NGO's Chiangrai
Children Are Not for Sale – The Sold Project Chiang Rai
CHIANG RAI – Thailand is one of the most beautiful countries in the world. It’s a paradise on earth but here for 5 dollars you can buy a 10-year-old girl or a 9-year-old boy. Sex sells. Children. For $10 billion a year. You can help end it now:
Living in the neighborhood of Mae Lao in Chiang Rai province where a number of girls and boys have been trafficked from, Nat* has no idea she herself is also at a very high risk of becoming part of the human market
“I would probably go to work elsewhere just like many of my peers if there was a job opportunity which promises good pay,” said Nat, a 14-year-old student who was born and raised in the area.
Nat is now being convinced to move for a job by Fon*, her older friend who left the village many years ago after she was sold to a businessman in Chiang Rai, presumably to work in the sex trade.
Fon recently returned to Mae Lao and has established herself as a mamasan (manager of sex workers). Fon has attempted to persuade a lot of girls in the community to work in other places. Many, unfortunately, accepted the offer and left their hometown. Only some returned with a wish to resume their education.
While Nat would perhaps yield to Fon’s job proposal if it meant good gains, Dao* _ another girl in the area _ insisted she would never leave her hometown if someone offers her an obscure job opportunity.
“If someone approached me and asked whether I would be interested in going to work in other places, I would assume he or she is a human trafficker because there are a lot of them here,” explained Dao, a 15-year-old who lost her parents several years ago.
Fortunately, Nat and Dao have not fallen victim to human trafficking, thanks to the close-knit community and people around them who have provided them with advice and guidelines regarding how to live through their teen years and to say no to offers. The two girls are among 150 students in Mae Lao district who have received academic scholarships from The Sold Project, a charity programme initiated in 2007 with the aim of preventing child prostitution and lowering the chances of girls and boys becoming victims of human trafficking.
“Academic scholarships are just a passport to get us in touch with kids in the area who are at risk of being traded,” said Tawee Donchai, one of the project’s founders. “After we give them school funds, we get to know them, and at the same time we get to know their problems.
“Some children lost their parents when they were young and were left with other family members. Many live in impoverished families with very low income and thus education is not the family’s priority.
“Scholarships are to keep them in school so they receive standard education, and at the same time it keeps us connected with them so that we know what kind of risks these kids are running into.”
The Sold Project was started by a group of people _ American and Thai _ who were interested in producing a documentary about human trafficking. During the production, the team decided to provide a scholarship to one kid who had a high chance of being trafficked.
From this one student, the project moved to helping 40 students in the following years. Currently, it gives financial aid in the form of school fees to 20 students every year. There are now 150 students in the area who study under the project’s funds.
Besides academic scholarships, Tawee added, The Sold Project also set up educational and recreational activities as well as provided counselling for children based on local tradition and culture. Recently, the project has been working in collaboration with the Golden Triangle Elephant Foundation in engaging kids in a mahout training programme as a way to not just empower, but also to educate them about nature conservation.
“We call it Elephants For Kids,” said John Roberts, director of elephants and conservation activities, Anantara Golden Triangle. “In this area, there are quite a lot of problems with girls and boys being sold down to Bangkok. Then they were rescued from Bangkok and came here and the idea was initially to give them a bit of a day out to play with elephants and enjoy themselves.”
From an idea to give kids a pleasant day after their horrible experiences of exploitation, the project has been developed into an educational one, thanks to Elephant International, which has done some research and come up with a curriculum. The project involves mahout training in which children learn how to use verbal commands with elephants, how to feed and bathe them, the role of mahouts and the connections between them and the elephants, as well as lessons on the importance of preserving forests.
According to Tawee, bringing children close to the world’s largest land mammals is more than just giving them a fun-filled day out.
”It empowers them,” Tawee said. ”It gives them strength and confidence. At first, the kids were so scared of elephants. They did not even dare touch them.
”But now they have got to know each other better. In a way, such experiences with elephants alleviate their stress, which is perhaps caused by society, family and so forth. After the kids return from the elephant camp, they talk about elephants and about many things they enjoy. They become more extroverted.” Dao admitted she found elephants very frightening at first. But now she feels they are one of the most beautiful animals she has ever encountered.
”I bathe them and speak to them. And they understand our language,” Dao said. ”Being with elephants gives me more courage and confidence. I think I feel stronger.” Elephants For Kids, added Roberts, has also changed children’s perspectives towards many aspects in life.
”Kids come and see our research assistance, our female staff _ some are PhD candidates and masters candidates. These are very bright ladies. This gives the girls a chance to see there are other job options. With education and with perseverance, you can go a long way.”
Roberts strongly believes that the project, in the long run, will also benefit the elephants themselves, as well as the Thai eco system.
”Elephants are the lungs of the planet and wild elephants are important. They play a very crucial role in making sure of the right mix of trees by the moving of seeds from one place to another so that young trees can grow.
”Other animals and organisms rely on the service that elephants provide to the ecosystem.
