We were looking for something different from the beaches and tourist scene for our two week break for Chinese New Year. We found Dhane’s Homesteading For The Future through the International Communities web site.  We called Dhane from Suzhou and he said come on down, so we did. We didn’t know what to expect. Dhane met us at the bus station at 5:30AM and arranged a tuk-tuk to take us to the village as he went off to his school. We were impressed when we arrived to see there was a house, electricity, a bathroom with running water and what looked like a large, bumpy patch quilt spread out on the hall floor. This was probably the most endearing image that has stayed with me. Every night as I looked in the main room there would be all those little bodies scattered helter skelter across the floor clinging onto their remnants of cloth. 

The house parents Ita and Gowin have things very well organized and in the ten days we were there we never once heard them raising their voice to get things done. The children shared chores, helped each other with homework, and played together in a harmony that made us ask what we have done wrong in the upbringing of our own two raucous children. Sophie (5) and Finnegan (6) were immediately integrated into the gang. Sophie became great friends with 7 year old Nini and Finn had 14 new brothers.   

This was a relief for Monique and me as on vacations usually our kids are counting on us to be their chief source of entertainment. Now they had friends and I could get on with puttering around the house fixing plumbing and putting up towel racks. (This was or us. The kids shared one towel hanging on a nail outside the bathroom door.) Monique read and played games with the little ones during the day and taught the older ones English when they got back from school. 

Most afternoon the kids would take us down to the swimming hole and charge down the sand hills into the water or sculpt cars or monsters out of the sand. This was usually followed by ice popsicles at the local store. Again we were struck by the gentleness the children displayed, always making sure everyone had something and throwing their wrappers in the trash. Monique and I teach in a large international school in Suzhou, China and we don’t often see such displays of caring for others and the environment. 

Gowin arranged for us to rent a pick-up truck with a driver and we spent one beautiful day visiting the Gibbon reserve and a National Park with a spectacular cascading waterfall. The vibrant town of Mae Sot is only fifteen minutes away on our rented motorbike. There we could find everything from a well stocked Tesco’s to a market packed with all kind of wares including hill tribe products and gem stones. The local iced coffee is sweet and delicious, banana splits affordable and Mae Sot night life is surprisingly vibrant.  

In short, we all had a great time. Wendy and Dhane helped us get our footings. We felt at liberty to contribute in any way we wanted. The children were delightful. It was so nice to be sitting reading a book and feel a child who hardly knows you slide up next to you just to feel an arm around him.  

These kids need $8000 USD to build their new wood and bamboo home on the land they have leased for five years. We are looking for 152 good hearted people who want to become member of the 52B Club (B for builders). These doers will contribute through Dhane’s website $52.52. In addition to knowing they are giving a home to 15 great kids, these lucky members will be able to reserve a week’s free lodging in the new home in any of the 52 weeks of any of the next four years. So when you are done reading this go here and make a bank transfer or join through Paypal. Send this around to your friends. 

If you can get out there, do it! You will have a great time and meet some wonderful people who need you. You will get a lot more than you give. 

If you have any questions about what we experienced please contact us at donahueclan@gmail.com 

See you in Mae Sot, Thailand! 

Pat, Monique, Finn and Sophie Donahue

Suzhou, China

February 22, 2008

This is Monique cooking buttermilk pancakes.  She picked up the mix at Tesco's and I (Dhane) stole the first few that were ready to eat.  I love them with the local Thai molasses.