KELSEY’S MONTHLY BLOG – September 2019
One Community. One Common Goal
by Volunteer Kelsey Smith
With over 3,500 domesticated Asian elephants in Thailand, it is only natural that they become a major part of the local community and this is no different for the Thung Kha Ngok area of Phang Nga.
Elephants throughout Asia are a constant fascination to humans.
This month at Phang Nga Elephant Park we played host to the Yaowawit School; visits such as these allow us to work towards our educational goals within the community and provide opportunities to nurture young opinions. The Yaowawit School was set up following the devastating tsunami that hit on Boxing Day 2004.
Twenty, bright and excited students aged 7-12 were welcomed into the Park to participate in several educational activities which were organised by our lovely Volunteers together with owners Jake and Lek. The children listened intently as Lek, also our head Kwan-chaang, talked them through a health check on the beautiful Bai-Ngern and discussed in further detail the cultural importance of the Asian elephant.
It was an absolute pleasure meeting the children of Yaowawit and we hope that they will continue to return to us on a regular basis to assist in strengthening our ties with the local community, and to provide the children with enriching experiences that they can treasure indefinitely.
One definition of a community is ‘a feeling or fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests and goals’. Here at Phang Nga Elephant Park, we want to ensure that this common goal is a love and respect of the Asian elephant. With every small interaction in the local community like our involvement this week, we take a small step towards achieving a unified set of goals and a brighter future for the Asian elephant.