Growing AD-Team
Dear friends and supporters of Andaman Discoveries
We are very happy to introduce two new faces that have joined our work in the Andaman Discoveries office. Nia has started to work with us in September and is responsible for client communications and volunteer coordination and Lena has recently joined in November and will be responsible for marketing and social media. Read their greeting notes here :
Note from Nia:
Note from Lena
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Children Expecting the "Falang"
Vegans Prepare Good Food For The Children
 30 culinary adventurers from Veg Voyages recently visited Koh Phratong, where they joined the villagers of Ban Lion to explore the culture and beaches of this remote island. Upon returning to the mainland, they headed for the Burmese Learning Center to help with our meal program, which provides lunch each day for the school's 70 children. A chopping and peeling frenzy ensued, while the rest of the group had spread out into the rooms and the excited voices of the kids could be heard singing songs and clapping hands. After saying a prayer in their Burmese mother tongue, and the Veg volunteers served the kids an amazing vegan meal - healthy for the kids and the planet.
[Read more]
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November Volunteers
Motivation, Dedication, Action
|  In the month of November, Kuraburi was home to several enthusiastic volunteers. Motivated young women joined our projects at the Southern Thailand Orphanage, the Kuraburi Nursery School, the Burmese Learning Center and the Kuraburi Junior School. We were lucky to get some beautiful images from their teaching experiences. [Read more] |
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Two families visit the Southern Thailand Orphanage
Orphanage opens its door and hearts to Cathy Brown and Family
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Cathy Brown and her family took time out of their vacation to visit and support the Home. Cathy said: 'Thank you so much, we had such a wonderful day. Rosa and co were open and warming, the children played so well right from the beginning."
[Read more]
Spreading the word, sharing good will - Angela Miller and Family visit the Home 
Angela Miller and her family also found their way to the Southern Thailand Orphanage to share their generosity with the children. As friends of the Brown family, it was a wonderful way to share an experience and spread the word. According to Angela, "Language was no barrier for my two children as the children at the Orphanage took them by the hand and showed them around.
[Read more]
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Loy Khratong
AD staff and volunteers celebrate the 'festival of lights' with the children at the Southern Thailand Orphanage
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The festival of lights "Loy Krathong" pays homage to the water spirits and is celebrated all over the kingdom of Thailand. According to tradition the ritual of floating the Krathong is performed in pairs. The kids made sure that all of the AD staff and volunteers all had a partner to make a wish and send our Krathongs down the river.
[Read more]
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Kuraburi celebrates the Vegetarian Festival
Thai-Chinese Trance Rituall
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The Vegetarian Festival started about 150 years ago in the Kathu district, where the majority of the Chinese tin mine workers were settled in Phuket. During the Chinese ninth lunar month, Phuket was hit with an epidemic of a malaria. They decided to adhere to a strict vegetarian diet and pray to the Nine Emperor Gods who would ensure purification of the mind and body. Interestingly, some of the participants fall into trance, and engage in ritual piercing, and climbing of ladders made from knives.
[Read more]
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Going extinct?
A visit to the last refuge of the Water Lily
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 P'Somsak, our trusted advisor, took the AD crew on a field-trip to see an endemic (and nearly extinct) species of water lily just 15 minutes from our office. The plant is commonly know as "Yah Chong", and its scientific name is crinum thaianum. The site is one of the last places on the world where this plant grows and protected by an old Thai farmer. The old farmer told stories of defending the water lily from would be poachers and thieves by running them off with his machete. A nursery and rehabilitation programe, led by P'Somsak, tries to protect and replant the flower in its natural habitat. Thanks to P'Somsak and his team the water lily still has a chance.
[Read more]
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AD staff and interns are urgently seeking your support
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Donate Spare and Unwanted IT Equipment
The AD office is a small but busy hub and an important part of the organization, which has helped the post-tsunami development of many local communities on the North Andaman Coast. To keep doing our important work however we need working IT equipment. Operating like a Non-Profit Organization has meant that we have never had enough funds for computers and have been working with some old machines donated to us at the birth of the organization some 6 years ago. The hardware currently in use was old before we even started operation and is now quite slow and redundant. Recently a couple of our 80's issue PC's crashed and being beyond repair this means we have to make do with less than what we need.
Therefore we kindly hope for your help and support to donate any spare and unwanted IT equipment you might have. Your aid will be much appreciated and will truly make a difference to our operations.
Please get in touch via email.
Many thanks and best wishes!
The AD team.
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Stay connected on our fanpage
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The facebook profile will be deleted.
Please note that the facebook profile page has to be deleted soon. In order to stay updated and socially connected, you can "like" us on our fanpage.
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Why Us?
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Andaman Discoveries' internationally recognized community development and tourism projects make a real difference. Our International and bilingual staff have extensive knowledge, allowing guests to enjoy a true cultural exchange.
We have developed comprehensive teaching materials for those planning to volunteer in a school. And for folks new to Thailand we can arrange regional transport and accommodations, and even offer advice on traveling (our staff loves to explore the country, too!).
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Stay Connected!
Become a friend and be fan on Facebook, follow our moves on Twitter, and watch us on YouTube!
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"I basically enjoyed every second of it [teaching] even though the conditions are hard and you sometimes feel really exhausted. It is a full time job to teach at the Burmese Learning centre, but the children are lovely to be around and I had a lot of fun. I wish i could stay longer!"
Friedel G, volunteer at the Burmese Learning centre, July 2011 |
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