Reviews and Testimonials since 2015

For the second time I visited the project Volunt2Thai, Raimund and his family.

4 years later I am mega thrilled how the village has grown. With so much love and small details it has become a beautiful place or meeting place. I like how artistic every house is designed. Hammocks invite you to hang out, where you can just hang out and read a book. The volunteers have the possibility to enjoy cooking time for themselves or with each other. To allow the culture to have an effect on you, because who visits the project, experiences so much.

What excites me is that the children now have an opportunity to meet after school where they have a great time together, the children were musically busy when I was there. What invited me to just listen. It fascinates me how something so great came into being out of an idea. For everyone who comes, now even with family, it is a great insight into a completely different culture. Raimund is always open to new ideas and strives to put everything into practice. It was nice to see how enthusiastic he was when he and the kids played golf.

Thank you for this great moment.

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Zum zweiten mal habe ich das Projekt Volunt2thai, Raimund und seine Familie besucht.

Ich bin mega begeistert wie, dass Dorf gewachsen ist. Es ist mit so viel Liebe und kleinen Details zu einen wunderschönen Platz oder auch Treffpunkt geworden. Ich mag wie künstlerisch jedes Haus gestaltet ist. Hängematten laden zum abhängen ein, wo man sich gern einfach mal hängen lassen kann um ein Buch zu lesen. Die Freiwilligen haben die Möglichkeit zum Kochen einfach Zeit für sich oder auch das miteinander zu genießen. Um die Kultur auf sich wirken zulassen, weil wer das Projekt besucht, erlebt so einiges.

Was mich begeistert, dass die Kinder jetzt eine Möglichkeit haben sich nach der Schule zutreffen wo sie gemeinsam eine tolle Zeit haben, die Kinder haben sich musikalisch beschäftigt, als ich da war. Was mich eingeladen hat, einfach mal zuzuhören. Es fasziniert mich wie aus einer Idee, etwas so tolles entstanden ist. Für jeden der kommt, jetzt sogar auch mit Familie ist es ein toller Einblick, in eine komplett andere Kultur. Raimund ist auch immer offen für neue Ideen und ist bemüht, alles umzusetzen. Schön war es zusehen, wie begeistert er war, als er und die Kids Golf gespielt haben.

Danke für diesen tollen Moment.
Anita Schmidt Februar 2019

I am a 20 year U.S. Navy veteran. After becoming bored with retirement I looked for something meaningful and exciting to do. Asia was a place I loved and V2T in Thailand seemed to be the best place for me.After six months with V2T I am sure it was one of the best decisions in my life. Raimund was enjoyable to work for and I can’t say enough good things about the other volunteers I worked with, all of which will remain very dear to me the rest of my life. I worked with volunteers from Philippines, Germany, Belgium, Ireland, Netherlands, U. K. , France , Vietnam Nam and Sweden. It was a very awakening cultural experience. Then there was the Thai people. What an experience that was! The villagers were welcoming, honest and very generous with the little they had. Wonderful, happy people that celebrated everything life has to offer. The children were my favorite part of volunteering. Friendly, happy, loving and very proud of their foreign teacher. Eager to learn and with discipline and respect that is uncommon in the western world. A big piece of my heart will always remain with my students. The local Thai teachers were very pleased with my presence and helped me through any difficulty I encountered , scholasticly or culturally. They will also be a lifelong memory. I will always have the feeling that I learned more than I taught, received more than I gave and will forever cherish the time I spent there. I also had the opportunity to travel and see many beautiful sights, not only in Thailand but also in Laos and Cambodia. I helped in construction, painting, obtaining building materials, class trips and other school functions. There was a lot of growth in the organization during my time there and I am proud to have been a part of it. This would be a great way to spend some of your time if you are retired and still feel the desire to do something that is exciting, adventurous and fulfilling. I now consider V2T, all the volunteers I worked with and many local people as family.

Hi, my name is Alexis Godin. I did work with Volunt2thai for 2 weeks and it was a really great experience. It was a very good feeling to teach young students how to speak english. The jobs at the camp were really rewarding, you have the sentiment that you have done something useful. Raimund was also very nice with us, he did show us how do the job well and he helped us when we needed him.

Hi my name is sabrina and I’m from Montreal. I had a really great experience in volunt2thai. Raimund is really there for us and listen to our need. The children are amazing and I had a great time teach them! I hope I can come back soon.

I passed two weeks at Volunt2thai and it was very enjoying! Teach to children's is very nice and rewarding personally! Thank's to Raimund to be involve in the community to help people!

Thank's too to Rahabi, the coordinator of a volunteering project and teacher at Rosemont College! It is a very long and difficult project to organise and realise! You give us the chance to really make a change in this world!

I had two wonderful weeks. very promising project people who work very hard to succeed. Great experience!

Great experience ! I stayed there for 2 weeks but I would of stayed longer if I could. The people are friendly and the kids really want to learn. Definitely will try to come back :)

This project is amazing! It is still tiny but could possibly become bigger and help more children at the surrounding schools. I was there for two weeks but would like to come back for a longer period of time :)

Hello, my name is Sabrine and I come from montreal. I went to Volunt2thai during 2 weeks in 2018. It was an incredible experience, teaching the students and learning so much from them. I loved my moment with this ONG so much, I think I will come back, for a longer time :)

I have been at V2Thai for 2 weeks and it has been a very great opportunity to help the community's children. We learn so much from them through this project. I sincerely thank Raymund and his wife for the hospitality, kindness and generosity.

It was a great experience! We had the chance to help a community while discovering a culture. I sincerely recommend to support Volunt2thai! Special thanks to Raymund, Lily, Ines, Kim and Phone for their help during our stay on the site! Merci beaucoup ☺

I really loved the place ! I had an awesome experience with the kids. L’endroit est vraiment magnifique et l’expérience est sans doute inoubliable. Gracias V2Thai you are awesome.

Hello, this is Rahabi from Montréal. I'm teacher at collège Rosemont for 12 years
Volunt2thai is a wonderful organization, providing volunteers ( and my with group of students as well) the opportunity to make this authentik expérience, learn new skills ( teaching) and immerse themselves in a thaï culture. For me, volunteering at V2T was very rewarding, of course, there was some challenging moments. The accomodation at V2T is basic, but you easily adapt to living like a local, this includes eating rice three times a day too :). 

Volunteering at V2T in Thailand is one of the best things I've ever done, it does not come without its challenges and culture shock, however, the experience exceeded any of the expectations I had. Iu strongly recommend this organization and invite you to dive in this wonderful region of Issan

Hello! This is Sheila from Las Vegas, U.S.A.
I am a volunteer for Volunt2thai and Mr. Raimund Wagner (its founder) in Ban Nong Kung,Thailand. Volunt2thai serves the disadvantaged children, elderly peoples and some of the communities-in-general of the Isaan Area of Northern Thailand. The Volunteers teach English, physical education and socialization including Intercultural exchanges to the children and help out the elders where they can. Volunteers here with me now are from Singapore, Belgium, The Netherlands and Germany. 
I’ve had a little bit of an opportunity to observe the hardships and difficult plight of some of the people here, and Volunt2thai has a noble commitment to help improve the situation. Today we are doing summer school at the Buddhist temple called temple school. The children are doing artwork, learning gymnastic rings, playing Frisbee and building with Legos. There are 4 Teachers, a Thai Grandma and about 20 children currently present. The children are having a great time and the volunteer teachers have a good rapport with them. The teachers put a lot of thought into how they spend time with and prepare for lessons. Volunt2thai is a fantastic program; I recommend anyone:
• Who cares about children
• Believe in instilling a well-rounded education 
• Can do handy work or generally can help on V2T grounds and in the community
Come and help make a difference at Volun2Thai!
Learn about Thai Lifestyle, Culture and Traditions first-hand!
Many people, young and old are volunteers for two weeks up to a year and I highly respect them and the program.
If you have any questions for me, feel free to contact me at vancrandel@gmail.com

Love this project! 

I'm Irene, a 29 year old nurse from the Netherlands. 2,5 years ago I came to Volunt2thai to volunteer as a nurse in Phen Hospital. Volunteering for this project has been one of the best experiences in my life. It gave me a unique experience to live the local thai life, meet a lot of local people and get to know about their culture. 
Thailand has a special place in my heart so I decided to come back to visit the project and all of my thai friends again. Today, I'm back again for the 3th time and it's so good to be back.The project has developed in so many ways and it is still developing every day. There's always a way you can make yourself helpful here at the project and you can help the villagers in so many ways. 

I'll come back again next year.

