For kids in an age of developmental learning, an important agent to promote self-discovery is to give them first-hand experiences where appropriate. Neighbor Youth Camp is well-aware of this, as are Neighbor Rangers—its volunteers for community development and better life of children. The program recently brought together its volunteers to take children of Bangkok’s old neighborhoods—Ban Bat, Pom Mahakan and Nang Loeng—on an excursion at Sireerukachart Botanical Garden in Nakhon Pathom’s Phutthamonthon district with an aim to broaden the world of learning for them. GrabTaxi driver-partners represented the company to pick up these children from home for an excursion at this botanical natural garden.

The journey began with full of joy when GrabTaxi driver-partners picked up altogether 32 kids from these old neighborhoods. Soon after arrival at Sireerukachart Botanical Natural Garden, learning experience in the garden started off with a leafy walk through botanical species, giving the kids a chance to get to know nature through the five senses: sight, smell, touch, hearing, and taste of the plants from sweet candyleaf to bitter heart-leaved moonseed. Later in the morning, the Neighbor Rangers gave the kids a stopover at the garden’s waterfront pavilion to let them unleash their imagination by drawing their favorite trees and flowers.

The children’s pleasure didn’t end just there. The Neighbor Rangers guided them further to the next learning space in the botanical research and Herbarium building, where they were introduced to a wide array of plant specimens. To wrap up the excursion with a teambuilding activity, the kids were assigned, in groups, to draw a map of Sireerukachart Botanical Natural Garden based on their own memory. The session also gave them a chance to show their self-confidence by presenting the map drawn and to share their impression of the trip to their group members and friends in other groups.

“Grab joins this Neighbor Youth Camp activity as we celebrate the fifth anniversary of Grab in Southeast Asia. We recognize the good will of Neighbor Rangers and their volunteer service to help improve the quality of life and enrich the experiences of children in these old neighborhoods. As the leading ride-hailing platform, Grab and our service partners, GrabTaxi drivers, volunteer to give the kids a round-trip ride for this activity. We’re gladdened by laughter and joy of the children and we also notice smiles of all participating GrabTaxi drivers,” commented Peangploy Jitpiyatham, Partner Acquisition Manager of Grab Thailand.

“I’ve been a GrabTaxi driving-partners since 2014 and I’ve seen Grab making so much social contribution. Today I’m glad to be part of this Neighbor Youth Camp activity. I want to ensure safe journey of the children and I wish they can learn a lot and enjoy themselves. If Grab is joining the next activity, I’m definitely in again,” added GrabTaxi driving-partners Suwat Sripatta.

“Today was a big fun, taking the ride together with friends and enjoying a walk to appreciate nature we don’t see in classroom. We also tasted unfamiliar leaves we’ve never known before, and the candyleaf is very sweet, just like a candy. Then we did some drawings at the waterfront pavilion, too. Big thanks the Neighbor Rangers and GrabTaxi driving-partners for taking us to such an exciting place, and I wish they will hold activities like this again often,” said Chawintorn Thoupthong, nicknamed Ohm, from Ban Bat community.