Several months ago, Bernard Pierre would likely never have dreamed he would end up singing karaoke in a tiny village in Thailand.
But last week, that's just what he did.
Pierre, of Skaneateles, is currently in the Thai village of Khoakram, teaching basic information technology and English to schoolchildren at an orphanage that sustained heavy damage by a 2005 tsunami.
Pierre is volunteering for an organization called Open Mind Projects, an international
volunteer group created in 2001. According to its Web site, the group, originally called I.T. in Isan, seeks to “pioneer computer training projects in poor Thai villages in an effort to see how the so-called 'digital divide' can be bridged.”
Since being established, Open Mind Projects has grown exponentially, and now works closely with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, a group that provides cultural enrichment across the globe.
“I did several months of research online and interviewed many organizations,” Pierre said in an e-mail sent from Thailand.
“Unfortunately, many of them were in the business of making money and could not/would not account for where the money collected was going. OMP always responded quickly and without evasive answers.”
Pierre said that OMP's technology training was right up his alley.
Though he spent years as an electrical engineer, he studied information technology later in life. He attended Syracuse University to become a Microsoft systems engineer with a minor in Internet.
“My last job was as a (Local Area Network) administrator for the New York courts system,” he said.
Several weeks ago, Pierre traveled from Skaneateles to Bangkok before arriving in Khoakram, a tiny rural village.
“The school at Khoakram has 300 children between 6 and 14 years of age,” he said. “All are Muslims, according to the principal, who is actually a Buddhist. ... Poverty rules.”
Regardless, his students' attitudes are remarkable, he said.
“Even after all they've endured, they are still courteous and smiling. Some classrooms have no furniture, and the students sit and work on the floor,” he said.
But Pierre went on to say his pupils have responded to his lessons on basic computer skills and English with voracity.
“Their work ethic is excellent. ... That's hard to believe, given their current situation,” he said.
Last week, Pierre, who was supposed to have returned to Skaneateles last weekend, attended a retirement party for two of the school's original instructors.
The evening was filled with spicy foods, traditional Thai dancing and yes, even karaoke.
“Some of (the karaoke) was worthy of ”The Gong Show,“ ancestor to ”American Idol,“ he joked. ”Fortunately, when I went to the podium to give a speech, the karaoke parts were not mentioned.“
Pierre, of Skaneateles, is currently in the Thai village of Khoakram, teaching basic information technology and English to schoolchildren at an orphanage that sustained heavy damage by a 2005 tsunami.
Pierre is volunteering for an organization called Open Mind Projects, an international
volunteer group created in 2001. According to its Web site, the group, originally called I.T. in Isan, seeks to “pioneer computer training projects in poor Thai villages in an effort to see how the so-called 'digital divide' can be bridged.”
Since being established, Open Mind Projects has grown exponentially, and now works closely with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, a group that provides cultural enrichment across the globe.
“I did several months of research online and interviewed many organizations,” Pierre said in an e-mail sent from Thailand.
“Unfortunately, many of them were in the business of making money and could not/would not account for where the money collected was going. OMP always responded quickly and without evasive answers.”
Pierre said that OMP's technology training was right up his alley.
Though he spent years as an electrical engineer, he studied information technology later in life. He attended Syracuse University to become a Microsoft systems engineer with a minor in Internet.
“My last job was as a (Local Area Network) administrator for the New York courts system,” he said.
Several weeks ago, Pierre traveled from Skaneateles to Bangkok before arriving in Khoakram, a tiny rural village.
“The school at Khoakram has 300 children between 6 and 14 years of age,” he said. “All are Muslims, according to the principal, who is actually a Buddhist. ... Poverty rules.”
Regardless, his students' attitudes are remarkable, he said.
“Even after all they've endured, they are still courteous and smiling. Some classrooms have no furniture, and the students sit and work on the floor,” he said.
But Pierre went on to say his pupils have responded to his lessons on basic computer skills and English with voracity.
“Their work ethic is excellent. ... That's hard to believe, given their current situation,” he said.
Last week, Pierre, who was supposed to have returned to Skaneateles last weekend, attended a retirement party for two of the school's original instructors.
The evening was filled with spicy foods, traditional Thai dancing and yes, even karaoke.
“Some of (the karaoke) was worthy of ”The Gong Show,“ ancestor to ”American Idol,“ he joked. ”Fortunately, when I went to the podium to give a speech, the karaoke parts were not mentioned.“
