Transforming young lives in Thailand
A crowdfunding campaign started by alumni Victor L. Crouch, LCSW and Darryl James, MSW is helping about 480 residents of Ubon-Ratchathani, Thailand build a new preschool that does not flood every time it rains!
Being a global citizen is something that Victor L. Crouch (MSW ‘99) takes seriously. Last summer, Crouch, who currently lives and works in Okinawa, Japan, as an elementary school counselor, traveled to northeast Thailand, home of the Isaan culture. There, in the province of Ubon-Ratchathani, Crouch learned about a preschool built in a lowlands area that flooded every time it rained. The conditions were not only unpleasant but unsafe for the 17 three- and four-year-olds who were enrolled there.
Crouch met with the preschool’s three teachers and the village leadership to learn more about their needs. It turned out the residents had been thinking about this problem for quite some time. They had already identified a site on higher ground, drawn up plans and had volunteers lined up who were ready to build. All they needed were the funds to purchase building materials.
That’s where Crouch and fellow alum Darryl James (MSW ‘98) were able to help. The two started a GoFundMe page that has raised more than $5,000 to date. The money has gone to purchase materials for the roof and the floor. An additional $2,700 is sought to buy bricks and other materials for the walls. The new preschool will have three classrooms, a full kitchen, showers and two bathrooms.
Crouch sees this project as more than just building a new preschool. “The construction has the potential of being transformative,” said Crouch, “deepening a sense of connection among members of the community…This heart-warming endeavor of building a preschool has allowed me to use my skills to make a human capital investment in young children and their families.”
