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Phuket Has Been Good to Us Foundation
Volunteers Bronty O'Leary
Volunteering at the Kalim School for The Phuket Has Been Good to us Foundation was incredibly enjoyable and an amazing experience overall. The Classes were very well planned and put together with fun games and challenges that helped the children expand their vocabulary. Working with the children was immensely rewarding because I learned so much from them, their ability to give when they had very little opened my eyes to the Thai community, like I had never seen it before. From field trips to the aquarium and the local Phuket university, the children got to practice their vocabulary that we learned in the previous classes, which showed them that learning the English language has become a necessity in their society. I had the best time being a teacher's assistant this August and I would like to thank the Phuket Has Been Good To Us foundation for giving me this great opportunity.  Carrie-Ann Pryke and Malcolm Garlick
Back in England Carrie-Ann and Malcolm googled not for profit organizations to find a worthy organization in Thailand where they could volunteer. They are delighted that they found Phuket Has Been Good To Us as they have spent a rewarding three months volunteering with the Foundation. Carrie-Ann and Malcolm have helped with fundraising initiatives and with testing of the students at the beginning of term. Carrie-Ann has also volunteered as a teacher's aid in Kamala School and was delighted to go with 14 lucky students to the team building day organised by Coral Seekers. They are both looking forward to the start of Coconut Club on Monday 15th June to enable them to spend more time with the residential students. Carrie-Ann and Malcolm are keen to remain long term volunteers with Phuket Has Been Good To Us.  Karin Long, from the USA"Volunteering at the Kalim School for The Phuket Has Been Good to us Foundation was such an enjoyable experience during my stay in Phuket. I found the English program at the Kalim School to be such a different and refreshing approach to teaching English. I feel that the hands on approach to teaching English works very well and the students seem to respond much better to it than other methods of teaching English. Volunteering for the English teacher, Sarah, was wonderful and I am thankful that I was able to go into her classroom and help out in any way I could. But the best thing about working at the Kalim School was interacting with the students and getting to know them. I am glad that I was able to in some way contribute to their education and I hope I get the chance to see them again." Chris Martin & CiCi Cheng, Volunteer Educators from the USA 
Chris and CiCi traveled all the way from Athens, Georgia (U.S.A.) to volunteer for the Phuket Has Been Good to Us Foundation. CiCi is entering her senior year at the University of Georgia and will be graduating next May with degrees in Political Science and Biochemistry & Molecular Biology. She has traveled extensively throughout the world with the financial aid of her university’s Foundation Fellowship scholarship, also volunteering as an English teacher in Tanzania last summer. Kamala School and PHBGTU have provided an amazing experience for CiCi to fuel her passion for giving back to underprivileged communities.Chris received his Master’s Degree in Elementary Education in May 2008 from Peabody College at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. He has worked as an educator in various fields, including music, ESL (English as a Second Language), and general education. He is beginning in a new position as a third-grade teacher at Oglethorpe Avenue Elementary in Athens, Georgia, for the 2008-2009 school year. Chris’s biggest goal as an educator is to help those in the most need, and he was thrilled to come to Thailand to work with the Foundation, which serves many disadvantaged students—the beautiful setting was a nice perk! While working at Kamala School, CiCi and Chris devised several units for use in week-long camp settings with residential children. The goal for these units is not only to foster English-language development, but to do so in a recreational setting that is engaging to these students. The units integrate students’ knowledge of local cultural issues and daily life with English lexicon to promote as much growth as possible in a short span within pro-social learning environments. Joy Spencer, President and C.E.O. of the Queen Alexandra Foundation, in Victoria, Canada 
“On my second trip to Thailand as a volunteer, I had the privilege of being introduced to the Foundation through a Rotarian in Patong Beach who was working as a teacher for Phuket Has Been Good To Us. I was very fortunate to be able to meet Kate Cope, the Director of Education for the Foundation, and able to observe and assist her in the classroom at Kalim School. She impressed me with her visionary model of service delivery for English, that follows the new teaching methods I had come to appreciate. I was also lucky enough to meet Tom McNamara at a Board meeting and his approach convinced me that this would be my next volunteer opportunity, if I were accepted. Tom McNamara’s philosophy was most impressive in that he adheres to the philanthropic vision espoused by Chuck Feeney in “The Billionaire Who Wasn’t,” in that you “give a hand-up, not a hand-out.” A cornerstone of my profession is to give back to the industry. I had many mentors and it is my obligation to assist, in a volunteer capacity, other child and youth organisations that are at the beginning of their formation.” Leana Cabral, Fulbright Scholar, from Providence, Rhode Island 
Leana graduated from Spelman College as a Comparative Women’s Studies major with a concentration in film and visual studies. Also a Fulbright Scholar, Leana is a native of Providence, Rhode Island, in the U.S. A.
