Objectives
The Beluga School for Life was established to afford the orphans and half-orphans of the tsunami catastrophe, as well as the surviving parents a new future. Since many of the children still suffer from their traumatic experiences, the BSfL additionally offers psycho-social care. The children live together with the adults in groups of various sizes - either in small family houses or larger community accommodations. Moreover, the "families" are embedded in neighborly and village-like structures.
A main concern of the Beluga School for Life is education. In order to prevent the children from being trapped in the vicious circle of poverty as adults, their creativity and autonomy needs to be developed. This happens in so-called study places which are structured similar to workshops. The learning process therefore is not focused on traditional subjects, but knowledge is imparted as part of specific project work in a rather playful manner. A special aspect is the promotion of entrepreneurial thoughts and actions.
The Beluga School for Life not only provides children with a new home, but also a number of adults as well. These are surviving parents and relatives, educationalists and social workers as well as farmers, fishermen and other people from the region. In the past, most of them earned their livelihood predominantly with tourism. When the tsunami came they lost not only their belongings but also their livelihood. They all found a new home and new opportunities to earn money in Na Nai. The Beluga School for Life serves to improve the living conditions of as many people as possible in the region.
The approach of the Beluga School for Life is based on the concept of sustainability. Among others, this concept is supported by professors at Harvard University and various Thai universities. UNESCO and the United Nations have classified it as "particularly valuable".
