Getting to know us, FRIENDs Community Thailand

FRIENDS Community is a learning community for individuals with special needs. We develop their life skills, and create social opportunities for them in order to grow and live happily with others in the society.

We encourage professions and elevate human values of a person with special needs based on Anthroposophical approaches by using curative education and social therapy.

FRIENDS Community ชุมชนเพื่อนพัฒนะสุข เพื่อบุคคลพิเศษและครอบครัว

...เราเป็นพื้นที่แห่งการเรียนรู้เพื่อพัฒนาทักษะการใช้ชีวิต...

สร้างโอกาสทางสังคมให้กับบุคคลพิเศษได้เติบโต...

และมีชีวิต อยู่รวมกันกับผู้อื่นในชุมชนได้อย่างปกติสุข...

ส่งเสริมการมีอาชีพและคุณค่าแห่งความเป็นมนุษย์ ตามหลักการพื้นฐานมนุษยปรัชญาโดยแนวทางการศึกษาบําบัดในวิถีกสิกรรม

Read more below อ่านต่อด้านล่าง

Circle time for the morning rhythm in FRIENDs Community

Let's read more about us... why not?

FRIENDs Community is a Camphill inspired community, located in Muaklek, a small town, two and a half hours driving to the Northeast from Bangkok. Before the journey started, in 1997 Mr. Suphot Teerasawad bought this land without knowing that one day it will hold spaces and help assisting many families and individuals with special needs. Dairy farm was a main activity back then. Later Teerasawad’s family discovered that their youngest son, Tanayu, has diagnosed that he has ‘Cri du chat syndrome’ which is a rare genetic disorder. Tanayu’s mother, Suwannee, started to look for possibilities to live healthily with her child, and look for possible ways so that Tanayu could get better. Without having any search engines like today, Camphill was among a first few keyword she has come across. Anthroposophy was introduced to her along this new learning path. She studied many anthroposophical related subjects and in 2015 she decided to gather almost 20 families to spend time together for 6 weekends by using anthroposophical approaches to design activities. By the end of that year, all members agreed that 6 weekends were not enough. Therefore, it went from 6 to 24 weekends in 2017 which includes a school day and excursion days.

The community usually has special annual excursion every year. In 2016, members were joining the 3^rd Thailand Congress for Person with Special Needs. One of a few inspirations shared among members was attending the first world congress in Russia (2017). The inspired story was a partner with down syndromes who owned a bakery shop and hired caregivers to look after both of them. More inspirations would be from visiting Peaceful Bamboo Family in Vietnam (2018) and from attending Camphill movement in Vietnam again in 2019. From seeing what others are doing, the question that we have always asked ourselves was ‘are we doing things right?’ – has got its answers. We realized that more core principles and knowledge are necessary to keep the path more practical therefore during the visit in Vietnam. Becky Rutherford was invited to Thailand to teach curative education and social therapy for us.

Of course, when things were still in a pioneering phase, many challenges were sometime from the outsiders who doubted our ways of interpreting and integrating anthroposophical approaches into the community life. However, by believing, trusting in the process and the core principles. The results of what we do lie in front of us, in everyday life, in the process of transforming ourselves as parents, teachers and caregivers. We are all growing together at our own pace.

After many conversations at Camphill Movement in Vietnam, we came to realized that there is no “right or wrong” ways. No one can really judge. It really depends on the context, culture and people in the particular community. The message that holds in all of our hearts is “keep doing what we are doing, keep transforming ourselves.” Those are the most important things. To have courage and have the ‘will’ to do what is needed.

Everything was slightly slowing down in 2020 where we faced the COVID-19 lockdown. Things seemed chaotic everywhere outside the community. However, the life of being in the community was still going on peacefully. The community became a shelter for others during the pandemic. In the community, it’s important that all voices are heard, the direction and future after the pandemic were discussed among members. Eventually, it was agreed that we will still be working on the weekend school and social therapy for families with adolescent special needs and open up the third training class to develop more teachers and caretakers so they understand and seek the same perspectives. The center of that future is definitely depending on the growth of each individual adolescent member in our community.

Nowadays FRIENDs community has 23 members and 4 families who decided to live here as our residents. One family member, Vutika, has just finished building her own house by the help of Mr. Suphot, a land owner and a former civil engineer. Her son, Tanupat, who has autism helped building his house too. When asking Tanupat, he looked very delightful, he added ‘I’m proud of myself’. It was his dream that he wants to be an engineer. A regular work assigned to Tanupat was to make a brick as a curative way to be calm. He explained that “I’m very happy and light when making bricks, I also earn money from selling them”. The bricks will be sold to the community and used to lay in the garden near the classroom.  He said “with this money, I will go travelling”. Happiness appeared in his eyes when talking about his life at the community. By being here, it has fulfilled his dreams. At the beginning things were not so easy for Tanupat, it takes patience and time to adapt his life to fit with the rhythm of the community.

Similar to the life of Tanayu, when asking about what is his happiness and what keeps him exciting, he replied ‘Friday Circle Cool Cool’ – name by him and it means the Friday evening BBQ. He added ‘and also workshop’. Tanayu always wanted to be a work shop instructor, therefore, we provide a space for him in the workshop as a teacher assistant. He loved looking forward to an upcoming schedule and will be very excited when the community has classrooms and social events. Last year the community has a special cultural event which is called ‘a new house blessing ceremony’. It was a new house of Korakot, a big brother of Tanayu. The community invited nine monks over and allow them to pour holy water around the house. It’s a very rare occasion to have such event. For Korakot and his family, the ceremony is very sacred and pure. The monks that provide this service were in the temple that all special needs in FRIENDs community used to ordain.

Members invitation to important events are a part of the social inclusion here. This includes a blessing birthday ceremony. A blessing will be given from all members along with the lightening candles on a birthday of anyone who turns 21. This ceremony signifies the turning point of becoming an individual human being. Last year the community has welcomed a new born, Puri. His father, Korakot, has gathered all members to join this ‘placenta buried ceremony’ when Puri turns 1 year old. Thai people believe that if we bury a placenta under a big tree, a child will never forget his home and when he grows up, he will eventually requite a favor to his place.

In the coming years, our designed classroom activities will still be there such as gardening, cooking, farming, and handcrafts for those who are between 14 to 20 years old. For those who are above 21, they will be assigned to help support the teacher’s activities. The recent idea for 2027 is to expand spaces for young special needs aged between 8 to 13. In addition to the weekend school, FRIENDs community accommodates a yearly farming camp for many Waldorf schools. It is an honor for us to be a significant part of Thailand’s anthroposophical society. When asking our community members of reasons to settle their lives here, many members agreed that they feel safe, the community provides a sustainable knowledge so they can look after their children with special needs. Many agreed that they have a good quality of life, a life that has future, a career path, and a chance to transform themselves. Typically, a general Thai community is a sharing community. FRIENDs community emphasizes this culture that everyone shares things with others. We have fun making bread, try new recipes, plant trees, reflect goals and have fun evening BBQ together. All of the ceremonies and important events pulled everyone together. We all felt that this is a safe space and a place where we can try and fail as many times until we find a true path to meet our destiny, it is a safest ‘sandbox’ for everyone.