I am Ammy Bigbear! I am a teacher in Thailand who is really interested in developing Education. I found Volunt2Thai on World Volunteer Group in CouchSurfing.com. I got 5 STEMSEL kits from STEMSEL club in Australia where they let kid create the robot and help kid to be a job creator. I thinkI could help them by introduce them to know STEMSEL. So I drove from my home to Volut2Thai I took the whole day to go there, And give them 2 kits. I am really glad that they want to help the school in Thailand and doing this project for us. Me also want to help people as much as I can do. Right now They already start STEMSEL club in Thailand. That's what I am trying to do but I didn't make it happen at where am I. I am so thankful for Mr.Raimund who make this happen in Thailand. I am so good luck to find them and I wish I can help them to expand their goal for help the student in Thailand!

I was introduced to Raimund Wagner through a mutual friend just over 2 years ago and he told me enthusiastically about a developing project volunt2thai.com located in a rural area of Thailand about 70km from the city of Udon Thani. I made a vague promise to drop by if I was in the area and about 4 weeks later I decided to take a trip out to see what what was driving this guy. It was a life changing experience. Situated in the corner of a field on his wife's family farm in an area surrounded by 6 small villages, Raimund had begun to construct a small campus compound which would become the heart of V2T (Volunt2thai) Thailand. Volunteers from Europe began to trickle in and I was given a tour of the villages, schools and settled into my bunk house for the next few days.  Accommodation was basic 'Thai Style' but perfectly comfortable. The schools were on holiday and the volunteers had created a summer school in the village temple grounds. The volunteers arrived by bicycle, bells ringing and I was to witness children appearing from the huts and houses in the village, running towards the temple clearly thrilled to see the foreigners. Within minutes there were groups of kids reading books, creating chalk art, playing hopscotch and learning English songs under the tutelage of the young volunteers. Despite the obvious poverty of these children, I have never seen a happier bunch of kids with an obvious hunger for the knowledge and fun brought to them by the 'farangs' It was a truly emotional experience and the beginning of my relationship as friend and supporter of V2T. The project has moved on rapidly since then with new initiatives being developed and improved facilities provided in the volunteer campus as funds become available. Money is always tight but generous donors always seem to appear to keep things moving forward. Many friends, expats and locals give up their free time to lift, build, paint or donate another load of construction materials. As volunteer numbers have increased more support can be given to the community and additional schools in the villages get badly needed support. Volunteers enjoy immense satisfaction helping the children in school and experience real Thai village life and culture which cannot be experienced by the tourist. There is plenty of opportunity to explore the surrounding area or to travel to other parts of the Land of Smiles during weekends and down time. Not to come here as a volunteer is surely to miss one of life's disappearing opportunities to enjoy a rare cultural  experience and at the same time help guide underprivileged children to a better future.

I've stayed at Volunt2Thai for one month and it was great. I'm a 22 year old dutch psychology student without any experience in teaching but it doesn't matter at all. The children are great and the other volunteers and the Thai teachers will help you a lot. I wanted to do this because it is a good start to begin my journey of travelling for a half year. And it's a wonderful experience in getting to know the real daily life of a lot of Thai people at the rural areas. And of course it's also a lot of fun. The children are very curious and want to communicate with you; With a mix of Thai/English/hand gestures so it's never a smooth conversation but it makes it a fun and greatful job to do. At the projectcampus there is a relaxed vibe, everybody can do their own thing and also enjoy each others company. And in the weekends, there is also some time to go with all the volunteers to a party in any of the nearby cities like Udon Thani. Raimund is a very helpful leader of this project, he knows a lot about Thailand and the village and speaks fluently Thai which is very useful in case of any problems. 
My overall experience was awesome and I can recommend this project to everybody.

Bestimmt über drei Jahre verfolge ich online das Projekt von Raimund Wagner. Da ich ähnliches auch machen wollte, weiß ich von den Problemen und Schwierigkeiten in Thailand. Daher gebührt mein größter Respekt Raimund und seinem Team und Volontärs. Letztes Jahr durfte ich Raimund zwei Bienestöcke bringen und sein Projekt selbst in Augenschein nehmen. Diese Gelegenheit für kurze oder auch längere Zeit in Thailand abzutauchen, hier bei den freundlichen Menschen gutes zu tun ist schon eine Chance für einen persönlich. Ich möchte Kurz Allan, Ines und Corina Grüßen, die jungen Damen haben mich so beeindruckt wie sie selbstständig und wie Profis kommuniziert und argumentiert haben. Da ich in Thailand auch schon unterrichtet habe weiß ich das man mehr zurück bekommt als man geben kann. Wir Europäer wollen immer alles begreifen, doch diese Kultur muss erlebt werden, selbst dann ist es schwer sie zu begreifen. Es ist also ein ungefährliches Abenteuer wenn man hier her kommt. Ich wünsche Dir Raimund und allen in deinem Team viel Freude und Kraft in der täglichen Arbeit mit dem Team und den Kindern.

