Child Protection Thailand Project #36433

Help 500 Thai children get an education

by Family Connection Foundation

Project Report | Feb 26, 2024
The Challenges of a Single-Parent Family

By Tim Dunham | Director

Honey

For many single-parent families, one income is not enough. Just providing food for the family can take all their resources. That means that their children's education is a luxury that is often out of reach. Without an education, the child grows up without the skills to get a good job, so the cycle continues. Here are two great examples of how Education Matters is breaking the cycle of poverty and giving single-parent families hope for the future.

Honey and her two little sisters live with their mother, who is a single parent. Her mom works to support the family, but her income is inadequate to provide for all the needs of a family of four. Household expenses, such as food, water, and electricity, eat up most of the family's finances. So, buying supplies and school uniforms and paying tuition for all three was impossible. Supplies had to be shared by all three sisters or could not be purchased at all. A scholarship from Education Matters provided school supplies and a new uniform and paid her tuition fees. This support also encouraged her younger siblings to focus on their studies and participate in school activities. Honey is a diligent student performing at a very high level academically. Since receiving the scholarship, mentors have observed positive changes in Honey's academic performance and overall well-being.

KK lives with his father and two older brothers. His mom battled an addiction to alcohol and eventually died as a result. Things were hard before his mom died, but after his mom was gone, life was tough! With only one income, the family barely had enough to live. Some days, they didn't even have enough money to buy lunch at school. It is hard to focus on school when you have an empty stomach. After receiving a scholarship from Education Matters, KK now has a much better life. He now has a new school uniform, gym uniform, shoes, and school backpack, all provided by Education Matters' support. KK is focusing on his studies and feels more confident going to school. His brothers also received money to buy school lunches. Now they can go to school every day and give full attention to their studies without worrying about when they will get their next meal!

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Nov 2, 2023
The Things We Learn in Kindergarten

By Tim Dunham | Project Advisor

Pei Pei is so excited she got second place!

Getting a child off to a good start is essential for long-term growth and development. When a child brings home a paper they colored in kindergarten, we may strain to figure out what it is supposed to be a picture of and praise the child for drawing such "an awesome picture" without thinking much about the essential skills the child is developing.

Pei Pei is a 5-year-old kindergarten student who attends a temple school because it's free. She lives with her mother and younger brother. Like many single-parent families, her mom struggles to care for herself and her two children. She has found help and support at Home of the Swallow, a sister project of Education Matters under The Family Connection Foundation. Home of the Swallow provides support for single moms who are struggling to take care of their kids. The teachers at Pei Pei's school noticed that she was restless and had difficulty sitting still. They told her mother she should get her checked for ADHD! When the staff at Home of the Swallow learned that Pei Pei was having problems, they started working to help Pei Pei improve her focus. Pei Pei would come to Home of the Swallow after school, and the staff encouraged her to draw pictures and color them. They hoped that this would help her learn to concentrate and engage her imagination. The staff noticed her progress and provided positive feedback. Pei Pei's mother also got involved by helping Pei Pei find videos to improve her drawing. This collaboration has resulted in improved concentration and a calmer demeanor. In a recent coloring contest at school, Pei Pei won second place, which made her really happy! She continues to develop her interests and skills.

Pei Pei's story is an excellent example of why Education Matters works so well. The program not only provides financial support for children to go to school but the help and support of the mentors and staff who work with the children and their families combine to ensure that the child is successful!

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Jul 6, 2023
Two Kids, One Pair of Shoes

By Tim Dunham | Executive Director

Sage at School

I was recently visiting my nephew, who was telling me about his limited edition Nike basketball shoes he got for Christmas last year. He was so excited to add this special shoe to his collection that he has proudly displayed in his room. He never wears any of them - he only collects them. I was struck by how different things are for many children in Thailand. Take, for example, Sage and Thyme (not real names), who are eight-year-old twin sisters. They live with their grandmother because their mother has AIDS and is bedridden. Their grandmother is the only breadwinner in the family, but her income is not enough. While grandmother is out working, the twins help care for their very sick mom. In fact, one of the biggest financial burdens for the family is the cost of the AIDS medicine that is keeping their mother alive. The family was so poor that they could only afford to buy one pair of school shoes the twins had to share. That meant only one of the twins would wear the shoes one day and go to school, and the other twin would wear the shoes and go the next day. They didn’t have funds to buy school uniforms or lunch, so sending the twins to school was a tremendous hardship for the family. Not only that, but their friends at school would tease them because they had to share clothes.

Two years ago, a caring neighbor saw the difficult circumstances of this family and connected with Education Matters, and they were able to get a scholarship so that both twins could get the shoes, uniforms, and school supplies they both needed. Now, they can both go to school every day. The small amount of support it takes to buy them shoes and school uniforms has greatly impacted the lives of Sage and Thyme and the entire family. The scholarship also guarantees they get at least one substantial meal each day at school. So, next time you look in your closet at your collection of shoes, remember Sage and Thyme and the many thousands of kids in Thailand who are grateful to have one pair of shoes to wear to school!

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