International Service Trip
Ka-ru-na and Kob-khun
We’ve always been taught to say our "please" and "thank yous," but we’ve never had to learn them in a different language. These words may not be phrases we recognize, but "ka-ru-na" and "kob-khun" are crucial phrases we will need for our upcoming trip to Thailand.
Our trip is scheduled for May 10-24, 2009, and we plan to have up to 15 students be a part of this inaugural trip. While in Thailand, we will be traveling to a handful of different islands and cities, such as Koh Kred and Bangkok. We are partnering with The Village Experience, a nonprofit group founded by sisters and Indiana alumnae, Kelly and Anne Campbell. While in Thailand, they will have us participating in eco-tourism activities and volunteering our time and efforts to benefit the less fortunate. Their goal for us is to "make lasting relationships that will keep [us] connected to the country for years to come."
This trip is not for solely for the purpose of seeing a foreign country. We will be representing Indiana University and the IU Alumni Association while working in orphanages for children previously on the street, volunteering at AIDS clinics, helping out at a battered women’s shelter, join in with mangrove planting, and engrossing ourselves in a culture and environment very different from the one we have become accustomed to here in the United States.
Funding for this trip is our biggest obstacle. We will be presenting a proposal to the IU Aid Board; have local restaurants sponsor us through 10 percent nights, and date auctions; and scholarships through Hutton Honors College. We are also considering a letter campaign to friends and family. Any donations would be appreciated to help us make this trip a reality!
By going on this trip, we will not only enrich ourselves as individuals but we will be helping both IU and communities in Thailand. We will be aiding President Michael A. McRobbie in his goal of getting 60 percent of all students to travel abroad before graduation. Most importantly, we will be making an impact in the world!