When I first came to Ban Nong Phong two years ago everything was different! Many things have changed and developed both visually in the village, at school or in the temple, and structurally of the whole project. The following text is a report of the things that have changed.

The volunteer village:
The first thing that caught my attention was all the new houses that have been built in the village .It was very simple back then: The old wooden house, in which grandma and grandpa normally slept, and another house for the volunteers were the only buildings that existed. Every morning and evening we cycled to Raimund and Linly to have breakfast and dinner. So we mainly stayed at the village to sleep and construct things inside and outside the houses. 
We had four bikes for all the volunteers, but today there are eight bikes and two tuk tuks.It is now easier for the volunteers to reach places further away, especially with the two tuk tuks.
There used to be only 2 pigs in the barn, but now there are about 10 to 15 pigs and two water buffalos.
A third house for sleeping was built and there is a kitchen for preparing and cooking breakfast, lunch and dinner. Furthermore there is a storage room, a library with many books, teaching materials and music instruments. At the language cafe volunteers can store their food in a fridge, but the main purpose of the language cafe is the cultural exchange between volunteers and kids from the village. During the holiday season the kids can play, learn English or take part in other activities at the cafe. The "book club" at the library will be opened two afternoons per week for the kids. 
Right at the entrance of the village a big photo wall welcomes you. Here you can see all the steps of the development of the project. 
If you stay in the colourful houses of Volunt2Thai you will very quickly become a part of a big family! It is just like a huge outdoor flat-sharing community! The volunteers are very friendly, helpful and are well organized - which makes it easy to settle down in this 'family'. Everyone has to do something to keep the village clean and in a good condition - if everyone is doing that reliably, then it is great place to live together.
Another new house with two floors is in the building phase right now. On the upper floor there is space for some tents, and on the ground floor there will be a cultural centre for english lessons, seminars and speeches. You can already see the cooperations with some universities on posters on the outside of this building.
The volunteers:
Since the project already has a wide reach across the globe, a lot has changed with all the volunteers.
Two years ago the people stayed for only a couple of weeks and mainly did some construction work in the village and not very much teaching. Nowadays this has changed completely - all of the volunteers teach at different schools. After school they do some construction work, paint the houses or cut grass or trees. Everything is structured very well, and every Monday there is a meeting whereby everything that has to be done during the following week is discussed. 
Another difference is, that most of the volunteers stay for a long time, at least a month, some of them even a whole year. That's a very positive thing, because the children at school can get used to one person for a longer amount of time, and they can improve their English a lot. But if all the volunteers leave after just one month, the kids have to start new with every new teacher. 
It's also quite good, that there is not too much coming and going at the village.
The capacity of the beds for the volunteers is getting bigger and bigger, so more and more schools can be supplied with English teachers.

The schools:
When I first came to Volunt2Thai there were only two schools (Ban Nong Phong and Ban Nong Khung), that could get teachers on an irregular schedule. Sometimes volunteers went to the kindergarten in Ban Lao to look after the kids. It was very hard to teach English back then, because the kids could only say and understand 'hello' and nothing else. We couldn't speak Thai, so we were not able to explain anything to them. You see - it was very complicated and sometimes impossible to teach anything. But we tried it and most of the time we played some educational games with them. 
Today, two years later it is so unbelievably wonderful to see and listen to how much their English has improved. Nearly every student comes to you and starts talking and asking you stuff, so you can chitchat with them about simple topics. I am really amazed and excited by the improvement that all the volunteers have achieved in just two years! Right now it’s not only possible to teach in the same two schools as before, but also at Ban Nong Si Samran, Ban Lao and Ban Nong Hung. That's really awesome and great for all the kids who get the chance to learn English. With the the new director and new teachers at Ban Nong Khung school they experience a significant upturn. The new director is very interested, motivated and very involved in developing more and more English lessons. One can really feel and see the progress of the project in each school! Many of the kids seem much more interested in learning a new language than two years ago.