As volunteer with the Foundation in early 2008, Leana co-taught at Kamala School and assisted with the Foundation’s ‘Be An Angel’ Christmas fund-raising campaign.Nuala Cabral, Video and Film maker, from Providence, Rhode Island 
“Volunteering with the Phuket Has Been Good To Us Foundation for three weeks in January 2008, was a rewarding and memorable experience. My project was to produce a teacher training video to be incorporated into training workshops for Thai teachers interested in the foundation’s unique teaching approach. Helping as a teacher assistant during my first week, allowed me to jump right into the program, learn the expectations and meet the students whom I’d be filming soon after. The second week I filmed classroom lessons and b-roll (footage of the school yard, and visuals in the classroom). On the third week we did narration, and I edited and completed the video. My favorite aspect of my volunteer experience, was working with the dynamic team of teachers, volunteers and administrators who are committed to the student’s learning and personal development. Despite the challenge of language barriers, teachers taught with enthusiasm, creativity and tenacity, which inevitably rubbed off on their students. Volunteering with the foundation was inspiring, fun and rewarding. I felt I was able to contribute my energy and skills usefully, while gaining new knowledge, a broadened perspective and fantastic new friends. To many Westerners, Phuket is known as a place where the Tsunami struck and destroyed in 2004. To me, it is so much more. It is a place where resilience, tenacity and cooperation flourish. It is a place where children smile, hope and dream, despite the suffering they have experienced. It is a place where volunteers are welcomed warmly, appreciated, and put to work! I thank the Phuket Has Been Good to Us Foundation, for this unforgettable opportunity to both give and to receive.” Hazel Roberts and Gary Gleavey, graphic designers from the U.K. 
The Foundation’s first text book, “English is Good For You,” was designed by Hazel and Gary, who worked closely with author, Kate Cope. Hazel and Gary donated their free time over a six month period to produce the book, which contains over 400 drawings.Hazel is a graphic designer for Warrington Collegiate, with a BA First Class in Fine Arts from the University of Wales. She began her career as a painter. A specialist in education marketing, Hazel has produced advertising material for cinemas and billboards. She has won the “FE First” and “Heist” design awards, for college prospectuses.  Gary is a designer for the Brindley Arts Centre in Runcorn. Educated in Fine Art, graphics and multi-media, Gary has been a desk top publisher of children’s books, publicity material for children and young people. Gary is also an accomplished photographer in the field of education marketing and industrial photography; he has produced CD and book covers. His other skills include website design and video production. Ian Prior, Jean Prior and Ethel Sellers, retired family from York in the U.K. 
“Having persuaded firstly my husband to take early retirement at the tender age of fifty and then my eighty-three year old mother to join us, we moved to Thailand. Why Phuket? Well, if you live here you already have all the answers to that question. I soon found that I really missed my charity work in the U.K., where I raise funds towards deaf children’s education, and I sought something equally fulfilling here. I found that the Phuket Has Been Good To Us Foundation was working in Kamala School, teaching basic English to young children, to improve their opportunities in later life. 
