Help 500 Thai children get an education

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!

Susie lives with only her mother. Living on a single parent income is tough, and Susie's mom never received an education, so her job options are very limited. The only work she can find is selling flowers to tourists in restaurants and bars. Since Covid-19, businesses that depend on tourists have closed or have very few customers. So, her minimal income was now completely insufficient, so her mother started bringing Susie with her to sell flowers with the hope of increasing income for the family.  Sending Susie into bars at night was putting her at risk of being sexually assaulted, plus it is hard to go to school when you are up late at night working. The Family Connection Foundation (FCF) works in Susie's community through the Taw Saeng project. The staff reached out to help Susie and her family by giving her a scholarship from Education Matters. With this help, Susie no longer needs to sell flowers with her mother, and she now has the opportunity to stay in school and have a better quality of life. Susie has been participating in the Taw Saeng project and her mentor is helping her develop skills as a leader. Susie loves helping and serving others. She regularly joins in various activities at Taw Saeng, and is even teaching younger children in another poor community! 

This is a great example of why Education Matters is such an important program and why keeping these kids in school is vital to keep kids safe and away from risky activities. We know that when kids stay in school it makes them less vulnerable to sexual predators and human trafficking!