By Tim Dunham | Program Director
Dee lives in the Isaan region of Thailand, in the most impoverished area of the country. Dee's parents divorced when dee was very young. As is often the case, the father has no responsibility to support or help care for his children. The burden falls entirely on the mother. But, there are very few jobs in Isaan, so Dee's mother was forced to find work in other provinces. So, Dee and her younger brother now live with her grandparents. Dee's mom hoped to make enough money to send back home to support the family. But, Dee's mom barely makes enough money to support herself and cannot provide adequate support. Dee's grandfather is quite old and in poor health, so he is unable to work. The only option left was for Dee's grandmother to support the family by harvesting sugar cane. That involves going out into the fields for 8-10 hours a day in the hot sun, machete in hand, and chopping down the 10-foot tall sugar cane stalks one by one. It is hard work for a grandmother!
Meanwhile, Dee stays home and takes care of her grandfather and younger brother. She also does most of the housework while grandma is out working.
Thanks to her grandmother's labor of love, the family has food on the table. But, Dee's grandmother only makes a few dollars per day, and the sugar cane harvest only lasts for a few months. They also receive a government pension, but it is only $20 a month. There are simply not enough funds left over to pay for school. Dee and her brother attend a government school that is basically free. Still, there are expenses - school uniforms, books, travel to and from school, field trips, and school lunch. The family must cover all these necessary expenses, but it is well beyond their means.
For many families in this situation, the only solution is for the children to drop out of school. This is especially true for girls. But thankfully, a local Church that partners with Education Matters became aware of the great hardship this family was facing. They helped Dee's grandmother apply for a scholarship for Dee and her younger brother.
We are thankful for this mentor who lives in the local community and saw this struggling family's urgent need! We are also grateful to all those who have donated to support Education Matters. By partnering with us to keep Dee in school, we believe she will have the skills and education to support herself and her family when she grows up. We are confident that her children will have a very different experience growing up!
By Tim Dunham | Project Director
By Tim Dunham | Project Director
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