As a result, the three of us, yes, including Ethel, plus our neighbour, Sally, now act as part-time volunteers, assisting the full-time teachers with
English lessons at Kamala School. Many of the children there carry heart-wrenching stories and, as orphans, reside at the school. Deprived of the usual
love and attention from a family environment, these children ask for nothing, but their faces light up when you make time for them and hugs are so warmly
received and returned. The real benefits of this work will probably only be seen years down the line. However, any input, no matter
how small, is better than none, in trying to “make a difference.” Although none of us has any formal teacher training or experience, we are more than happy to attend school twice a week, to help in any way that we can. Our reward? Apart form the hope that in the future we might just have made a small, but positive difference to their lives, it really comes down to the appreciation shown by the children in those smiles and hugs. Perhaps you would like to join us in trying to “make that difference.” Rick and Anne Gartland, supporters of the Books4Phuket project and school volunteers, from Grosse Ile, Michigan 
Rick Gartland, recently retired from the motor industry and is enjoying spending more time at his second home in Nai Hahn, Phuket. When not in Thailand, he resides on a cold, chilly island called Grosse Ile (French for "big island"). His passion is book collecting and he seeks out books on the golden age of travel in the 1920's, specifically Asian travel. His wife, Ann, has now forbidden him from bringing any more books home, and he has taken up the new hobby of supplying English children’s books to people interested in learning English.  Rick linked up with the Phuket Has Been Good To Us Foundation through the Rotary Club of Laguna Phuket. He has supplied several hundred carefully chosen books to date, from a list designed to meet the English learning needs of children in Phuket’s government schools. Rick sources them from book sales in the U.S., and is delighted to be able to fill the library shelves at Kamala and Kalim Schools with educational books seeking a second life.  Rick and Ann were volunteers in February and March 2008 and came armed with a host of materials for running extra-curricular activities for the children at both schools. The activities included necklace, bracelet and paper airplane making classes, together with book mark-making and a captivating activity about "How Books Get To Kamala School," which used simple words and pictures to show the journey of the books from Grosse Ile all the way to Phuket. Julie Goshe's Story 
"As a psychology major and Spanish minor, my interests in child development, language, and education led me to Thailand to work as an intern and teacher for the Phuket Has Been Good To Us Foundation during the summer following my third year at Smith College. As an intern, I created materials to recruit future teachers and donors for the foundation, and most rewardingly, I researched and designed learning materials and activities that were immediately implemented in the pilot classroom in the Baan Kalim public elementary school. With the guidance of Kate Cope, I spent my afternoons co-teaching grades one through five, and coordinated after-school lessons that incorporated a “structured play” approach to practicing English. My time spent teaching and working with the students at Baan Kalim School was incredibly rewarding. I became committed to them as learners and as people, and my favorite part of my day was walking into school to be greeted by my students, who would surround me with hugs and exclaim “hello Teacher Julie!” Every step forward they took with learning new words and improving their English made me as happy as I can imagine it made them. The fifth grade girls would sometimes keep me after school for 15 minutes while they asked me questions and talked with me, practicing their English. The students are full of energy and love, which despite the challenges of teaching a second language, made it extremely rewarding to be their teacher. As a first-time teacher I ended up having almost a whole school full of “favorite” students. Saying goodbye to them at the end of my internship was one of the most difficult things I’ve ever had to do. Back in the U.S., I keep in touch with the foundation and receive updates on the students’ progress, and send the students newsletters about my life in America every few months. 
My internship enabled me to explore my interest in the interconnections among psychology, language, and education, and allowed me to apply the knowledge I brought with me from my study of children and language. Furthermore, I gained valuable hands-on experience in teaching foreign language interactively, and I can’t imagine a better way to have been able to develop my skills as a teacher than under the guidance of Kate Cope, who is through and through an amazing teacher. My time spent teaching in Phuket was one of the most meaningful experiences I have had, and has affirmed my interest tying education, psychology, and language together in my future career goals. Through my work with the Phuket Has Been Good To Us Foundation, I was able to both gain experience that has shaped my academic and career paths and contribute to Thai society in a meaningful way through education." Amanda Watts, from the U.K. 
