THE HILLTRIBE ORPHANAGE PROJECT

The Hill Tribe Orphanage Project and the Rustic Pathways Children’s Home

In 2001, David Venning – the Chairman and Founder of Rustic Pathways – stumbled across the Baan Rai School, which provides an education and support system for more than 300 Karen Hill Tribe children. Since then, Rustic has supported this school and come to love these children and the amazing teachers who sacrifice so much to give them an education and an opportunity for a better life. They are respectful, gentle, happy young folks with great spirits and broad smiles. Through no fault of their own, their opportunities have been extremely limited and their futures are often uncertain. These children deserve much more than what they have.

To celebrate our 25th anniversary in 2008, we began construction on a new facility that will eventually house 130 of these children. We also initiated a career-training project to brighten the future prospects for the next generation.

As of late 2010, we have assumed full responsibility for 32 Karen students at the Rustic Pathways Children’s Home, and we expect to have 44 students at the facility by the 2011 summer. One of the largest projects ever undertaken by our organization, the Hill Tribe Orphanage Project directly supports the students of the Baan Rai School as they grow into responsible adults.

Rustic has also provided emergency funding to allow the school to build short-term housing for the orphans we have not yet been able to immediately accommodate at our facility. Rustic Pathways supplies accommodation, covers operating costs such as electricity and water, and provides several full-time supervisors at the facility to oversee the needs of the children. We also pay for the food, uniforms, and school fees for the students under our care until they have a sponsor, at which time their annual sponsorship fees (currently about $ 550) step in to cover food costs and school fees for the sponsored child.

Eventually, we expect to accommodate 130 students at the Rustic Pathways Children’s Home, which is located just a three-minute walk from the school.

 

Service That’s Fun & Really Changes Lives

High school students joining our Hill Tribe Orphanage Project will live in purpose-built accommodation on the grounds of our Orphanage facility and work closely with the Karen Hill Tribe students who live at our facility and attend the Baan Rai School.

Each day will be quite different from the rest, and your experiences here will introduce you to many aspects of life in this part of the world. A short walk from our house takes you to our host school, where you will teach a few English lessons each week. On some days you’ll get your hands dirty helping with the school’s organic farm, which provides rice and vegetables for the students.

Regardless of the service project, the goal will stay the same – to enhance the lives of these students and encourage cross-cultural experiences with our friends here. With each year, we have seen the remarkable improvements made by these students, and we believe that the sky is the limit. From tutoring English to developing the life skills training program that will help the students secure good jobs in the future, you will become a vital part of this community.

 

Join a Real Hill Tribe Village 
Mae Sariang sits high in the mountains of Northwestern Thailand in one of the most beautiful and remote corners of Southeast Asia. Only 120 miles from the vibrant city of Chiang Mai, the town is surrounded by teak forests and rolling mountains that are home to numerous ethnic minorities (known as Hill Tribe people), including the Karen, Hmong, Lahu, Muser, Lua, and Lisu people.

You will be warmly welcomed to this beautiful corner of Thailand and quickly develop lifelong friendships. And our long-standing connections in the area will open fascinating cultural doors to you that are normally closed to outsiders. You may visit the homes of Karen students in the nearby villages, attend Karen ceremonies, and learn how to do traditional weaving. Sing along and learn Karen redemption songs, play pickup sports, and learn how to drive a water buffalo plow through the rice fields – it’s all just another day in Mae Sariang.

Each week, you’ll take a field trip to a waterfall or historical site. You’ll also have the chance to head out for some adrenaline-pumping adventures, which may include river rafting, kayaking, long-tail boating, and trekking through teak jungles to visit Karen villages.

You’ll Never Forget It
This project started with a vision in 1999, and we believe that the best is yet to come for the students of the Baan Rai School. Join us and become a part of this welcoming Karen community!

Want to continue your summer adventure? This program connects to our other great trips in Southeast Asia, China and India. Contact us at thailand@rusticpathways.com for more information.

Please contact foundation@rusticpathways.com if you would like to learn more about sponsoring a disadvantaged Karen Hill Tribe student through our foundation. All proceeds go directly to care for the children, and we would greatly appreciate your support.