The surrounding villages:
Because of the project, many people in the surrounding villages are changing their minds about 'farangs' (European people).The presence of the volunteers is an enrichment for everyone! The cultural exchange between local and foreign people is huge.
In some villages there are new shops being built because the need for it is rising. One family in Ban Nong Phong is offering a laundry service for the volunteers, so they don't have to drive 40 minutes to Amphoe Phen anymore.
Two years ago it was kind of a sensation, when you cycled along the village's streets but now it is already normal - the openness towards foreign people is increasing.

At the temple:
The biggest development at Mae Chi's temple in Ban Moo is that there are some new buildings made out of old wood. The „Chedi“ is also growing, and the dangerous bamboo framework got exchanged for plastered walls. Very detailed handwork is behind all of that. There are some art projects like modelling sculptures taking place at the temple. Mae Chi is like Volunt2Thai - you have to work hard and with all of you heart for something, even if there are occasionally very hard moments. But you always have to be sure that you are doing something amazing!

In other countries:
The presentation of Volunt2Thai in countries other than Thailand happened mainly via facebook back then. But nowadays there is a huge network of volunteers all around the world who stay in contact and represent the project. The members come from Hong Kong, Austria, Finland, the Netherlands, Scotland and soon from Switzerland too. In Austria 'Volunt2Thai Österreich - Verein zur Förderung von Freiwillgenarbeit' was founded and has already been at some volunteer fairs.
The Website www.volunt2thai.com has a completely new design and is very detailed, informative and continuously updated. The cooperation with universities in Belgium, Germany, France and Canada is great to spread the idea of the project!

All in all I can tell you that Volunt2Thai has developed a lot since I first volunteered there. So many hard-working and kind-hearted humans helped to push the project forward. After two years I am very happy to see what has changed in such a short time! I wish Raimund, his relatives, all the wonderful people in the villages and the whole Volunt2Thai family all the best for the future, and that the project continues to grow ike that! This project is something very special and important!

I'm here on the site for three months. I'm studying for physical education teacher and I'm doing my internship here. I try to teach the children of the schools some English and sports. Beside the teaching I try to help everywhere I can: in the village, for the project,... I came in touch with the project trough a organisation from the Netherlands (Vrijwillig wereldwijd) It is an unique chance to see how life is going in Thailand (not in the touristic parts) The children and the project touched my soul !

Ich befinde mich nun seit über sechs Monaten im Volunt2thai Projekt. Das Projekt bietet uns Freiwilligen hier die Möglichkeit den echten thailändischen Lebensstil mitzuerleben. Das unterrichten an der Nahe gelegenen Dorfschule ist eine sehr erfüllende Tätigkeit, bei welcher man die Fortschritte der Schüler live miterleben kann. Da es leider nicht genügend Englisch Lehrer in dieser Region gibt, sind die örtlichen Schulen auf das Volunt2Thai Projekt angewiesen, um ausreichend Sprachkenntnisse in Englisch zu vermitteln. Kinder wachsen hier oftmals bedingt durch die Landflucht ohne Eltern auf, dadurch fehlt es an Vorbildern an denen sich die Kinder orientieren können. So kann man nicht nur als Englisch Lehrer einen Unterschied schaffen sondern auch schon, in dem man ein offenes Ohr für seine Schüler hat und eine Bezugsperson für sie darstellt. Auch die Ferienbetreuung der Kinder in den Schulferien wäre ohne Volunt2Thai nicht möglich.

Ich bin mittlerweile seit 6 Monaten in dem Projekt und leiste dort einen einjährigen Freiwilligendienst. Im Nordosten, dem Issan, der ärmsten  Region des Landes versucht das Projekt nachhaltig eine bessere Lebensqualität den Dorfbewohnern und vor allem den Kindern zu geben. Oftmals wachsen die Kinder ohne Eltern, bei ihren Großeltern auf, da diese aus finanziellen Gründe in die Großstädte zum arbeiten gehen. In den Dörfern fehlt daher eine ganze Generation. Um dem entgegenzuwirken und den Kinder eine Bezugsperson zu sein, sowie bei dem Zugang zu Bildung zu helfen gebe ich von Montag bis Freitag Englischunterricht in einer örtlichen Grundschule. Die Kinder können mittlerweile auf Englisch kommunizieren, wobei die Arbeit des Projektes sehr zur Geltung kommt. Die Dorfgemeinschaft profitiert sichtlich von dem Projekt und die örtlichen Schulen sind auf die Hilfe bei dem Englischunterricht durch die Voluntäre angewiesen. 
Das Projekt versucht zu helfen wo auf jeden Fall Hilfe benötigt wird.

