Staff member Khae shares an account of how the actions of one student rippled outward to positively affect those around her.

Last month, members from the Save the World Project based in Bangkok came to visit us. They were here to give information to our kids about environmental issues in our region. They surveyed the areas around our village and shared their findings with the students as well as asked the students about their opinions concerning environmental issues.

We felt this was an important opportunity, but talking with the kids was a little difficult for them because the kids are shy and had a hard time finding their voice to ask and answer questions. Thailand Director, Tawee Donchai, was able to help explain many important details about the forests, but the students still had difficulty relating to the guests by answering questions and sharing their opinions.

On top of this problem, we also ran into other frustrations, including difficulty with transportation and a few of the students weren’t as prepared as we had hoped they would be.

These difficulties could have really soured the day. However, there was one student, Rian, who, though she did not know all the answers, was courageous enough to speak out. Once she took the bold step of speaking up, others followed. The other kids felt inspired to develop in themselves the courage and ability to express their opinions and talk about important issues. Moreover, Rian felt proud of herself and her ability to help explain the concepts the staff had shared so that the other kids could understand. She was able to do this even though this was the first time she had heard about the concepts herself.

The staff members from Bangkok were glad to have come and were satisfied with the experience. They commented, “Even though the kids are shy, they still listened and participated.” Rian lead in that success. She turned a difficult situation into a constructive venture, helping the entire group connect with each other.

Sometimes, all it takes is one person to make positive change in the others around her.