“My time here as a volunteer with the Phuket Has Been Good To Us Foundation has been an invaluable experience. I have been able to learn about the educational programme and the children themselves from a number of perspectives. Firstly, in the classroom where I had very welcome support from Teacher Laura, then during the testing period and marking processes where I learnt about the stringent analysis behind the programme, thirdly as an assistant taking photographs of the children for their own personal records and lastly using my previous experience to help on the communications front for the Foundation. Kate and Steve have been on hand throughout this time answering all my questions and offering advice. I have felt very much at home in the village of Kamala, there is always a friendly face to greet you on your way to school and make you feel welcome here! It is clear from the delight in the children’s faces that they find the English lessons great fun and they run to class always excited to learn something new. I will always remember the kids and their enthusiasm, they are honest, bright and happy students and I know they will only go further with this teaching. I wish I could have stayed longer!" A Volunteer’s Story: Jane Saunderson"It was a heart warming experience for me to volunteer in this program. I was quickly accepted by the children and getting out of a “Tuk Tuk” on my third day and having the children shout “Teacher Jane, Teacher Jane” was very touching. The children are so warm and wonderful, giving you hugs and holding your hand. Seeing the children so eager to come to classes and wanting to learn is so rewarding. I had the opportunity to work with a young boy, “Sag.” We developed a special relationship. He was eager to learn. He was very caring and loved the extra attention. Leaving him will be very difficult for me. I hope in the future that I will have the opportunity to assist in this program again."  Norman and Helen DawkinsNorman and Helen are a retired couple, who live in Phuket. They found out about the Foundation’s work at Kalim School through their local Rotary Club and asked how they could help the children. Norman and Helen are teaching Year 1 children. Norman, who was a university teacher before he left the U.K, puts a lot of energy into his lessons. Helen, also from the U.K, speaks Thai, which is helping her get to know the children more easily. “Placement in Phuket”- Three high school students from Sundsvall, Sweden Sofia Stadin (pictured below, left): "Working for Phuket Has Been Good To Us was a great experience that I will always remember. My friends and I worked as English teachers, but when we were supposed to go home again, we did not want to leave at all. When you have been singing and dancing and hopefully taught the children something, you want to stay and see all the progress that they make. To see the happiness in all these children’s faces every day, really made you feel that you made a difference in their lives. I think that we were very lucky that we got the chance to work and help this organization. "  Emelie Nassen, (pictured left, centre):“One thing I have really learned from working at Kamala School through the organisation is that it doesn't matter if you are able to volunteer for one hour, one week, one month or one year; your help is always needed and appreciated. For the children to get the best possible conditions to learn, it is extremely important that they get activated and stimulated in their learning process. As a volunteer you can contribute with more new ideas of activities and ways of teaching. Phuket Has Been Good To Us is a wonderful organisation with people who have children as their highest priority.” Frida Nassen, (pictured above, right): “I worked with the Foundation for two weeks in October 2007. To have been given the opportunity to contribute to the meaningful work that Phuket Has Been Good To Us performs has been very special to me. The most wonderful thing about these two weeks was knowing that my work with the children actually made a difference in their lives. Leaving the school was extremely hard, as the children really have made an impact on me. Through this incredible experience I have gained new perspectives on the world.” Diane Nice, a business woman from Perth in Western Australia: 
"As we frequent Phuket a couple of times a year for holidays, I decided I was able (as my own children are now 18 & 21) to be abroad for a longer period of time so that I might do something I've always wanted to do - volunteer work. I got in contact with Phuket Has Been Good To Us Foundation. I am at a time in my life where I can redirect some of my energy into something that I may be able to make a difference with. My involvement in the foundation was both rewarding and gratifying, and I recommend to anyone who has a passion for helping others less fortunate to undertake this adventure. To volunteer your services to help others is so rewarding; it gives you a new outlook on life. These organisations are working so hard to make a difference to children’s lives; I have nothing but admiration in the fine work they do for the kids. I wish them all the success and will certainly continue to offer some help whilst visiting abroad.
I strongly recommend anyone to take a few moments out of their holiday, no matter how little time spent, to step up and offer some help. Half a day or a couple of hours here and there will help the kids in school and there are so many different tasks behind the scenes of great value, like preparing lessons and materials. The children’s smiles and hugs are priceless.
I would only hope that more people can step outside of their own world and give to others without the expectation of being paid a sum of money. The reward is so much better, and knowing your small contribution of time has made a difference is so uplifting, so, come on, one and all, give it a go. You'll love it!!!”Lois George, newsletter editor for the Queen Alexandra Foundation, in Victoria in Canada: 
“I recently had the good fortune to spend time with the children of Baan Kalim School. After volunteering for just one morning in “Teacher Mark’s” class, the children greeted me enthusiastically the following day as I walked across the schoolyard. “Teacher Lois” they chanted cheerfully.
