Thai Freedom House celebrated its tenth anniversary at a gala party held in the courtyard of the Chiang Mai Arts and Cultural Center behind Three Kings Monument on Saturday, March 12, 2016. The charming old colonial building, which dates back to 1927 and acted as the first Provincial Hall for Chiang Mai, was the ideal backdrop for the charming Shan dancers that took the stage.
Guests at the party enjoyed the dances, a photo exhibition, and delicious vegetarian Shan delicacies along with the opportunity to take photos in traditional dress and purchase hand made goods.
Founder Lisa Nesser was joined by Shan and Thai speaking staff to give a tri-lingual talk on the work being done at Thai Freedom House.
Thai Freedom House provides education in Thai, English, Shan and Burmese and works with the local migrant community and ethnic minority groups to provide better opportunities through education and training. Thai Freedom House also provides mosquito nets, beds and clothing to construction camps throughout Chiang Mai, making life inside the camps a little more bearable for the workers and their families.
Thai Freedom House is supported by the popular vegetarian restaurant Freebird Café and the adjacent thrift store where donations of all kinds are accepted. Those which can be of use to migrant workers and refugees are passed along while those that won’t fit or are inappropriate for their lifestyles are sold and the donations used to purchase supplies to help those in need.
Young Shan dancers took to the stage to delight the crowd with their performance at the ten year anniversary party
Young students ready to take the stage at the party.
Manaswat (Kim) Chutima and Tim McGuire of Old Chiangmai enjoyed traditional herbal drinks and snacks while they watched the show.
