Justifi connects Jewish students who want to make a difference to circumstances, people and places where they really can.
About This Summer
Program Overview:
The exploitation and sale of children through child prostitution is an ever growing world-wide phenomenon. This summer, Justifi interns will journey this Summer to Thailand, a major hub for human trafficking. After four days of training and orientation, Justifi interns will spend approximately two weeks with organizations that work with children rescued from lives of slavery.
Justifi is partnering with two amazing organizations for the summer: the Volunteers for Children Development Foundation (V.C.D.F.) and The Sold Project. Both organizations are leaders in the field of preventing child sex trafficking in Thailand. V.C.D.F. works with and rescues stateless children in the north of Thailand, and runs a children?s home near Chiang Rai. The Sold Project works to prevent the sale of children into lives of slavery in the same region.
The trip will begin with an orientation program in the capital, Bangkok and during orientation we will move on to the city of Chiang Mai. The orientation will include an overview of local politics, history, ethics, and religion, featured speakers from local NGOs, video conferencing with leading activists in the international fight against human trafficking, as well as some hiking and touring. After orientation, Justifi interns will commence their standard full day schedule with Sold or V.C.D.F. Both organizations operate close to Chiang Rai, a smaller city located about 200 km away from Chiang Mai. The daily schedule will be highly tailored to the interests and skills of individual interns. A typical day will consist of three general areas of activity:
- Work projects: Interns will be engaged in activities like building a playground, painting work space, clearing ground and designing a kids lounge area. In addition, we will be spending time assisting the offices of the host organization with various essential tasks ranging from web site design and strategic planning.
- Education and activism: Almost daily the interns will be speaking with experts on all aspects of human trafficking in Asia, as well traveling to different towns in the locale to observe the activities of the local organizations and to assist with street outreach, play with street kids, offer love and attention and where appropriate, basic medical care.
- Interaction: Interns will lead and assist with activities in the after school programs. This will be based on the interests and skills of the interns, and can include teaching English, sports, music, drama, etc. to the children. The after school programs service the children in existing programs and also function to help recruitment of impoverished children from surrounding areas.
After close to two weeks working with the children?s home, interns will leave the countryside to spend the final few days of the program with a light schedule of education, strategic planning and sight seeing eventually returning to Bangkok for a closing banquet before heading home.
Accommodations:
We will be staying in modern, clean, air conditioned hotels in Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai. Interns will share rooms. Weekends will be spent in the city of Chiang Mai at the Lanna House Hotel or similar. (Please see the section on Shabbat for more information.)
Food:
Whenever possible interns will dine at a Kosher restaurant run by the local Chabad House. In the countryside, a chef will accompany the program to prepare all meals on-site. All food served on the program is Kosher, and is prepared under hygienic food-safe conditions. Please communicate any special dietary needs to the program coordinators as soon as possible in order to ensure the proper arrangements. Shabbat meals will be provided by the local Chabad in Chiang Mai or Bangkok. (Please see the section on Shabbat for more information.)
Weather:
The weather of Northern Thailand differs from the traditional divisions of spring, summer, autumn and winter. Instead, the region has three distinct seasons: the cool season, hot season and rainy season. Chiang Mai is known as the 'cool capital', and in comparison to the sweaty heat of Bangkok, the climate is far more agreeable. Still, the summer months of the rainy season are hot and humid, with temperatures rising to the high 90?s.
- May: From May onwards the tourist season in Northern Thailand is in decline, but the weather improves as the rains arrive. This means sunny skies and afternoon storms to cool things off. Some months the rains come late.
- June: It is still hot in June as the weather moves into the full rainy season, bringing with it 90 per cent humidity, adding to the immense feeling of warmth. It is still cooler than Bangkok and the South. The rainy season is characterized by torrential downpours, but they tend to be sudden bursts that only last for an hour or so, rather than a steady stream of water.
- July: Cloud cover in the rainy season cools the weather a bit, but you also get plenty of sunshine in between the showers. It remains quite hot, though it could be cloudy and warm for days. (adapted from 1stopchiangmai)
Health & Safety:
All Justifi programs run in safe secure environments, which are completely tourist-friendly.
Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai are calm provincial towns with few incidents of violence, theft or harassment. The countryside in the north is considered an extremely safe area.
The greatest health risk over the summer will be dehydration. Interns are expected to carry bottled water at all times, and to be vigilant about remaining well-hydrated. Food will be prepared by the Justifi chef in a hygienic environment. A first-aid kit will always be on-hand, and in the case of a medical emergency, several state of the art medical facilities and hospitals are located in the nearby cities of Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai.
All interns are required to have a comprehensive travel health insurance plan and must receive all vaccinations mandated by the U.S. government travel advisory for Thailand.
Shabbat:
Justifi respects the religious orientation of all participants. As a Jewish program, Shabbat will be celebrated as a group in Chiang Mai. Interns are expected to respect these aspects of the program, and one another.
Interns will spend Shabbat (Friday night to Saturday) in the city of Chiang Mai, where we can celebrate with the hundreds of Jewish travelers in the region during the summer. Meals and optional services will be provided by the local Chabad house, which is a ten minute walk from the Lanna House Hotel. Interns will walk together to and from the hotel.
Transportation:
A private van and driver will be provided to and from all program destinations.
Spending Money:
Thailand is a remarkably inexpensive country for Western tourists. Interns should bring a minimum of $200 for purchasing souvenirs, beverages, and any other personal incidentals.
Free Time:
While interns will be busy for most of the program, there will be some free time built in as well, usually in the evenings and on weekends.
Language:
An interpreter will accompany the Justifi group in order to assist with communication.
What to Bring:
Upon acceptance to the program, interns will receive a complete packing list, including detailed information on appropriate clothing, accessories, electronic appliances, and more.
Itinerary:
All accepted interns will receive a complete itinerary, with contact information for all destinations.
Internet Access & Communication:
In general, there is cell phone and wireless internet service available in all locations.
Useful Information & Links:
For more information on travel in Thailand and human trafficking, please see the following websites:
Travel:
CDC Health Information for Thailand