“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” – Dr Seuss
Reading is one skill which helps us to develop our knowledge. I was inspired when I was teaching refugee students who lack books and education because of the civil war in Karen State (Kaw Thoo Lei as the Karen people would call Karen State). I think books are essential for them. As Jesuit volunteer teachers in Karen State, my friends and I think we should find books for the refugee students. If we can find books for them, it will help improve their reading skills and give them new knowledge and new perspectives in life.
Since the border between Thailand and Myanmar closed for a time due to the Covid-19 infection, we could not cross the river to get to Karen State. So instead, we decided to make a website asking for books. The response has been amazing. Our goal is to collect 5,000 books, which should be enough for the 535 students in the refugee school.
The project is called, “One Heart, One Book”. We believe reading has the power to change minds and thoughts. Many successful people enjoy reading books. During three years of working with the refugees, I realised the refugees are willing to study and learn more if they are only given adequate support.
Some of the students had been born in the war zone. Consequently, they may think they cannot change their life through education. Their mindset is: “I am a refugee and I cannot change anything.” Their mind isn’t open to acquiring new things. The war and violence have destroyed their creativity and have led them to be close-minded. However, every human being is capable of developing themselves through experience, and books are one of the materials that can support them. Books serve as instruments to help them understand their life and accumulate knowledge they can use to help one another in the future.
“If we can help them, we should do it. No matter where they were born, they should have access to knowledge like the students who have nationality,” said one of our volunteers.
We hope our project will motivate refugee students to strive for their education through reading. We hope the small thing we do right now will someday change society. Reading will open a new world for them and change something in their life. As Nelson Mandela said, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”
Visit the One Heart, One Book website in Thai here.
Narongdet Chuanchuenchom is a student at Xavier Learning Community, a Jesuit institution of higher learning in Chiang Rai, Thailand. He worked as a volunteer teacher in Karen State, Myanmar.