The students began the day by touring the facility and becoming familiar with the status of refugees in Bangkok. In the picture above, everyone is surprised to hear how many patients come through the center’s tiny clinic facility.

After the tour, the students began to clean litter, rocks and debris out of places where they planned to plant the flowers they purchased. The center is one of the few places it is safe for refugees to venture beyond their homes, so making the place more beautiful was a task everyone wanted to participate in.

These students not only had to do physical labor, but they were responsible for much of the project management aspects of their volunteer day. They wrote budgets in their teams, went shopping for supplies, and each team made a presentation to the staff at the refugee center.

Their presentations suggested what type of plants should be grown, the needs of the different species of plants, and even included menus of dishes the center could prepare with the veggies from their new garden.

They went over and beyond what they were asked by donating food, clothing, seeds for the future garden, and even pooling their money to contribute a donation. This should be an inspiration to all of us of what we can accomplish with a desire to help and a little teamwork!

Thank you to NIVA International School, all the BRC staff who participated, and everyone supporting this project. There is more work to do and we will need your support to continue into the next phase.

More before and after pics on flickr: