School Visits
The Bangkok School for The Blind Revisited
Bangkok, Thailand
About a month after our first visit, we returned to The Bangkok School for the Blind — this time with news we couldn't wait to share. During our first visit, we'd learned that the school's judo team, 23 athletes strong plus their coaches, had qualified for the Parajudo Thailand Open on August 20th and 21st, but was struggling to cover the cost of getting there. This year's tournament was being held at the Thailand National Sports University's Chiang Mai campus, meaning the team of about 30 would need buses, hotel rooms, and meals just to compete.
Through our network, we were able to raise enough support to cover it all. To help the team feel ready for a city none of them had ever experienced, we also built a tactile map of Chiang Mai out of Legos, rope, and clay, letting them explore its streets and landmarks with their hands before ever setting foot there. So this visit had three purposes: to deliver the good news in person, to help the team prepare for their trip, and — because we love seeing the smiles it brings — to turn the day into a small celebration with games and snacks for the students.
And the results speak for themselves: the team took home 1st place in the team category, along with 7 gold, 9 silver, and 7 bronze medals individually. Congratulations to every athlete on the team — we couldn't be prouder to have played a small part in getting you to Chiang Mai.
School Information
Year Founded 1939
Number of Student 250 students
School Website Click Here
Our Contribution
30
Students of Judo Team were able to travel to Chiangmai to participate in the Parajudo Thailand Open
30,230
Baht was raised to provide the judo team with transportation, accommodations and food for their journey to Chiangmai
1st
The Bangkok School for the Blind Judo team was able to win the 1st place in the team catagory
7-9-7
7 Gold Medalists!
9 Silver Medalists!
7 Bronze Medalists!
Gallery
Why We Revisited
About a month after our first visit, we returned to The Bangkok School for the Blind with news we'd been eager to deliver in person. On our first trip, we'd learned that the school's judo team — 23 athletes and their coaches — had qualified for the Parajudo Thailand Open, but didn't have the funds to get there, since this year's tournament was being held all the way in Chiang Mai. We spent the weeks in between rallying our network to help close that gap, and we wanted to share the good news face-to-face, help the team feel ready for the trip ahead, and spend a joyful afternoon with the students before they set off to compete.
What We Provided
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Full travel support for Chiang Mai — buses, hotel rooms, and meals for the entire team of 30 athletes and coaches, made possible through funds we raised with our network.
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A tactile map of Chiang Mai — built out of Legos, rope, and clay, so the team could explore the city's streets and landmarks with their hands before ever setting foot there.
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A chance for them to compete in one of the biggest Parajudo tournament in Thailand.
What We Learned
We learned that a little preparation and belief can go a long way: with their travel costs covered, the team was free to focus entirely on competing, and it showed. The team took home 1st place in the team category, along with 7 gold, 9 silver, and 7 bronze medals individually — congratulations to every one of them. It was a powerful reminder that removing a single practical barrier, like the cost of a bus ticket or a hotel room, can be the difference between a talented team staying home and a talented team bringing home medals.