Life Changing by Nate Rodomski: Global Youth Service Team and BGET Volunteer, July 2008

It’s July 3rd, 4 a.m. and I had just left my home with 3 of my friends and my teacher Mr. Doug Hollinger. We were heading to Thailand, as part of the Global Youth Service Team we were making the trip to give light to schools who didn’t have the luxury of electricity. Excited and anxious to reach Mae Sot, the trip there was long, although quite an adventure. I had never been out of the United States (besides going to Canada… but that doesn’t count) so the 35 hours of total travel time was incredible. Between flying, waiting in airports, and bus rides that’s how long it took us to arrive in Mae Sot, but it was so worth it!

The trip was quite successful, two schools that previously didn’t have electricity now do – remote schools far from most modern towns and cities. Villages where the buildings are made of bamboo instead of steel and concrete, where Burmese and Karen people flee from their homes, searching for safety in Thailand. The refugees have very little, and it felt good to be able to help them through the problems they face and will continue to face until their government’s oppressive actions are put to a stop.

Regardless, the villagers we helped were very appreciative. One of the teachers at Na Lee Ah Hta told us that thanks to the new lights she would no longer need to use candles at night, which were dangerous and expensive.

In addition to installing the solar systems, BGET and GYST educated the teachers (and students) of the villages in understanding and maintenance of the system, which I think is very important. It’s good to help by not only giving them light, but also giving them light and electricity without encouraging them to use fossil fuels to generate it. Renewable energy is very important to preserving the planet, and after seeing the smog over large cities such as Bangkok I felt even better about doing the work we had done.

Helping install and teach about solar panels was a life changing event and I’m very grateful that I was able to participate in something so meaningful.