Thai teacher on a mission to help poor children
Samadthachai Pungpong's humble beginnings spurred him to educate those on the fringes of society
Education has been the driving force in Samadthachai Pungpong's life for as long as he can remember. As a sixth grader, he wept for a week when his impoverished parents told him he had to quit school to help on the family farm. They backed off, but the ultimatum came down again in his high school years: "Forget school, we mean it."
That time he didn't cry, he left - on foot with no food other than what he could scrounge along the way and only the train tracks to guide him 250km to Bangkok and, he hoped, a chance at an education.
Samadthachai realised his dreams and went on to dedicate his life to helping others enjoy similar opportunities, as founder of a school for migrant children living along the Thai-Myanmese border.
He calls it the "Borderless School", the name reflecting his belief that "every human being has a right to an education".
"Education is the best solution to all problems," he says. "It can help us avoid doing risky things like prostitution, drugs - anything illegal and harmful. Education enables us to make better choices."
His faith in education took root early on and remains unwavering in the face of constant teacher turnover, barbs from the "teach Thais first" camp, and the sundry challenges that come with running a school on a shoestring budget.