I have been 3 weeks from the 30 th of June to the 21th of July on site to help with the projects and especially with kids. The volunt2thai village is still under construction but it will make a huge effect on the people living in there, cus the volunteers would teach in there. The whole thing was new to me. Now we are good friends and the project became really important to me.i really Want To support this cus I know that it is real and this place needs help! The people in there needs education and help, especially the kids - the future. These people are the most warm hearted and sweet, but really uneducated. Learning english among other important things would give them better chances in life.

J'ai rejoint Volunt2Thai au début du mois de février 2016. Je n'y suis resté que pour un court séjour (10 jours), mais j'espère de tout coeur y revenir dans le futur.
Lors de mon volontariat j'ai eu l'opportunité d'enseigner aux enfants de l'école du village, et de participer à la construction d'infrastructures pour le village. 
J'avais envie de voyager, mais surtout de découvrir, d'apprendre et de vivre avec les gens. J'ai choisi de mettre mon temps à disposition d'un projet qui m'a plu, et tout simplement d'apporter un peu d'aide, de bonne humeur, de me sentir utile à quelque chose qui compte pour les autres. Je soutient ce projet à 100%, et j'encourage tout les intéressés à rejoindre le village d'Amphoe Phen. Pourquoi ? Parce que c'est un projet tout simplement humain, qui mérite d'avoir du temps et de l'attention.

A. Attard
I have been volunteering with Volunt2Thai for the past 3 weeks (February 2016). I am mainly helping out in 2 different areas. 1) Teaching English to the children at school - There are many children who are really willing to learn here in the village, but there aren't enough teachers to support them, sometimes the children just sit and play all day. Also, their level of English is very low. 2) Since I am a physiotherapist, I can also offer my help to some of the old people in the village, particularly stroke patients. They do not have access to any physiotherapy treatment here and so following a stroke they seem to just accept their new disabilities and spend the rest of their lives lying or sitting around (with the consequence of developing many pressure sores). Nobody is there to give them advice or help them regain some of their previous function. I have also been helping out in improving the learning and recreational center (building fences etc.) as a lot of work still needs to be done to make the centre more attractive for the children. I am a volunteer who came here to support in the best way I could. The people here are genuinely in need of support, not only financially but in education both to the children at school and to the elderly when it comes to healthcare. They all deserve the chance to have equal opportunities as many other people around the world already have.

I was there twice to help and to see how the Project is working. Today volunteering has become a real Business. Young People trying to help pay a lot of Money to tourism companies. If you pay 1000 €, the local Project will perhaps receive 100 €, the rest is for the Administration and for Profit. Here it is different. Here you can really assist to the birth of Baby, and if you want, you can watch how it is growing up. Raimund has spent all his private financial reserves and gave up his Career as a Business man in Bangkok to start this Project. The Basic aim is education, and there is nothing that is much more needed for a stable development of Thailand towards Democracy and out of poverty. Because the Level in Thailand´s public Schools is very low and pupils have no Change to get a Job apart from agriculture, hard physical labour on construction sites or notorious places like Phuket (Bangla road) or Pattaya. Only an educated Population can participate in democratic process. Volunt2thai is very suitable for longterm stays. So if you are considering going to volunteer for one year or 6 months after finishing high school, you are our candidate. Because education Needs trust, affection and stability. And with our direct Connection to the local Population you get an insight to the culture and Country that no "protected environment" can offer to you. You will get experiences that will be useful in future life too.

M. Skaanning
Raimund has a very good thing going here, and a very good connection with the village. All he needs now is more volunteers and the founds to realise the rest of the project. The school still needs english books and just as much, teachers who are willing to teach only to get a thank you and a good feeling that you'r helping someone who needs it. The villagers here work hard to get by and can't afford to pay for school besides paying off debt, and putting food on the table. Most children here are raised by their grandparents, since the young and more able goes to bigger cities to make money they can send back to their family. So give a little to this project and be reassured that every penny goes towards giving the children of Ban Nong Phong a choice.

