Alastair Tomlinsons' Story
To go out to somewhere in the world and volunteer has always been something that I have wanted to do, but for it to actually be part of my final year of school is no less than a dream come true.

In the summer before I left I have to admit that I was slightly apprehensive although I could not wait to be out there I was starting to feel nervous. I realise now that I had no idea what to expect.

The day finally came that meant that I was to start my experience as a volunteer and leave behind the creature comforts that I had become used to and face the world.

Upon my arrival in Thailand I was met by Tash and Kay who opened their hearts to us and showed us around the city and Tash even took us down to an island for a weekend before we started our work.

It was obvious from the moment that we got there what it meant us being there to Tash and Kay, we could see how strongly they felt about helping all the people that they could.

While I was out in the beautiful country of Thailand I was working in a government school in Bangkok that was provided for the children of the street sellers taxi drivers and slum children. I was teaching English to these enthusiastic, bright eyed intelligent kids. At first it was a little difficult but I soon found ways to get around the fact that I could not speak Thai. The children, aged 7 to 12 years taught me so much about myself that cannot be expressed in words.

After one month in the school it was time to leave the school and start working in an orphanage just outside Bangkok. The good bye we received from the children of the school was something that I will never forget, try to imagine singing with all the actions 'its raining its pouring' along with four class mates and nine hundred Thai kids that you had taught yourselves.

I did not cope that well in the orphanage, although I enjoyed the experience I feel that the others enjoyed the orphanage more than me.

For me the only thing that was better than working at the school was an English Camp with Dragonfly English Camp, Tash knew the organisers, it was so much fun with all the children going slightly mental but still an amazing time.

The whole experience was made so much better by Tash and Kay being there for me whenever I needed help or advice or even if I just wanted someone to go to the pub with they were always willing to give what they could and if it were not for them I would not have had such an amazing time.

Alastair Tomlinson, 18, England.

Emily Graves' Story
A year and a half ago I came for a holiday in Thailand, I travelled around and found myself falling in love with the welcoming Thai people.
They welcomed us into their homes with smiles.
A year went by and I found my self back in Thailand. I joined 5 classmates and came to Thailand with Acorn Overseas which offered many great opportunities.

On arrival I found Tash and Kay amazingly friendly and easy going. They warmly welcomed me into their team,
I noticed how much they cared about their work and the children.
They would help me when I needed it and made my stay the best life experience ever.

I went to work in this school within Bangkok here I taught children for a month. I gained so much through these bright children who were from the surrounding slums. This was a great opportunity, I taught English to them and played many games all in all I just had great fun.

For me though the best and most humbling experience was volunteering in the many orphanages out side Bangkok.
The pain overcame me and suffering in some areas, but the amazing thing was despite all this the children and babies seemed to smile with the biggest brightest smiles ever. I played and loved the children and fed them every day. We also would help with the blind and aids babies and the deformed babies.

Thanks to the great team Tash and Kay I had the best life experience ever and recommend it to others throughout the world.

Emily Graves from England

Emily Lowsley-Williams Story
My name is Emily Lowsley-Williams and I first came to Thailand on a holiday with my school. The country and culture grabbed me. Since then my aim has always been to go back and do something for the people of Thailand.
This where I came across Acorns Overseas It was a unique organisation that offered a variety of different volunteering placements around Bangkok.
I applied to teach English to the street sellers children
In a Thai school, I worked at the school for a month. I gained an enormous amount of confidence as well as having a fantastic time playing and teaching English to these wide eyed beautiful children.

I then went to work in an orphanage just outside of Bangkok in a province called Pakkret.
At first it was a heart breaking experience seeing hundreds of little children with no parents and no home. I felt all I could do was give as much love as I could. This was hard knowing some of these children didn't have long to live because of AIDS and other life threatening health conditions.
After two weeks I could no longer work at that orphanage because of an infection that was going around the children.
Tash straight a way looked for somewhere else and very shortly came across one that was in desperate need for volunteers. They welcomed me in very warmly. I got to look after baby orphans. They are babies you can never forget. They grasp you as if you're their only hope, their only chance to be loved. I worked there for another two weeks.

