Child Protection Thailand Project #9382

Help Keep Families Together

by Step Ahead Inc.

Project Report | Apr 23, 2014
Standing for Family-Based Orphan Care in Thailand

By John H Quinley Jr. | CEO

Social Workers Get Fun Step Ahead Training.

Kate and Anissa Arrive to
Discover Big Steps Ahead.

We always tell Step Ahead volunteers to be ready for anything when they come to join us, and as a dear old mission mentor from Texas, Earl Kellum, always said, "Brethern, we'll treat you so many ways, you are bound to like some of them." Well, these social workers, one from the UK and the other from the USA, coming to serve with Step Ahead in a mammoth task - seeking to forge new Thai government policies in reference to Family-Based Orphan Care, at least got off with some big training steps.

It's a big job, but Kate and Anissa got a great introduction with a free elephant ride soon after their arrival. The elephant expedition owner when he heard of our foundation's work to help poor families keep together (explained in Southern Thai language) decided our new volunteers should enjoy Southern hospitality and their elephant ride for free.

Our next steps in approaching impacting Thai government policy will likely not prove so easy. It will require significant patience, networking, meeting, research and building the body of work in Thai that will make a path up and through the mountainous jungles of historical understandings that can put children and families at-risk. Kim has become a leader in this non-institutional orphan care movement today with nearly 30 years serving some of Thailand's poorest and most vulnerable children. We are excited that now seems to be the moment to press forward and trust God to act and use us to see change happen for Thai families.

As ever, we thank you for your important support, prayer and standing with us and Step Ahead through the years and today.

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Dec 23, 2013
Step Ahead in the Northeast, South, and Bangkok.

By John H. Quinley Jr. | CEO

Sep 23, 2013
Stepping Ahead in Thailand Even as The Quinleys Step Back.

By John H Quinley Jr. | CEO

Sometimes You Have to Step Back to Step Ahead.

That's essentially what three pastors from our supporting churches told us last year. Yet, when they said it, we wondered, "How could such a thing possibly happen?"

Well, miraculously it has happened on this amazing sabbatical. We have followed the Trail of Patrick around Ireland and walked where Paul taught at Mars Hill in Greece, declaring the reality of "The Unknown God". We cannot express how grateful we are for this break and time of focus on what God will call us to do next through Step Ahead. So, for the first time in over 25 years, the Quinleys take a sabbatical to: rest, refresh, pray, read, talk, meditate, and perhaps prepare to write, and then step ahead again.

Meanwhile, it's important for you to know that the work of Step Ahead has continued forward.

Prior to heading on sabbatical Kim Taught on the Burmese Border.

Mae Sot and the area along the Burmese border is a place of untold struggle and pain for likely at least 150,000 Karen/Burmese displaced people, refugees, or asylum seekers. Kim went to teach in a staff training school about working with vulnerable functional orphans, and doing non-institutional orphan care. In recent years, Kim has become a regional expert in this field. She is passionate for these children and families at risk. During most of the week, Mae Sot flooded and they had to carry on mostly without electricity and running water.

John Heads to the South and Northeast.

Visiting the Keeping Families Together program, the child development centers, and the Bang Sak Training Center kept John and Kim moving forward through their jet lag in the first week back from their USA home leave trip.

After that, as Kim went to teach, John joined Step Ahead Thai staff on a visit to our Economic Development work in the Northeast of Thailand.

Training Northeast Thailand's women's groups in this poorest region builds new economic opportunities and strengthens families.

John joined Step Ahead Thai staff on a visit to our developing Economic Development work in the Northeast of Thailand where we conitnue to develop capacity im making purses of natural bulrush, and leather materials.

Links:

Step Ahead Website

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