"FLOODS FOR THE FLOOD" at Black River Public School in Sutton, Ontario, Canada was a great success! 

On Friday, November 17, students at Black River rolled up their sleeves, or rather, their pantcuffs or wore rubber boots to show their support for the victims of the devastating flooding in Thailand. Students and staff collected $220 to donate to The Mirror Foundation to aid their efforts with the flood relief. The event was promoted by our school's "Me to We" club, led by teachers Karen Watson and Christine Ford. The school motto, the BEAR Spirit (Be Excellent And Respectful Students) was well-demonstrated that day!

The floodwaters are receding, the country is finally drying out, and the people are slowly returning home. Some would consider the story to be over, but we are far from finished with the tale of the floods in Thailand 2011.

Despite the good news, life is far from normal for thousands of residents in affected areas. Water still sits, stagnating and providing the perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes; in houses, shops, businesses, factories, and offices. Children catch minnows that flash past in small shoals, in water as shallow as an inch, and as deep as chest height. Crocodiles still roam in urban areas, and we passed a large turtle swimming along a flooded motorway, less than four hours ago. All this wildlife, and humankind, is living a weird dreamlike existence, waiting for life to return to normal. However, the dream will not be reality for many, not for some weeks yet.

Our foundation sent a team, made up of staff and international volunteers, down to help the Bangkok office in their work on flood relief. This stint will run for ten days, with the volunteers working every day in a couple of locations. The first day was spent surveying the area of work, and for the next two days we helped clear rubbish, stack wood, and make charcoal.

Due to the continuing flooding in the provinces north of Bangkok, and the deluge that has hit the capital in recent weeks, The Mirror Foundation has become increasingly concerned for the welfare of domestic and foreign volunteers working in these regions. Not everyone is working on flood-related activities, and some volunteers have families who are in desperate circumstances. The vast number of people affected by the disaster, and the supplies and relief work necessary to help them, is staggering beyond belief.

If we, as a grassroots NGO, cannot help and support those who are doing similar work, then our priorities have gone askew somewhere along the line.

Therefore, we are offering a place of sanctuary to volunteers, and/or the families of volunteers who need to escape the flooding but have nowhere to go, while floodwaters make life at home impossible. A number of people have already joined us, and will stay for as long as necessary. We are not asking for payments, but donations are gratefully accepted where possible. We invite those who arrive to join in our activities, work, learn, and play.

We will update further, but for know, if you are interested in coming to Chiang Rai, or wish to send your family here, please contact us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Part of the outcome of Mirror's involvement in the flooding that has rocked Thailand for the last few months, is the development of a new strategy to deal with this type of natural disaster. Although it is a work in progress, the basic structure is already set and the fine details will worked through as time goes on.

Mirror set up its own 'Flood Relief Operations Centre' at Don Mueang airport, supprting the government efforts to respond to the crisis. Part of that work has involved following up initial calls to the government disaster hotline, sending out teams to evacuate residents, and connecting directly with communities by sending out mobile phones (donated by members of the public, or bought with donated money).

To put the flooding into some sort of perspective, you need to be a little overwhelmed by numbers, bearing in mind that these are taken from 19th October and that the flooding is far from over. Also, what needs to be remembered is that problems do not miraculously disappear when the waters leave - houses, shops, schools, hospitals, govt buildings... all these need cleaning and renovating, stocks need to be replenished, insurance claims must be met to cover bills, and much more. None of that is any more important than the human cost that this disaster has created - nearly 400 dead in Thailand already, the emotional stress and strain put on individuals and their families, workers and bosses alike wondering whether they stil have a job to go back to...

The Mirror Foundation is one of the many NGOs, government departments, and local organisations, as well as ordinary citizens, and even schoolchildren, who have come together at Don Muang airport in Bangkok, to help with the devasting flooding that has occurred in Thailand this year.

The efforts at Don Muang are concentrating in sending out relief aid, teams of volunteers, rescue equipment, and support, to areas of Bangkok affected by the recent deluges.

This item will bring you up-to-date news, information and pictures from Don Muang airport, so that you are aware of the tremendous energy, time, and effort that is involved in disaster administration.