baan Unrak Home of Joy in Sangklaburi, western Kanchanaburi.

Accommodation and 3 vegetarian meals a day are provided for you for 120 baht a day (around $4 CDN a day). You are welcome to stay in the Volunteer House behind the Home, which has electricity, running water, and a private bathroom.

Make a difference on behalf of these amazing children, support community project such as a Dairy Goat Lending Project, help market handwoven bags, fundraise to build a new Girls’ Shelter, construct a building, work on the organic farm, or lend your talents and creative energy for a new project.

You can also learn about village life and Karen culture, practice Thai cooking and daily meditation, and play sports and music. Free yoga lessons are also available upon request.

* Please email Dada Richard Zoleta at dadaramakrishna@gmail.com
* Please visit:
o http://www.baandada.org
o http://www.neohumanistfoundation.org/vidyadharma/aboutus.htm

Volunteer Opportunity - Baan Unrak, House of Joy, Thailand

Baan Unrak Home of Joy, located in Sangklaburi, Kanchanaburi Province on the Thai/Burmese border, supports over 120 abandoned and orphaned children. The children are cared for by Didi Devamala from Italy and Didi Anuaraga from Norway, who are social workers and yogic nuns of the Neo-Humanist Foundation, a non-profit agency registered with the Thai Ministry of Health.

You can stay at the orphanage or at a Guesthouse in town. Baan Unrak has seen groups of teachers from Japan volunteer there over Christmas holidays since 1999.

As a volunteer, you can care for the children, teach classes, music, or computers, paint murals, put on musicals, organize sports tournaments, do arts&crafts, and write project proposals and grant letters. You can also learn vegetarian cooking, practice yoga and meditation, hike and swim with the kids - there is plenty to do!

* Please email Didi Anuraga at didianuraga@yahoo.no
* Please visit http://www.neohumanistfoundation.org/baanunrak/

CARE - Empowering Women

CARE is a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty. They place special focus on working alongside poor women because, equipped with the proper resources, women have the power to help whole families and entire communities escape poverty. Women are at the heart of CARE's community-based efforts to improve basic education, prevent the spread of HIV, increase access to clean water and sanitation, expand economic opportunity and protect natural resources. CARE also delivers emergency aid to survivors of war and natural disasters, and helps people rebuild their lives.

CARE's Mission

CARE's mission is to serve individuals and families in the poorest communities in the world. Drawing strength from their global diversity, resources and experience, they promote innovative solutions and are advocates for global responsibility. They facilitate lasting change by:

* Strengthening capacity for self-help
* Providing economic opportunity
* Delivering relief in emergencies
* Influencing policy decisions at all levels
* Addressing discrimination in all its forms

Guided by the aspirations of local communities, they pursue their mission with both excellence and compassion because the people whom they serve deserve nothing less.

To learn more about CARE, visit their website: http://www.care.org/index.asp?