Top 5 reasons to volunteer:

1. Your presence will impact women in a way that they will remember you forever.

2.Through teaching, you will develop many skills including public speaking, patience, and adaptability.

3. You will receive more respect and kindness than ever in your life.

4. The mission is low cost (free housing and free food).

5. Feeling like you belong in the Thai culture.

JOIN VOLUNTEER ABROAD PROGRAM 

As a volunteer, you will have an opportunity to work with professionals and experienced people who have committed their lives to service people in need. You will be in close contact with very special groups of people - groups you would generally not have the opportunity to meet with and work with. 

The Heart of the Volunteer - Discovery 

In the center with more than 30 years of experience in helping, women to restore dignity and build true relationships through teaching, you will be surrounded by a friendly environment, Thai staff, Thai women, and other volunteers from around the world. Don't worry, it is not necessary to speak Thai to be able to be immersed in this amazing traditional Buddhist culture.

Your presence here will help vulnerable women to realize that they can be strong and independent. While volunteering at the center, accommodation will be free (except electricity and water) and you will have 2 meals provided Monday to Friday. 

You will have your weekends free so you will be able to travel around Thailand and discover more of its beauty.

COST DESCRIPTION

Included | Individual room in a shared apartment (bathrooms, living room, kitchen in common areas), 2 meals a day Monday to Friday, and teaching material.
Not included | Plane tickets, outside meals, electricity, water (around $5), outside travel, and activities.

1. What do volunteers do at the Fountain of Life (FOL) Center?

Volunteers who come to the Fountain of Life Center teach English and provide support and a relationship to vulnerable women. Fountain of Life Women's Center is a safe environment for vulnerable, marginalized women, exploited by the international tourism industry of Pattaya. Most of the women have come to Pattaya hoping to improve their economic situation and with their earnings support their families in the North and North-East of Thailand.

2. When was the FOL Center founded?

Fountain of Life Women's Centers founded in 1989 and Children's Center founded in 1994 and were both founded by Sr. Michelle, a Good Shepherd Sister. Sr. Piyachat is the current director of the Women's Center. At the center, we have Thai staff and foreign volunteers to help run the center and classes.

3. Besides teaching, what responsibilities do volunteers have?

  1. Teaching English is the main responsibility of a volunteer, but volunteers are also asked to help in different ways around the Women's Center.
  2. Weekly Leader is one volunteer who shares on Monday morning with the other volunteers.
    The topic can be anything (example: hometowns, activities or sports you have been involved in, things that are important to you, hobbies, etc.)
    A weekly leader also leads a meditation, deep discussion and/or prayer on Wednesday and Thursday morning.
  3. Presentation Rotation is a project for the volunteers and Thai staff to rotate. It is a chance to share with everyone a topic you are educated about
    example: studies and education, hometowns/counties, interests, hobbies, etc.)
  4. Washing Cups every day after lunch and after class, two volunteers are required to wash cups. This is a simple task to help the staff and the center.

4. How long can a volunteer stay at FOL Center?

A volunteer can stay at the Fountain of Life Women's Center 3 months (90 Days) to 6 months (180 Days). 

5. Can be volunteering at the FOL Center done as an internship?

Yes, volunteering at the FOL Center can be done as an internship. There might be difficulties meeting all of the requirements for your university but we welcome people who are open to seeing how teaching English can offer women much more, for example, counseling and social work.

6. What time does class start?

The morning class starts at 9:30am and is finished at 11:30 am. The afternoon class starts at 12:30 pm and is finished at 2:30pm. Staff and volunteers starts at 8.00 am.

7. Is it possible to volunteer in the FOL Women's Center and the Fountain of Life Children's Center?

At this time you can only volunteer at the FOL Women's Center.

8. Is it obligatory to use the FOL Center accommodation while staying? Can we still volunteer while having our own accommodations?

It is not obligatory to use the FOL Center for accommodation while volunteering. You can work at the FOL and have your own accommodations but the FOL Center does not provide funding for your separate housing. If you would like to live at a separate facility, it is your responsibility to locate, fund, and follow their policies. The FOL Center accommodation does not allow males and females to be housed at the same time, so if you have a relationship, it is our responsibility to live outside the center.

9. If we have our own accommodation can we still have breakfast and lunch at the FOL Center?

Yes, if you live outside of the FOL Center in your own accommodation you are still more than welcome to eat breakfast and lunch with the other volunteers and staff.

10. What is the housing like at FOL Center?

The housing at the FOL Center is on 4th floor. It is a single room and you will share common bathrooms, a kitchen, and a living room. During the holidays (two weeks in December for Christmas and two weeks in April for Songkran), the volunteers staying in the apartments must leave the apartment.
You can come back the weekend before classes start again.

11. How much does it cost to stay at the FOL Center accommodations?

There is a small fee while staying at the FOL Center accommodations.
There is a 50 Baht fee for the housing, 50 Baht fee for internet and there are electricity readings for each room, each month that you are required to pay,
(that price can vary depending on how much electricity you use each month).

12. Do we get time off? When are the holidays in Thailand?

Each month we have one day off (no class) for an "activity day". The themes of these days depend on a national holiday (Buddhist Lent, Mother's Day, Songkran, etc.) or an issue that affects the women (domestic violence, STIs information, laws that can help women married to foreigners, etc.). The only holiday time off from volunteering at the FOL Center is for Christmas and Songkran.