By Rachel Donovan.
This week, Year 6 students from St Mary’s Catholic Primary School in Bundaberg raised over $70 in support of Palms’ education projects in Thailand. The students made scrunchies to sell to their school community and they were so popular that they sold out. The students have now started taking orders for those who missed out.
Their former teacher, Liz O’ Sullivan, will be taking up a two-year teaching placement in Umphang, Thailand with Palms Australia at the beginning of 2020. Umphang is a neighbourhood on the Thai-Burma border that is home to Thai residents and members of ethnic minorities from Myanmar who have fled to the Nu Po refugee camp in Thailand. Liz will be mentoring local teachers to strengthen the existing English language programs that give these Thai and refugee students a comprehensive and high-quality education.
This project is one of two education projects that Palms Australia is implementing on the Thai-Burma border to ensure all children, regardless of location, ethnicity or political status, have access to quality education. Liz will be joined by fellow Australian teacher Christine Bennett who will be teaching at St Joseph’s School in nearby Mae Remat.
We love to see support from our teachers’ home communities, especially their students. You can support Liz’s placement by becoming a regular giver.
Featured image: Students from Umphang Public School with their teacher, Fr Reynaldo.