Accommodation onsite houses volunteers, staff families, unmarried staff, interns and guests. The buildings around Mirror are made from a mixture of materials. Some are wood-built, some created from earth and straw, and some are brick-built using materials we have made at the foundation. All buildings have electric lighting, and sockets. Electricity in Thailand runs on 220V. Accommodation is basic, so please do not expect 5-star hotel quality. Also, prepare to share a room with other members of the same sex - all dorms are single-gender only. If you arrive as a couple, you will be expected to go to your respective male/female dormitory for the period of your stay.
Please respect our rules regarding relations during your stay.
Female dorms
There are three dorms for the girls, although generally only two are used for volunteers, as the third is kept for the Thai intern students. One dorm is a two-storey wooden house, and the main dorm is a single storey L-shaped building with two rooms and ensuite toilet/showers. You may share this house with up to 30 girls, depending on the period - generally never more than 10-15 though.
Male dorms
The soil houses are for male volunteers and staff who live on site, and are made of soil, chaff and straw. We also have a bamboo constructed dormitory, and a brick-built dorm. The rooms house between 2-5 people, depending on which one you are assigned, and there is a double toilet/shower block for the men.
We have also built a dorm for males in the traditional style, using bamboo, wood and grass. It has three rooms, toilet/shower facilities, and a verandha, housing up to 16 volunteers comfortably.
Toilets and Showers
Girl dorms have cold water showers, whilst the boy's toilet block uses the bucket system. All toilets are western style, but are manual flushing (ie you use a bowl to scoop the water from a cistern and flush). The 'bucket' shower - cold water and a fantastic way to cool down during the hot Thai weather. The blocks have electric lighting, but it can be handy to have a torch if you get caught short after dark.
Volunteers are responsible for cleaning their own dorms, including the toilets. Organise a rota between yourselves to spread the chores fairly.
Security
The foundation is laid out over a number of acres, with many buildings, and a constant flow of people coming and going. We have a night watchman, and security cameras to cover most areas. However, it is still the responsibility of each individual to safeguard their own belongings. We provide lockers for this purpose, and can also secure property elsewhere if necessary.