LifeLong Learning Foundation


Learning Vacation with the Sea Gypsies

Introduction

This Learning Vacation Program is a three week Thai culture and lifestyle immersion
home-stay adventure - in a small beach resort town called  "Trang" (south of Phuket),
hosted by a family, consisting of a trained sociologist, a social anthropologist and an
environmentalist who are health conscious, nature loving and internationally educated.
We will provide you with first - hand objective information about Thailand, Trang and
most important an understanding of the ancient sea gypsy village culture and traditions
so different from anything you have ever experienced.

Learn simple short-cuts in Thai cooking, tropical fruit juice & herbal drinks making,
batik art  painting, and acquire some Thai language at a “survival” level so that you will
have a better appreciation of the Thai local way of life.

The Learning Vacation with the Sea Gypsies, takes place at Nature Resorts
(our main partner organization) - a group of small eco-resorts located in the beautiful
Chao Mai Marine Park of Trang. Adopting good environmental management systems, its
income goes towards nature conservation and local sea gypsy welfare activities. As part
of its non-profit arm, it is its vision and mission to network with nature lovers all around
the world as a stepping stone towards a sustainable tourism development process. It is
with this in mind that the resort invites people to work with us in our in-house projects.

This volunteer program is like a working holiday. It is an experience that you will get no
where else, and definitely one that you will remember for a long time.

  

What's so Special about the Sea Gypsies

The list is endless. The chance to work alongside sea gyspies is an experience
that money cannot buy. In such a developed western society where we have
every convenience at hand, this trip will take you back a thousand years in time
as these special kind of people are as ancient as the dinosaurs. Misunderstood
and rejected from the streamline of the modern Thai society, sea gypsies were
people who once lived on the water, literally sailing from place to place on their
wooden boats. They settled along the islands of the Andaman - and at Chao Mai
Village pier and Libong Island, a small community started to develop and settle
down. They no longer wanted to be nomads but they still had to rely on the sea
for their bread and butter.

Some people tell us not to call them sea gyspies as it is like degrading them, but
we do not hold the same view as we believe that life should be celebrated for
who we are. We should encourage them to be proud of their identity. A foreigner
coming to work alongside with them, sharing a meal with them and spending time
talking to them and wanting to know more about their way of life will lead to them
being proud of their existence and result in the preservation of their traditional
livelihood and culture.

What we are not about

We are not about mass tourism. Have you seen the hilltribe people in Chiangmai?
Exploited like animals in the zoo for tourists - this is not how we want things to
develop. By coming in as a volunteer, you are coming in as a member of our family
and in turn with our introduction, you will soon be immersed into the sea gyspy life
and culture that is so different from your own.

Projects you can get involved in (At the Resorts)

Special projects are created to cater to individual interests and skills. Whether
you are a musician, artists, photographer, carpenter or landscape artist, you
are welcomed to apply and discuss project possibilities. Or if you don’t have
any qualifications and really want to give it a go, write to us and tell us and we
are sure to find some talent hidden away somewhere. Some examples of projects
done by our volunteers were - painting muriels on the doors of the resort and
performance stage; helping to fix a house in the resort compound so that the sea
gypsy staff can live in it; helping to design cards for a post
tsunami recovery project etc.

Apart from taking part in your own creative in-house project, you will also be expected
to be involved in the daily housekeeping and management of the resort assisted by
the sea gypsies in employment.

Why Volunteer Overseas

The Learning Vacation Program will enable you to make a personal contribution in a
local community in this era of globalization. Living, learning and experiencing
Thai local culture and Sea Gypsy Village lifestyle will be an experience that you
will never get as a tourist. It is a life changing moment where you will share your
enthusiasm, time, skills and energy with the local sea gypsies and become part of
their lives. Your interest and care in their lifestyle and culture will lead to appreciation
and preservation of their cultural heritage so distinct from the local mainstream
society. It is through this interaction that cultural understanding can be fostered
between people from all walks of life.

Why Volunteers have to make a contribution

As an independent non-profit organization, our program is driven entirely by volunteer
contributions. We have limited resources and are seldom able to cover the cost of
hosting volunteers. If we had the financial resources to pay an international volunteer,
it would certainly be more beneficial and cost-effective to hire a local person instead,
someone who already knows the language and culture and is likely to stick around.
Program arrangements are also time consuming and the process of preparing, training,
transporting, housing, feeding, and supervising volunteers is not cheap.Therefore, the fee
that is paid by volunteers should be seen as a contribution. We are in actual fact simply
asking for help in running what we are doing. We live in the real world where despite
the non-profit set up and good intentions, basic costs still need to be met, taxes
and insurance still needs to be paid and water, electricity and food bills are still
abound. Your payment helps to go towards these costs as well as any materials
needed for the proposed project that you will be working on.

When you are ready to take the plunge and want to know more

Contact us at lifelonglearning@trangsea.com