D. Schiller
Ich war mit einer Freundin für 3,5 Monate vor Ort um das Projekt aufzubauen, den Bauern bei ihrer täglichen und harten Arbeit zu helfen und mit den Kindern in der Schule Englisch zu lernen. Wir haben das Projekt durch eine deutsche Organisation kennengelernt, waren begeistert von der Idee und der Motivation des Projektgründers! Das Projekt befindet sich in einer der ärmsten Regionen Thailands, deshalb ist es besonders wichtig die Menschen dort zu unterstützen. Eines der größten Probleme ist die fehlende Bildung, da es so gut wie keine gut ausgebildeten Lehrer gibt, die den Kindern etwas beibringen können. Die fehlenden Englischlehrer werden durch die motivierten Freiwilligen vom Projekt ersetzt. Wir finden das Projekt auf jeden Fall unterstützenswert, da wir persönlich miterlebt haben, wie alles abläuft und dass die Spenden wirklich direkt in das Projekt und zu den Kindern kommen.

Ich finde dieses Projekt unterstützenswert weil hier das Geld dort (vollständig) ankommt, bei den Kindern im Dorf! Raimund sorgt dafür und vollständiger Hingabe. Er lebt dort und weiss, auf was es wirklich ankommt. Danke dafür!

I've been there for volunteering in the village from the 25th of March to the 2nd of january and will come back for 4 more weeks end of March. I just noticed the project at facebook and been interested in it. So I just messaged them to get in contact. Now I am here teaching the kids in English and also help with farm work.
The project is a very good start to help the people gaining important knowledge to improve their livings. Most of them live of the producing of rice and there is not much economy here. So its important, especially for the children of this generation, to improve their English skills and working skills for a better future.

L. Elkhawad
I am currently on site and I will be staying until the end of november. I am here to primarily teach young children english and try to give them further general knowledge. I found this project by chance and am currently volunteering. The Volunt2thai project is located in the extremely poor north-eastern region of Thailand. Most of the families live in small, minimally furnished huts that can't really be described as house anymore. They make their living through planting rice and selling anything they can make by themselves. Usually this provides them with just enough money to buy food for the family and other absolutely necessary items. The villagers are living in a constant state of destitution, that has been present for generations. 

The largest and also most severe effect of this poverty is a continuous lack of education. Not only with the children of this generation, but with their parents, grand-parents and great- grandparents. This is due to the fact that none of these generations had enough money to provide a proper education for themselves or their children. Breaking out of this never ending cycle is extremely difficult and requires a lot of hard work.

Most villages around Ban Nong Phong have a running school. However the quality of the education that is being offered to the children is far below western standards. The school only goes until the age of 14 and most families can't afford to send their children to a secondary school in the city. The education that the children do receive is limited and does not teach them anything about the possibilities that exist outside of their small, rural village lives. This is where the essential role of the volunteers comes in.

The volunteers come to this small traditional Thai village and bring their capability to teach English and their knowledge of the world outside of Thailand. Most of the people living in the village have never left Thailand and hardly know anything about the world and all its endless opportunities. Through Volunt2thai and the volunteers that come to take part in this project, the adults but most importantly the children come in contact with this unfamiliar world. The knowledge that the volunteers posses is transferred to the children of the village, who then in return can pass this knowledge on to their own children. Through this the following generations are all much more educated and open-minded. 

This project is only just in its early stages and still needs to develop greatly. However with enough support it is possible to provide the children of today with a much brighter future than their parents and grand- parents could have ever hoped for.

L. Leitinger

I'm here from 9th September to 9th October 2015. I'm volunteering with the organisation to help with teaching, developing the volunteer village and the organization and planning. It is the first experience of Asia for me, and such an authentic one at that. In Ban Nong Phong and the surrounding village, you see only kids and the old generation going after their daily tasks. This is because the economy and the opportunities here are too weak for the working-age people to stay and earn a living for their families. It forces them to go to more touristic places or foreign countries to support their families. Because the teenagers finish school at 14 or 15 years with no proper education, the only jobs they can do are often illegal or inhumane. Most of the kids grow up only with their grandparents, while their parents are away sending them money earned by the ways mentioned above.

The project tries to attack the problem at the root cause. By educating the children, first of all in English, they will have better chances in succeeding in their working life and securing a honorable and safe life for themselves and their families. As the project is still very young, it needs a lot of support in order to develop the village which can accommodate more volunteers and also serve as an interaction and meeting place between the locals and the international volunteers. This kind of cultural exchange is extremely beneficial for both sides, as many locals still know very little about the "outside world". 

