Behind the Scenes

Afgelopen week bezocht een van Samsara’s trouwe sponsors, Verity Goitein, het huis van Ratana en zij schreef mij erover. Een betere blog voor deze week is niet denkbaar.

I am prone to exaggeration, but on this occasion I will let photos speak for me…

We are admiring of Samsara’s work in the Hill Tribe mountain villages where schools are developed in a comprehensive manner with villagers meaningfully involved. Dormitories, hygienic kitchens, canteens and toilets are built, clean water is provided and electricity installed via solar energy.

In addition Samsara is involved with equipping all these facilities: simple bunk-beds, lockers and cupboards, tables and benches are all provided to be functional and attractive. We have seen these well-made furnishings in situ very often and knew they were provided at low cost.

We knew too that Ratana was the ‘in-house manufacturer’. Her Muay Thai boxers provided the work-force, learning useful skills in the process. From time to time we have visited her and seen completed cupboards and tables piled around.

BUT this week, I saw what was actually involved. There are only 3 words to describe the scene, “incredible”, “incredible” and again “incredible”.

Everything is constructed from scratch - from iron and wood, welded, screwed, rust-proofed and painted. Every item has to be 100% solid and durable to survive the daily wear and tear of school-life in a primitive tropical setting.

So, over 6 months, this work takes place not in a factory, not in an atelier or warehouse, but in Ratana’s own home!

And 2 weeks ago, Chiang Mai was flooded. Ratana’s home was flooded. Water swept mud and sand into houses indiscriminately. So every area required lifting, moving, cleaning, scrubbing …

Samsara’s next season will see bunk-beds, tables, benches, cupboards, lockers all neatly installed in numerous schools . Who will enquire what was involved? Who could imagine the industrial scale of this Samsara enterprise? And who ever asks or wonders why Samsara can assist schools and provide such amazing value for money?

I hope that this will give a glimpse of one part of the Samsara industry….