Nong Frame is a 18 year old girl with a low IQ, she is a slow learner. Nong Frame has problems with her thyroid gland and she is epileptic. Nong Frame is a student of TCDF’s Special School and she is involved in the Medical Care program of TCDF, both since January 2015.
Medical background
Because of problems with her thyroid gland Nong Frame does not sleep very well, has problems with her weight, her hormones and her memory. She has regular check ups with a specialist at Rama Teebohdee Hospital in Bangkok, every 3 months. The last year she has been on a strict diet and has excercises to control her weight. Unfortunetaly there has been no improvement and Nong Frame has been operated upon. To prevent epilectic seizures (absences) Nong Frame has to take medication twice a day. The doctors in Bangkok are checking her status and use of medication quarterly. Once a year Nong Frame will go with a staff member of TCDF’s Special School to Chumpon Hospital for an IQ and EQ test. Depending on the outcome of this test her personal lessonplan for the Special School will be adjusted.
TCDF supports Nong Frame and her mother financially, by paying for all hospital visits (transport, stay), check ups by specialist and medication. A TCDF staff member accompanies Nong Frame on her visits to Chumpon hospital to communicate with the specialists there.
Educational background
Before Nong Frame became a student with TCDF’s Special School, she attended primary school in Phato. She finished school with a lot of difficulties. From 13 to 15 years old she assisted her mother in the restaurant and on the plantation. After that her mother enlisted her as a student with TCDF’s Special School, to participate in the educational program and the occupational training. Nong Frame has a full scholarship at TCDF’s Special School.
The activities and the educational program of the Special School aims to make students independent and gives them opportunities for a better future.
By working closely together with families, caretakers, teachers in local schools, medical organisations (clinics, hospitals, specialists) and the professional staff of the foundation, TCDF strives to create a better health- and education system for children like Nong Frame.
Every student of the Special School is being trained and stimulated on:
Physical development: fysiotherapy, yoga, horseback riding, team sport, games and so on
Independency on daily activities and life skills: personal care, reading, writing, orientation in and around the home, telephone conversations and so on.
Emotional development: working and learning in a team, role play, music- and art-therapy. Care for others, animal care, personal mentoring and involvement of family members and so on.
Financial indepency: occupational training on our school farm, in TCDF’s bakery, calculation, handling money and budgets, saving money and so on
The educational program and care for the students of the Special School is specific for each student. Every student has a personal lesson plan.
For Nong Frame means that a lot of attention is paid to:For Nong Frame the attention fields are on:
Reading and writing
Her diet and eating habits
Handling money
Calculating and administration
Care for others: Nong Frame takes care – together with the teachers – of a number of younger students.
Occupational training
Since 2014 the students of TCDF are trained to learn an occupation. Each student has a personal training program. Nong Frame will:
·Learn to work in TCDF restaurant. The coming year Nong Frame wants to learn how to work in the restaurant of Eco-Logic. Serve food, make coffee and drinks for our guests. Help keep the restaurant clean and so on. She loves working with people and can even speak some English!
·Print T-shirts. Together with the school staff Nong Frame prints designs on T-shirt in assignment of the school or third parties (the resort, local companies). The school uniforms of the Special School students and the teachers are printed by her and her team.
Work in the vegetable, fruit and herb gardens of TCDF: planting, weeding, making compost, harvesting and selling of produce to the restaurant of Eco-Logic.
Work on the farm of TCDF: harvesting mushrooms, collect eggs, take care of the chicken and catfish and sales of the produce to the restaurant of Eco-Logic.
Nong Fame is a very independent young woman and she does not need a lot of assistance with studying and working in TCDF’s Special School. She is a quick learner and a very sociable and caring person with the other students and teachers. She loves working in the bakery, the printing of the T-shirts and the farm work. Next to that she is an enthusiastic singer and she likes to make drawings.
And whenever you come to visit TCDF and Eco-Logic, Resort for Charity she will surely welcome you in the restaurant!
Pictures: Else4