The images have never left him. What began as a student’s act of compassion became the foundation of a lifelong mission. 

Turning Memory into Mission 

Fifteen years later, Prach Sawangpong became a teacher at Rajaprajanugroh 35 School , a Boarding School in Khao Lak, Phang Nga province, one of the coastal areas devastated by the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami. At a boarding school where students live on campus, preparedness is not an option but a daily responsibility. The memory of 2004 continues to guide Prach in his commitment to keeping his students safe. 

In 2019, Prach’s school joined the UNDP-Government of Japan regional Tsunami Project, which supports schools across the Asia-Pacific region to strengthen their tsunami preparedness. For Prach, taking part in the Project became a way to turn his personal mission into action, helping his school stay prepared for future tsunamis. 

With guidance from the Tsunami Project, Prach led risk assessments around the school grounds, mapped potential evacuation routes, and trained fellow teachers as well as teachers from other schools located in tsunami high risk provinces. Together with students, staff, and local officials, Prach developed the school’s evacuation plan and conducted tsunami evacuation drills that informed the development of a comprehensive school tsunami evacuation plan, including measures to assist students with disabilities. Each year, the plan is reviewed and approved by the education committee and cross-checked with the provincial disaster management framework to ensure it remains effective and relevant.