As well as volunteering I got to travel around Thailand. Tash and Kay helped me go to places really worth visiting, from temples in Bangkok, to the north of Thailand and even which the best islands are.

The school and both orphanages were an incredible experience. I got to work along side some incredible women. As well as looking after wonderful children, and seeing the truly beautiful country of Thailand.

My trip lasted for two and half months. Every step of the way Tash and Kay were behind me. If I needed anything or any questions answered they would be there to help me.
It was a life changing experience and defiantly one I will never forget.

Thank you Tash and Kay

Be'eri Ben Yehudas' Story
My experience in Thailand

I found myself not being able to sleep, the night before the flight. I was so excited going to other side of the world, to experience different culture, language and people.
When I arrived there I found myself living in the centre of Bangkok, in a luxury apartment.
When I started volunteering in the school I was quite surprised by the strict discipline in the class. The children did everything they were told, and if they didn’t obey, they were punished with a stick on there legs. I felt that I wouldn’t have chosen this way of treating young kids.
Our responsibility was to take each class, for half an hour to the park near the school, to play with them and to activate them in English.

After being in the school for few weeks we had the feeling that we did a good work, we managed to teach them some English and we also had fun there.

From there we moved onwards to volunteer in an orphanage of babies
The work there was hard but satisfying. We came every morning at 9am. Each one of us joined a group of babies of different age, to spend the day.
I went into the age group of 3-4 months babies. I played with them with some very simple plastic toys they had around. Later on I had to help with feeding and cleaning. In one of the rooms I also washed some babies, and helped to give them a massage with oil.

Few days later, we went into special needs babies’ home with severe disabled children These children are abandoned or brought to the home by their families because they have problems or their parents are incapable to raise their own children.
To see babies in such state of health was a very shocking scene, and I am still carrying it with me.

As a whole, it was a very interesting experience and feels that I was very lucky and privileged to have the chance and go there.

Thank you- all who were involved in it!

Beeri Ben-Yehuda From Israel
Class 13 Acorn School
United- kingdom

Sarah May's Story
When the first idea of the trip to Thailand was conceived two years ago I considered for a very long time on whether it would be the right time for me to undertake such an opportunity. For months I wavered back on forth and it was not until the evening that the flights were booked that I finally rested on a hesitant decision to go. I managed to compromise within the situation and said that I would complete just over half of the intended two months after which I would fly back home alone.



I had no expectation of what Thailand would be like. I had an idea about the culture but I knew nothing of the countries politics or people. I have only traveled as far as Dubai previously and have never traveled to a predominately Buddhist country before. The only thing I could be really sure of was the incredible culture shock I would enter into. Alongside this vague knowledge of the country, which was mainly just its geographical location, I also had never taught before and besides I have not been an overtly confident person. I was extremely nervous, especially the day before we visited the school.



At home the school and its community had anticipated this event for a long time and so the hopes and expectations were on our small, experimental group of six students. It was up to us to pioneer a successful trip so that others could follow in our footsteps in years to come.



Two days after we arrived we visited the school we would be working at for the next few weeks. This was an incredibly intimidating experience, and for me, not being a particularly assertive public speaker, having to stand in front of the entire school on a microphone and introduce myself was a daunting proposal. Accompanying my utter nervousness, however, was a huge feeling of excitement and I was keen to start teaching.



The only contact I have had with teaching was on the opposite side of the classroom to the challenge I was now facing. I knew that I would have to call upon all the subconscious techniques which I had seen thousands of time but had never noticed until now. There was obviously a tough language barrier between us and the students; therefore much of the lesson was explained by gesticulation, picture cards, or as a last resort through an interpreter. As the weeks went on I became more and more comfortable with the students and also with the task I was performing.



As I mentioned before I left Bangkok earlier than the rest of the group which was the right decision for me. I am happy that I had the opportunity to teach children who are much less fortunate than me. The experience was overwhelming and extremely frightening. I could not replace the experience I gained it is something I will not regret and I hope that every person who follows feels the same way. I feel as though I accomplished many physical and conscious achievements, such as, teaching and travelling; but the main volume of my achievement was within. I feel that this experience has enriched my life and has opened my eyes to the world in which I live.

Sarah May- England