Kids & Education
THE GIVING TREE
Students from the Lycée Français International de Bangkok are banding together for the children of the Karen hill tribe . Through The Giving Tree Project , the student volunteers ’ mission is : a Christmas for each child .
Text by Shannon Frandsen
There was a rush of activity on the campus of Bangkok ’ s Lycée Français International de Bangkok ( LFIB ) this fall , as 15-year-old students polished off the last crumbs from their bake sale fundraiser and added up the sum of their labor . While teachers Christophe and Lila Andreau offered guidance to the students , the teachers outlined the volunteering efforts to Wanderlust Magazine .
The bake sale was one of the first steps , they explained . The 6,000 baht raised would help the students purchase bags to hold presents for the recipients of The Giving Tree Project . One boy at the bake sale table dipped a plastic spoon into a jar of Nutella , smiling , and then scurried off to class . The work they were doing , it seemed , was sweeter than a spoonful of the hazelnut-chocolate spread .
Christophe and Lila teach French literature and science , respectively , at LFIB . On top of this , the married couple dedicates time helping students orchestrate The Giving Tree Project , which is a program about helping the children ( and teachers ) of the Karen hill tribe in northern Thailand . For the winter festive season , the project ’ s slogan is , “ Un Noël Pour Chaque Enfant ,” or , “ A Christmas for Each Child .”
2016 is the second year that LFIB has worked with this charity .
The Karen children send in personalized wish lists to the LIFB students . Like many children , they ask for cars , books , games or dolls .
PHOTO : McKinsey Jordan
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