Global Issues Network is a network of international schools participating in various community service projects worldwide. In our Exploria, we are carrying out one of these projects. We have been working towards helping a local foundation known as the Dulabhathorn Foundation that aids disabled children and provide them with learning opportunities. One of these opportunities is hippotherapy, which is an area where they need our support.

On the 22 April, a group of us went to Skill Center Chiang Mai which is an equestrian training ground who works alongside Dulabhathorn Foundation to provide hippotherapy to these children. We spent the morning assisting a small group from the foundation in grooming, riding, and feeding the horses. Our job there was to help and to encourage the children who were doing fine motor exercises on horseback. Two Prem students walked on either side to ensure that the children were safe and felt comfortable. Overall, it was an enriching experience for all of us and clearly beneficial to them. We are going back for the second time this Saturday, 13 May.

We want to help with the hippotherapy but also plan to support them in raising awareness about the Dulabhathorn Foundation. They are mainly looking for volunteers to help with the children on a day to day basis at their different locations. We hope to find more ways in which we can assist Dulabhathorn Foundation in the future. As our group continues to grow we are planning on starting more projects in our local area of Chiang Mai.

For more information about the Dulabhatorn Foundation, please see this link.

Please see some of our comments on our first trip below:

“It was an amazing experience and all of us enjoyed every moment of it. The sense of community and the positive atmosphere was one of the most memorable aspects for me.” – Sersang Yangdon Ngedup

“It was a fun and wonderful way to give to those less fortunate” – Alysha Coulson

“ It’s not every day that we get the opportunities like this” – Jigme Kinlay

“Being able to meet and help the kids from the Dulabathorn Foundation was an extremely rewarding experience” – Debbie Bruns

“Our mission was to give our support and help the children, however, I feel that they were the ones who helped us see the beauty in the little things in life, even in something as simple as horse riding.” – Leczin Choden

“Taking the time to see and help people who are less fortunate than us is an honor. It may seem small but when they smile, it feels big .” – Om

“This experience was very enjoyable and I had a great time looking after kids” – Deki