 |
Eva Quist leading songs at a worship
service at the Pwo Hostel - 1984 |
By the time we moved to Mae Sariang in August of 1984, a student
hostel building had already been built and a group of students had already
started attending classes at the nearby government school. Plans though, were
in place for much more.
Sten-Goran and Marianne Liljestrom were Swedish speakers
from Finland that had already been in Mae Sariang working with the BUS for several
years before we arrived. Their role was to work at putting the local Pwo
language in writing and to develop literacy materials. At the same time, particularly
Marianne had also been involved in starting up the hostel and scholarship
program.
Eva Quist was serving as a Swedish volunteer, also with the
BUS. Her main role was to work with the Pwo Hostel and Scholarship program. In
addition, our former Chiang Mai neighbor, Johann Facchini would also visit Mae
Sariang from time to time and help with construction projects.
 |
Marianne Liljestrom and daughter Tanya
outside the Pwo hostel - 1984 |
Unfortunately, both the Liljestrom family and Eva Quist were
soon leaving to return to their home countries. After time back in Finland, the
Liljestroms were planning to return to Thailand but in the interest of their
children, would live in Chiang Mai. Eva Quist was planning to remain in Sweden
and would not return to Mae Sariang either. Now that we were in Mae Sariang however,
Marcia would be able fill in as a “substitute Swede” and represent the BUS in
Mae Sariang. For that matter, working mainly with the BUS Irrigation Project
Duane was also representing the BUS as much as the American Baptist Churches.
The Thai school year usually starts up in mid-May and ends
in March. With March and April usually the hottest months of the year, March,
April and early May are seen as kind of a “summer vacation” for school kids. So
we moved into Mae Sariang in the middle of a school year. Marcia’s role for the
hostel program was to help with various administrative tasks, making English
language reports to Sweden, book keeping, looking after related local staff and
looking after several building projects.
 |
Ladda teaching at the Thung Phrow
Church service |
Some of the early building projects included building a
fence around the property, building showers and toilets, digging a well to try
and get a more reliable water supply, and building a house for Ladda, a Pwo
Karen young woman that served as the all around arms and legs of the program. Lada
would interview prospective students wanting to come to the hostel as well as their
families, organize the purchase of food, arrange the purchase of school
supplies and school uniforms, serve as liaison with the school as well interact
with students, parents and hostel parents on a daily basis.
 |
Edy, Kle Kang and Johann Facchini handing
out gifts for these boys at the end of the
school year. March 1985 |
Sleeping quarters of the hostel were on the upper floor with
girls on one end, boys on the other and the hostel parents’ quarters in the
middle. Toilets and showers were outside. The kitchen, eating, meeting and
homework space was on the ground level under the building. Eventually, a second
hostel building was to be built so there would be separate male and female
quarters but there was just the one building when we first arrived.
Kle Kang and Edy were the initial hostel parents. They were
fairly new Christians from the Thung Phrow Church just outside of Mae Sariang.
Kle Kang was something of a character and in need of some direction from time
to time. But he was good hearted and willing to serve as hostel parent when
there weren’t many options. Sadly, Kle Kang got into drug problems after
leaving the hostel work and died too young.
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