It's the beginning of a new school year in Thailand, and we're back to the energetic buzz of after-school activities at Rise Up's Children's Center. Kids come every evening to do homework, take care of the chickens and run off their extra energy in sports and games like tag and jump rope.
With the start of a new school year, there are new kids and veteran kids and a constant need to remind everyone to be kind with their words and gentle in their actions. Kids can be rough and kids can be mean! The influences they have at school and home typically only encourage aggressive speech and behavior to their peers.
At the Center we have an opportunity to teach about the benefits of changing the way we speak and act to others. It's an uphill battle but we know it's an essential part of making a difference in these kids' lives. Every setting is a chance to speak life into dark places. On the volleyball court we encourage kids to build up teammates instead of tearing them down because they made a mistake. While coloring or drawing a picture, we can compliment them on creativity instead of mimicking their tendency to compare whose is more beautiful.
Influencing culture is a monster of an undertaking, but when we see the small changes happening one kid at a time, we're encouraged to keep trying.
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