The gift of service sparks more giving in a Thai community

It’s easy to forget that while many people in our communities recognize Peace Corps Volunteers, and are possibly aware of what we do, they don’t necessarily know how and why we do it. Often, teachers in the area told me that they wished their school could afford a foreign teacher like me, and I made sure to tell them that the school does not pay Peace Corps Volunteers. I realized how much of an impact that piece of information can have on one person and their community.

An engaged community member

At the school where I served, I had a student whose mother was very active in the community and was always present at school meetings and events. She had spoken to me many times, wanting to improve her already impressive level of English. Her husband, who was from Denmark, spent about half the year in rural Thailand and traveled back to Denmark to work the other part of the year.

Throughout the year, we had spoken about her son’s progress in English as well as his overall development at school. He was a smart kid who seemed to be coming out of his shell and taking on leadership roles in class. Eventually, she mentioned how fortunate the school and community were to be able to afford a foreign English teacher. When I told her I was a Volunteer and paid a minimal amount through the U.S. government, not by the school, she was shocked. She expressed even more gratitude for my volunteerism, and I thought that was the end of it.

A Christmas surprise

On Christmas day, my co-teacher and I were in charge of a “Speed English Camp” that included gifts and prizes for students, and even a surprise visit from Santa Claus (aka yours truly)! To my surprise, I found out that a family wanted to donate notebooks, pens, pencils, and colored pencils to all 300 students! This was a big gift from anyone in my community and the students were very excited.

The donors turned out to be the mother and father of the student in my third-grade class, who asked to take a picture with me on that day. The mother had grown up in the community, attended the same school as her son, and had been a student council leader during her time there. After our conversation, she realized that she was in a place to give back and talked with her husband about helping the community that raised her.

She said, “If you can come all the way from America to help people in Thailand, I should also help if I can.”

A gift multiplies

This amazing gift reminded me of the power of the Peace Corps beyond the day-to-day technical support in the classroom. We, Volunteers, are able to be ambassadors for peace and friendship in our communities and are privileged to be welcomed. It is humbling to know that my service sparked this woman to serve as well. I will always appreciate her sharing her insight with me and her gift to the students in our community – it’s a story I will tell the rest of my life.