A new project is helping students from Bangkok's Klong Toey neighbourhood see a better future.
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Read the following story by Apipar Norapoompipat from the Bangkok Post. Then, answer the questions that follow.
A new project is helping students from Bangkok's Klong Toey neighbourhood see a better future.
NO FUTURE
"When you think of Klong Toey what do you imagine? Remember that image and look at yourself in a mirror. In there is a reflection of your own prejudices," writes textile designer Kamonart Ongwandee on the walls of Conne(x)tKlongtoey -- a powerful art project whose exhibition runs until Sunday in Charoen Krung's O.P. Place.
For many Thais, Klong Toey is a "slum" , "drug-infested" or "full of crime" -- these words have bombarded the minds of the community's youth since the day they were born. With limited opportunities, in addition to believing that outsiders see them as futureless misfits, Klong Toey's children tend to feel hopeless, inferior and less human -- believing that they'll never escape the cycle of poverty and struggle.
The Conne(x)t Klongtoey project, though, hopes to inspire change. A collaboration born out of teacher Sininard Kamakot in the Chumchon Mooban Pattana School and multimedia design company Eyedropper Fill, the project's goal is to create more opportunities for the community's children to dream bigger, break the cycle of poverty and show to outsiders that they do have potential to succeed.
ART IS LIFE
"We work in film and design," said Wattanapume Laisuwanachai, creative director of Eyedropper Fill. "Sininard graduated from film school as well and we've worked together before. We found out that she became a teacher in Klong Toey."
Seeing that her students struggled academically yet excelled at art-related activities, Sininard wanted to show them that their activities could further be utilised in real life and even be turned into a profession.
"The children in Klong Toey have limited choices," said Sininard. "They see this repeated lifestyle where people graduate [grade nine] and then either work at 7-Eleven, work on the docks or drive a motorbike taxi to earn income. These are the choices they have."
Setting up the project together, they made a list of art-related professions for the students to pick and choose from, resulting in four main workshops the children can attend after class with an industry professional: rap music production, photography, fashion design and tattoo design. The exhibition, which showcases the students' product, is the final end-goal in order to show the outside world their potential and talent.
Inside the exhibition space at O.P. Place is a replica of Klong Toey's homes made from corrugated steel sheets and old wooden planks. One room projects a series of rap songs written and produced by those from the rap music workshop. One room lets visitors wear a piece of clothing that the fashion students designed. One room projects a series of photographs and diary entries by the photography students. And each and every piece of work lends insight to the lives and struggles of the children of the community.
ESCAPE THE SLUMS
The rappers would rap about school tensions, drug use and love. The fashion designers would have designs such as a white dove, representing their hopes of flying away and escaping the slums. And the photographers, who took snapshots of their daily lives, reveal to the world how they truly think and live.
Conne(x)t Klongtoey even made a CD album, a photo book (partnered with A Book Publishings) and T-shirts and pollution masks from the kids' respective artworks with 10% of the earnings going to the children's artist fee and a large percentage going to the Yuvabadhana Foundation, which funds Teach for Thailand.
"This art project had the function of expanding the voice of these kids," said Wattanapume. "At the same time that they expanded their voice to other people, they also listened to their own voice. It's like a speaker, and at the same time it's a mirror. They get to see the things that they say through the works and it makes them think a lot. As time passed until the end of the project, [some of the kids] wrote a reflection and they truly changed. They had more confidence and realised other people didn't judge them like what they thought before."
Section 1: Read through the story and answer the following questions.
1. What is Kamonart’s job? …………….
2. Klong Toey children tend to feel hopeful. True or false? …………….
3. Where did Sininard graduate from? …………….
4. How many main workshops does the project have? …………….
5. The project has made pollution masks. True or false? ………….....
6. Where is the project exhibition being held?
a. Klong Toey. b. O.P. Place. c. Yuvabadhana Foundation.
7. What percentage of profits goes to the Yuvabadhana Foundation?
a. 10%. b. 90%. c. The story does not say.
8. Wattanapume describes the project as like what?
a. A mirror. b. A speaker. c. Both a and b.
Section 2: Underline one grammatically incorrect word in each of the following sentences. Then, write down the grammatically correct word in the space given.
9. However, not everything go as planned. ……………
10. The tattoo class failed due to misunderstood. ……………
11. The child thought they would be getting tattoos. ……………
12. One kid’s friends pulled him out of class to playing snooker. ……………
13. Some kids have problems at home that will affect their succeed. ……………
Section 3: Read the following passage. Then, fill in the blanks with the correct words from the choices given.
There's a kid named Boss. Normally he's the most ….14…. kid in the photography group. He's always ….15…. or on time to classes. At one point he disappeared and was ….16…. to be found. We found out later that he was abused ..17.. his family and he ran away to be with his mom. It took us three-to-four days before we got news ….18…. his mom. But the fact that he's there now closes the door to his education. He probably won't be studying ….19…. .
14. a. responsive b. responsible c. responsibility
15. a. early b. earlier c. earliest
16. a. everywhere b. nowhere c. nothing
17. a. at b. with c. by
18. a. from b. with c. to
19. a. anymore b. anything c. anyone
Section 4: Find a word used in the story that matches the following definitions.
20. Not as good as something or someone else.
21. The state of being poor.
22. To try very hard to do something when it is difficult or when there are a lot of problems.
23. To present someone’s abilities or the good qualities of something in an attractive way.
24. A belief in your own ability to do things and be successful.
Answers:
1. Textile designer. 2. False. 3. Film school. 4. Four. 5. True. 6. b. 7. c. 8. c.
9. go; went 10. misunderstood; misunderstandings 11. child; children 12. playing; play 13. succeed; success
14. b. 15. a. 16. b. 17. c. 18. a. 19. a.
20. inferior. 21. poverty. 22. struggle. 23. showcase. 24. confidence.
SCORE: 21-24: Excellent! 17-20: Good. 13-16: Fair. 12 or fewer: You'll do better next time!
