In December 2017, Operation Orion travelled to Chiang Mai, Thailand with the goal to provide the teachers and students of Ban Pong Daeng School and the village with a clean supply of water.

The Operations

There were several issues that had been identified:

(1) Lack of access to potable water. The school had been spending an approximate $400/month to purchase bottled water. This would be highly unsustainable in the long run, both economically and environmentally.

(2)  Cleanliness of canteen could be improved. The floors were made of concrete. There were no fences constructed to prevent any intrusion of animals. Also, there were no washing points for the students to wash their hands before meals.

As such, we set out to address these issues.

A water filtration system was constructed and it was also promised that this system would be available for consumption for the rest of the villagers as well. This would effectively help to reduce the cost of water as these filters are estimated to last approximately 5 years.

Furthermore, the canteen was refurbished. The floors were tiled, a sturdy fence was built and sinks were constructed for students to practice their hygiene routines.

Beyond The Operations

We engaged in lessons with the students, conducting English and Science lessons. Basic Science and Engineering experiments were also conducted to expand the horizons of these students. And of course, we did not fail to immerse ourselves in rich cultural exchange activities through performances and food! We even lit up lanterns to commemorate our stay there.

Operation Orion 2017 was indeed a huge success and we cannot wait to see the achievements of our future generations!