A new perspective

It’s not every day you experience what your job is like in a different culture.

But that’s exactly what Docklands worker Rebecca Sabo will experience during her time volunteering in Krabi, Thailand.

The Gowrie Harbour Family and Children’s Centre kindergarten educator travelled to the Baan Tung Daycare Centre in Krabi late last month and will spend three weeks volunteering.

“It’s always been a passion and dream of mine to volunteer overseas and contribute my skills somewhere they may be needed,” Ms Sabo said.

Speaking with Docklands News before she departed, Ms Sabo said her volunteer role would involve supervising and playing with the children and supporting them in learning English.

She also hopes to establish links between Gowrie Harbour Family and Children’s Centre and Baan Tung Daycare Centre.

“Depending on the level of technology that’s available at the service I’m visiting, my aims are to create a global community for my kindergarten children by creating a connection with the kindergarten children in Krabi,” Ms Sabo said.

“Whether its through a pen pal system or email, it would develop their ideas of a wider community and develop engagement of the global community, other cultures, and other ways of being.”

According to Ms Sabo, the Docklands children were already excited about the project even before she left, encouraged by a fundraising initiative.

Ms Sabo had been selling incense sticks at the Gowrie Harbour Family and Children’s Centre in order to purchase resources for Baan Tung Daycare Centre.

“The whole fundraising aspect is teaching the children about thinking outside themselves and about those who may be less fortunate and could benefit from the donations,” Ms Sabo said.

The use of incense sticks links to a national Thai public holiday called “Asahna Bucha Day” which occurs while Ms Sabo is in Thailand.

Gowrie Harbour Family and Children’s Centre will also participate in the holiday by lighting incense sticks on the day.

“The children have been so excited and enthusiastic about this project,” Ms Sabo said.

Having worked in Docklands for four years, Ms Sabo said she thought the area was a great place to work. Outside of work she doesn’t mind visiting the Icehouse or enjoying the local shopping.

“It’s definitely an up-and-coming, developing suburb,” she said.