Volunteering Superhero Jeni - Dedicating her time on Koh Phangan

Jeni came to Thailand eleven years ago to do voluntary work and visited Koh Phangan for the Full Moon party, as is usual with most people;

‘It was nice but honestly I preferred Koh Tao, I’ve always said it was my favourite place! However, I was recently looking for a job after spending three years in Australia and I knew I wanted to move back to Thailand.

I came across a teaching position at Si Ri Panya Tutorial School and I thought it would be great to go back. Here I am and now Koh Phangan is definitely my favourite place!’

So tell us about your volunteer work before you came to Koh Phangan...
It was in Lamae, in Chumphon. I was teaching in a school which catered for children who were excluded from mainstream education for a variety of reasons. Children who had Downs Syndrome, Autism, were blind, deaf or were excluded from mainstream schooling due to conditions like HIV.

The school also catered for children from very poor families, families who couldn’t afford uniforms or school materials. I was a teacher there, living in the village and fell in love with teaching and Thailand.  

From this experience, I decided to study at university in order to work with children with special needs. I attended Exeter University, then Derby and recently a university in Australia, where I got my teaching degree. I originally started on the path of being a therapist, in order to specialise in child psychology but later found more joy in education. My passion lies with working with children with special needs and my dream is to, one day, open a school here for children with disabilities.

I currently teach primary school grade one children, ‘My Little Monkeys’ and I am still in very close contact with the family that ran the school in Lamae.

After I left Lamae word of the school’s nature spread and sadly children started being left at the doorstep of the school by desperate parents. The owners of the school, P’Nong and P’Nui were confronted with a serious issue and decided they needed to do something to help, so they reopened the school as a women's refuge. Women in difficult situations were welcomed into the ‘school’ with their families so they could receive help and support and not have to leave their children.
This morphed into what it is now Eurphon Homestay For Children. Children in difficult circumstances are welcomed into Eurphon where they can live safely. Their education, care and all other needs are provided and their parents - mostly from very low income backgrounds – are able to work in order to provide from their children when they are able, more financially secure and back on their feet. However many of Eurphon’s children come through the foster system. Children who get lost in the system or are unable to be placed in government orphanages etc, due to problems such as stealing and repercussions of sexual abuse and often Eurphon is their last chance. Eurphon is a fantastic place for children with issues like these as it provides opportunities like group therapy, animal therapy, home schooling and a sustainable living program where the children learn to grow and cook their own food.

They also provide vocational training and try to secure work for the older children and struggling adults in need of support, in hopes of securing a better future for them after Eurphon.

Eurphon operates wholly on the generous donations of the local community and the aid of volunteers. They have a website and Facebook page in Thai and I recently created their English Facebook page in order to share the story of Eurphon with tourists and potential volunteers.

I hope to reach out to people who would like to contribute their time and volunteer at Eurphon. There are voluntary opportunities for anyone who feels they have something to contribute. Painters, decorators, landscapers, teachers, handymen, plumbers or anyone who just wants to lend a hand or has a skill that can be utilised by the Homestay is more than welcome.  

Also those willing to teach a skill, a language or a school subject, for the personal interest and growth of the residences at Eurphon, would be greatly appreciated. Volunteering at Eurphon provides the unique chance of travellers to immerse themselves in Thai culture and the way of life.

Volunteers will be provided with food and fun accommodation at the homestay, including homemade clay huts, tree houses and thatch bungalows. The Facebook page allows volunteers to contact me for more information and being a volunteer there myself, I can promise it is a truly fun experience!

Do you find it shocking that these problems still exist?
No. Through my therapeutic work and work with children in a variety of settings and countries, I’ve learnt that these problems exist everywhere and sadly, I don’t believe that any country can avoid child welfare issues. National systems try their best to deal with these problems but not all children fit into the systems provided.

What is shocking is when I got to Eurphon and see how well everyone is doing! You would think that because of the difficult background these children have come from, that they would suffer as a result but they are so happy at Eurphon and it’s so lovely to see!

Have you seen any of these child welfare problems on Koh Phangan?
The main issue I have seen here on the island is the gap in education for children with disabilities. From my understanding, it’s not that they can’t go to mainstream school but because their disabilities often keep them from progressing, they don’t continue through the school system like other children and as a result, are often withdrawn.

These children deserve an education, just like any other child which is why I want to start up a Special School.

You were at Charlie’s Children’s Charities Annual Beach Day, how was it?
That was amazing, so much fun! It was crazy as the children came off the buses in droves and you were swiftly matched with a child with the same colour band as you. We cared for that child for the whole day and it was our job to make their day as happy as possible.

It was quite overwhelming for the kids and the volunteers, at first, being strangers and dealing with language barriers, but in the end everyone had such a good time. It was really special!

I had the very youngest group and despite most of the children being boys, as it was an event for a boy’s orphanage, I had one of the four girls of the group. She was only three years old and had never seen sand or the sea before. She was walking around with huge eyes all day and it was lovely to develop a little bond with her.  It was really sad to say goodbye but I went to visit her after the event at the orphanage, which was great. I’d recommend getting involved to anyone who loves children and having fun. I’ll definitely be going again next year!

You also volunteer at PACS, how did you get involved?
I have been volunteering in animal shelters since I was nine. My mum strongly believes in voluntary work and got me involved as I love animals.

