Aaron Kwak packs a trunk for Thailand
20 Jul 2023
Aaron Kwak has been awarded a Round Square (RS) bursary, enabling the Year 11 student to take part in the RS International Service Project in Thailand in December.
RS hosts up to four service projects annually, offering students the opportunity to support a community in need. The Rolleston House student will be in Thailand’s Prachuap Khiri Khan Province from 5–18 December, helping to step up work on a sustainable project.
Aaron has welcomed the opportunity, explaining that the “bursary enables me to attend a Round Square Service trip to Thailand for a service project in Kui Buri National Park, where you can join either the big build or environmental teams”.
The project supports better human-elephant co-existence in the Tenasserim Hills and also contributes to the Tom Yum Project, providing sustainable food security for rural areas.
“I will be part of the environmental team,” he says. “We will plant lemongrass, citrus plants, and other crops disliked by elephants. These will deter elephants and also feed local communities. We will also build park ranger huts, hornbill nest boxes, and gather data on elephant migration.
“From this trip, I hope to make an impact on local rural communities and endangered species, make new connections, and emerge from this project more knowledgeable about Thai culture and history, as well as gaining a deeper understanding of my social and environmental impact on society.”
Round Square is an international network of schools in 50 countries that connect and collaborate to offer programmes that develop character and confidence.