Standing in my backyard, five feet from my swing set, I said out loud to myself that I was going to be a doctor when I grew up. I was seven years old. At eleven, I wrote and pretended to broadcast fake news stories, and had dreams of playing basketball on North Carolina’s court with Michael Jordan. At 18, when I moved into my dorm room, my plan was to be a sports journalist covering the Atlanta Braves. As I type these words, I’m 31 years old, and I have endless dreams taking place in a thousand different lands. I’ve never known a time without a dream.
I’ve written about the Prappadaeng English Club (PEC) and scholarship program that I oversee in the this space before. I wrote about the kids and their infectious dance moves. It’s taken me a bit of time to see that what we’re investing in is the possibility of dreams for the kids. It’s a privilege to dream – to hold space for what could be; to see beyond what’s in right in front of you.
Currently, there are six scholarship students. Soon, we hope to add two more. The monthly scholarship the kids receive helps take some financial pressure off of their families, but it also ensures that the students can still attend school and dream of what could be.
Two of the students are in college. One of them has hopes of running a business to employ members of her community, and the other is studying a variety of different subjects to see what sparks her soul.
If the students didn’t have the additional educational support, their families would be in a more financially vulnerable state, possibly forcing the kids to earn an income instead of continuing to learn in the classroom, but the truth is is that it’s not just the money that sustains their education – really – it’s the community.
Khun Plaa, the extraordinary human who started this program, has built and fostered community in and around her church. She started opening the church on Saturdays so that the kids could have a space to color, build with blocks, play the guitar, run around in an air conditioned room and eat snacks.
Yes, the kids need additional educational support, but they also need community. A community to love them when life is messy and hard. A community to cheer at their music recitals, listen to them talk about their lives, and create safe space for them to be whomever they are.
Really, we all need that, right? We need people to champion our dreams, listen to our deepest fears and joys and give us ice cream just because. You know that Beatles song, I Get By With a Little Help From My Friends? The title of that song is the thesis of my life. It’s also true for PEC, and all other parts of CLF. We can’t do it alone. None of us. We need community, and sometimes we need extra funds to help make our dreams come true. PEC gets buy with a little help from our scholarship sponsors from around the world and the sheer holy gumption of Khun Plaa.
It’s been an honor to watch these kids grow and dance through the year. I am so grateful.
There are students who still need an education sponsor. If you have the financial margins and desire to become a sponsor, please email me at etmiller23(at)gmail.com.
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