The experience is also very unique for the volunteers, because they get to see and live the "Thai" life with all its flaws and charm. We are sitting on the floor eating, fighting with the heat and the mosquitoes, but the kindness and warmness of the place, with the amazing food, the lovely nature and the simple architecture of the area is well worth the efforts. I think that this is a great project for everybody involved, the locals as well as the international volunteers, and I hope it will receive the necessary funding to succeed even further.

I was there in Sept, 2015 for 2.5 weeks as an volunteer. I was volunteering there, teaching school kids and help with other ad hoc stuff in the village. It was an interesting experience to volunteer with Volunt2thai. Volunt2thai is a very new, growing organization which helps villages in north east of Thailand in different aspects. During the time I was there, I was able to interact with local people, teach school kids and have some brand new experience.

I lived a simple life here, sleeping on thin mattress on the floor, using buckets to shower and flush toilets, fighting with mosquitoes every day and night, sitting on a mat together on the floor for meals, walking on the ground without shoes all the time. There are more and more. Life is not easy here but simple and genuine. We live in a village with other villagers being our neighbours. Villagers, school kids and teachers are always friendly and welcoming.

Besides the main part of teaching school kids, there were also many first time experiences for me, feeding piggies, leveling the ground, mixing cement to pave a small platform, etc. I experienced a simple village life here, at the same time, had a taste of how tough it can be.

There are much more needs out there, my stay of 2.5 weeks was far less than enough to help. Even the organization itself is growing and needs a lot of support and donations in order to be well equipped to accommodate volunteers. However, I would still like to go back again to see and contribute more with the work they are doing there.

M. Swan
I volunteered from May 23 - June 6 2015. I mostly taught english in the school, but also helped with babysitting, some farm work, administrative work, at the local temple and other various village tasks. Since volunteering on-site I am continuing to assist with the project from my home town in America by editing, publishing and writing documents for Volunt2Thai as well as fund raising.

Because this project is working to give to children of the village a brighter, more self-determined life. Volunt2Thai is working to give the children a skill set in english fluency and computer skills so that when they leave the village for the big city they don't have to enter lives of crime. By starting english lessons in pre-school and kindergarten, and continuing them through high school, the young men and women will have more opportunities available to them when they leave home. Volunt2Thai is a movement working to give people more control of their own lives through the power of international contact and education. V2T is teamed up with support groups in Austria, Germany, America and other places, and will soon have the support of various universities from around the globe.

P. Osterrieth
I visit the project regularly (last on 13.06.2015) and I support the project as a volunteer whenever I find time besides my studies in Bangkok. When I am there, I help to further develop the project itself - e.g. with the construction of accommodation - and of course as an English teacher.

By now I know everyone involved on site personally through my frequent visits and because I am in regular contact with the team there. The project deserves support because it really has an impact and the potential to make a great difference for the locals in the future!!! Each visit I see how the kids that I and others teach make progress with their English skills. The project has developed further everytime I get there and it seemingly grows. The locals i talked to have trust and hope for a sustainable improvement of their living conditions through the project and they too are getting involved - this is so great. Money and resources are extremely scarce and are urgently required, especially for the ongoing construction of shelters for volunteers!

Ich bin als Volunteer hier und unterrichte Englisch. Ich bin seit Mitte März 2015 da und reise Ende Mai ab. Ich habe mich entschieden ehrenamtliche Mitarbeiterin zu werden, weil ich dieses Projekt so unterstützenswert finde. Ich sehe jeden Tag wie mühsam sich die Menschen hier durchs Leben schlagen, von ihrem angebauten Reis gerade so leben können und oft darauf angewiesen sind, dass die Jugendlichen und Eltern weggehen, um in irgendeiner Stadt Arbeit zu suchen. Die beste Chance aus der Armut bietet Bildung und die Menschen wissen das. Einen Englischlehrer können sich die Schulen nicht leisten, deshalb sind alle Eltern, Schüler und Lehrer unglaublich dankbar für jeden Freiwilligen, der hierher kommt und ihnen Englisch vermittelt. Die Herzlichkeit und auch Hilfsbereitschaft, die mir hier entgegenschlägt, ist jeden Tag aufs neue ein Beweis dafür. Da der Unterricht so begehrt ist, ist er von ein oder zwei Volunteers nicht zu bewältigen. Um mehr unterbringen zu können, sollen vor Ort ganz einfache kleine Schlafunterkünfte gebaut werden.