When I knew I would be moving to Koh Phangan, I researched if the island had any kind of shelter. Originally I did this because I wanted to adopt a dog but when I found PACS and learnt about their work, I decided I wanted to be involved. I had three months before I started my new job so I spent a lot of time helping at PACS, I really enjoyed it and have continued to volunteer there as much as I can.

Tell us how you fit this in with having a full time job and what you do...
I go to PACS maybe three times a week, after teaching at school and most weekends. I help where I can, mainly with cleaning, feeding, and helping treat the sick and injured animals.

I sometimes pick up animals for surgery and help return them to the areas they came from when they have recovered. Through my personal rehoming of puppies and kittens, I am beginning to build nice relationships with Thai and local people and am now being told about animals in need of help or de-sexing.

If I cannot help myself, I co-ordinate with the PACS receptionist, Head Nurse and volunteer vet to have these animals seen. I love spending time with the animals and I think my main role at PACS is animal cuddler…a pretty great role to have.  

PACS receives many patients that are brought in due to sickness and injury. They may have been hit by a car, be suffering from maggot wounds, tick fever or skin conditions, etc. When they are fit to leave they are often too vulnerable to go back the streets. This could be because they are too young and without a mother or someone care for them, they are unlikely to survive. They may have special needs like blindness or be suffering from the repercussions of the distemper virus, which often leaves them unable to care for themselves properly.

PACS is not a shelter and cannot keep healthy animals so it is these animals that I volunteer to take personal responsibility for. I foster and try to rehome them, independently from PACS so that PACS is able to focus on it’s job of treating stay and injured animals and controlling the animal population on the island.

I have started a Facebook page ‘Adopt a Furry Friend - Koh Phangan’, dedicated to the rehoming of animals here on the island and am looking to form some links overseas to be able to adopt dogs internationally as well.

You fit all this in with having a busy job. It can be easy for people to volunteer, as this is what is important right?
PACS relies on the kind donations of the public and the support and help of volunteers. They always need help with general day to day things in the clinic such as cleaning, cooking, feeding, walking and tick picking the animals. It may not be glamorous but it’s extremely important and very rewarding.

Visiting PACS, spending time with the animals and raising awareness is also important and the sick animals enjoy a friendly face bringing treats or food donations. There’s always building work and maintenance to be done and people with electrical, plumbing and general handyman skills can happily be put to work.

Even things like social media, videography and publicity skills can be utilised and often these things can be done from home, which is perfect for someone with limited spare time.

PACS is always happy for people to actively foster vulnerable animals, animals that are under long term care or have a better chance of recovery outside of PACS. This involves caring for the animals and actively looking for a new home while its treatment is completed. For those with limited spare time or just passing through Koh Phangan, popping into PACS with donations of food, old sheets and towels is invaluable and greatly appreciated.

What are the main problems with the stray population at the moment?
There has recently been a raise of the Distemper Virus on the island, due to unvaccinated dogs. It has been really serious and we have lost a large number of dogs to the contagious virus. Once a dog contracts distemper and it has begun to affect its nervous system or respiratory system, there is little you can do. It’s just a matter of time before it passes away and sadly, it’s a horrible thing for that dog to go through. However distemper, along with many other horrible viruses are simple to prevent. There is a simple vaccination the dog can receive that keeps it safe. The team at PACS tries hard to vaccinate the stray population to control issues like distemper and rabies, and stop unnecessary suffering.

The main problem, however, is obviously the breeding. Animal numbers on Koh Phangan  are extremely hard to control but PACS works endlessly to try and sterilise animals before they are able to add to the population problem. If people know dogs or cats in certain areas, particularly females ready to breed for the first time or older females that have had multiple litters then please call and book an appointment with PACS for that animal to be sterilised.

If you can arrange to deliver the animal to PACS, even better and it’s free for stray animals. This helps stop the addition of big litters to the island’s population. Female dogs often have around eight or nine puppies and often more females than males. If each of those female puppies then goes on to have eight or nine puppies herself, you can see how the situation can quickly get out of control.

If PACS is able to control population numbers then the advantages are numerous in other areas. Fighting decreases as there is less battles for territory, the spread of disease goes down and all the other problems that arise from a large stray population also improve.

What do you like to do on the island when you're not working or volunteering?
I love to take my dogs to the beach, walk with them to waterfalls and just to enjoy the island. I love going to the food markets to try new, interesting foods and I love having friends over and cooking together.

I’m a big fan of movie nights and enjoying reading. I’m not a huge partier and much prefer the quieter side of island life.

Leave us with what you would tell tourists visiting the island...
If you are interested in making your holiday or travel experience special, consider volunteering. Arrange to visit Eurphon or come visit PACS and see the great work these charities do for yourself.  

It’s hard not to be moved when you see such passion to help, face to face, and surprisingly easy to become emotionally involved.

I would urge tourists not to take in little puppies, kittens, dogs or cats, they don’t intend to care for forever. Often these puppies and kittens have mothers caring for them or territories they have worked hard to obtain.  You are doing them no favours by taking them and feeding them as they become reliant on you then you disappear.

If you decide to take on an animal then please, consider the implications well and take it with you when you leave!

Taking an animal out of the country is not as hard or costly to do as people often imagine. There are ways to do it here and obtaining the information is not hard. Please consider adoption carefully and remember that an animal will be your friend for life and ‘for life’ means just that.