Although my time was limited to a couple of weeks, my involvement at the school was such a full, exciting, and rewarding experience. Getting to know the boys and girls of Thailand was truly the most pleasurable part of my vacation time. I only wish I could have stayed much longer! There is great anticipation when they enter the classroom, ready to learn and eager to join in the English lessons. Their enthusiasm is contagious, as they not only inspire one another, but also, as a volunteer, I was truly inspired by the students themselves. There are so many possibilities when children are so keen to learn! You start to realize just how motivated these children are to say the next word, or recognize a sound, or even try to speak a complete sentence in English. The Phuket Has Been Good To Us Foundation made it so easy to get involved in making a positive difference to the lives of the children at Kalim School. I hope to help again, whenever possible; to see the smiles and warmth of the children in the program.” Peter Adams: retired teacher from British Columbia, CanadaPeter was a volunteer teacher in Kalim School for five months, in 2006 and 2007. Peter’s Story "Furthest from my mind, as I disembarked from the Vancouver to Bangkok flight three months ago, was teaching English in a Phuket primary school. After 35 years as a secondary educator in Canada, I believed I was about to begin an extended vacation in South-East Asia. Within a week of my arrival in Thailand, however, I read an article in the Bangkok Post describing a special English language program in Baan Kalim School, Phuket. I was greatly impressed by the Phuket Has Been Good To Us Foundation’s efforts to help children in a village that was ravaged by the Boxing Day tsunami of 2004. A week later, after being accepted as a volunteer teacher in the school, I was on my way to Phuket. What a wonderful experience it has been. The children, ranging in age from six to twelve years, are an absolute delight. Eager to learn, the pupils energetically engage in every classroom activity, in the same way they would join in playground games. No wonder, as the program emphasizes a child-centered approach. Using the most up to date materials and teaching strategies, in a small class size setting, the pupils learn practical verbal, reading and listening skills. Kate Cope, the Foundation’s educational director, has put in place a wide array of learning materials. The children eagerly move about the classroom examining maps, posters, books, games and models of everyday objects found in the home and the market. I am constantly being served with impromptu meals of model sandwiches, pizza, ice cream, fruit and vegetables. It felt strange at first to pretend to eat plastic grapes, but after seeing the delight on the children’s faces, I now welcome the opportunity to engage them in conversation about the various kinds of fruit being held in a child’s pretend shopping basket. We even have plastic models of life-size lobster, clams and crab. All of these provide perfect opportunities to ask “what is this?” “do you like that?” and so on. Imagine the delight in hearing a little seven year old reply “this is a ham, cheese and lettuce sandwich.” There is no emphasis here on memorizing lists of words and phrases. We use games, puzzles and role-playing to such a positive extent that many children arrive early to class and linger after the lesson is over. Bingo games, using the names of objects, rather than numbers, are a real favorite. Co-operation among pupils is constantly encouraged. It is most rewarding to observe children helping each other to finish a crossword puzzle, or match-up game. Imagine the beaming smile of a child basking in the applause of the class after correctly pronouncing a series of words in English. I can’t think of a more encouraging vindication of the success of the program. I came to Thailand to see the sights and learn something of the culture. I had no idea that my insights would be provided by the pupils of a primary school in Phuket. I have been led to conclude that children all over the world love to learn and are eager to help each other. Given the appropriate setting both of these can be accomplished in a co-operative and supportive fashion and at an astonishing rate. In my case, the teacher has become the learner."  Kathy DaviesKathy is an active member of the Phuket community and a member of the Board of Directors of Phuket Has Been Good To Us. Kathy helps out with the ‘after-school’ English classes at Kalim School. She loves to have fun and makes sure that all the children leave English class with smiles on their faces.  Natasha Sale- Brisbane, Australia"I was traveling throughout Thailand for six weeks and decided to participate in volunteering while I was in Phuket. Although school had finished by the time I had arrived I still enjoyed helping Stephen and Kate in the office with teaching materials for the new school year." Return to: History Meet our Teachers Meet our Staff Meet our Board of Managers Meet our Board of Directors Media Coverage Recent News About Us |