”With this project, we hope that the next generation of politicians, or the next generation of every part of society, understands and hopefully agrees with us about why forests are important and why we should keep animals in them,” he added. After several sessions of mahout training, as well as other empowering activities, Dao now sees the value in herself. With her brave smile, she promises she would never give the nod when someone asks her to leave her community and work elsewhere.
”When girls leave the area, we know they are involved in the sex trade,” said Dao. ”And when they come back, they earn so much money that they can build a new house for their parents. It sounds good, but in reality, the truth behind that might not be as beautiful as it looks.
”Those who are in the sex market are at risk of diseases and infections and this is a threat to their life. So the most important thing is for ourselves _ girls and boys _ to respect ourselves and to be strong, confident and courageous enough to say no, regardless of how tempting the job offer may appear. And this way we can protect ourselves from being trafficked.”
The SOLD Project Summary
The SOLD Project prevents child exploitation in Thailand through education. Run by the Sold Project in collaboration with the Golden Triangle Elephant Foundation, the project offers children at risk of human trafficking several activities such as mahout training as well as an education program to teach them about conservation.
What is the issue, problem, or challenge?
Half of all children in rural northern Thailand are forced by poverty to drop out of school at a young age & very few continue past primary school. The statistics are even worse for girls, who are often obligated to provide income for their families. Many of them, lacking education & resources, end up exploited in Thailand’s sex industry. The SOLD Project’s Freedom prevention program offers educational scholarships, tutoring, & other resources to at-risk children to keep them off the path to prostitution & give them hope for a better future. One building currently serves as tutoring center, classroom, library, staff office, & play area.
How will this project solve this problem?
SOLD’s Resource Center opened in early 2010 and participation in our after-school programs, workshops, & weekend English classes grew rapidly. With 10-30 students attending daily & nearly 100 each weekend (hundreds for special events), a separate two-story classroom building will enable us to better accommodate our students & provide additional study space. The second story will provide on-site housing for staff &/or long-term volunteers.
Potential Long Term Impact
By investing in the education & development of these at-risk children, we not only prevent them from becoming victims of exploitation, but we free them to succeed, rise from poverty, & change the future for their families, their children, & beyond.
Project Message
Before I met The SOLD Project, things felt so dark for my life. Now I want to dream again. I have friends, I have SOLD people I can talk to. My world is so beautiful right now!
– Cat Meungkaew, SOLD’s first scholarship student
I dream of becoming a nurse. I am the oldest of my siblings & want to help them complete their studies, too. Then we can all help others in our village who are very poor & have very difficult lives.
– Atitaya Mayer, scholarship student, age 15
Name of organization: The Sold Project
Address:171 Baan Pasang Moo 1 Tambon Pongprae, Mae Lao district, Chiang Rai
Bank info:Savings account name: Tawee Donchai and Ruttikarn Chermua, Bangkok Bank, Big C Chiang Rai Branch, Savings account number:629-022035-6
Website: http://www.thesoldproject.com
Name of organization:Golden Triangle Elephant Foundation
Address:733 Moo 3 Tambon Wiang, Chiang Saen district, Chiang Rai 57150
Bank info:Savings account name: Golden Triangle Elephant Foundation, Siam Commercial Bank, Chiang Saen Branch, Savings account number:639-229093-5
Website: http://www.helpingelephants.org
Source:
Article byArusa Pisuthipan, Bangkok Post
www.bangkokpost.com/lifestyle/interview/341070/not-for-sale
www.thesoldproject.com
www.facebook.com/thesoldproject
Chiang Rai Bulletin
(CTN NEWS) – You can find the answers to Octordle Today words #410 here, released on 10th March 2023, along with some hints.
Octordle requires players to guess eight five-letter words simultaneously while only having thirteen guesses! Wordle is similar in that there are no clues to assist you in guessing the words.
But once you have guessed a word, the tiles change color.
Colors indicate whether you correctly guessed the letters and their order. While there is no right or wrong way to play the game, we recommend trying to guess words that use most of the alphabet in as few guesses as possible.
It will help you identify which letters appear in each word so you can solve them quickly and efficiently. Make sure you keep in mind that some words may contain repeated letters.
Octordle – How to Play
Octordle Today #410 Words Hints (10th March, 2023)
Here are all the hints and clues you need to help you figure out Octordle Today’s answers for game #410.
Hint 1: There is a K in word 7 only.
Hint 2: There is a C in words 2 and 4.
Hint 3: There is an M in words 2 and 4.
Hint 4: There is a D in words 1 and 8.
Hint 5: There is a repeated letter in words 1, 2 and 6.
Hint 6: There is a double letters in words 3 and 5.
Hint 7: Here are the starting letters of each word:
- Word 1: A
- Word 2: M
- Word 3: B
- Word 4: C
- Word 5: L
- Word 6: T
- Word 7: S
- Word 8: P
Hint 8: Here is a little description or clue for all of the words:
- Word 1: give or order the giving of (something) as an official payment, compensation, or prize to (someone).
- Word 2: a slimy substance secreted by the mucous membranes and glands of animals for lubrication, protection, etc.
- Word 3: mad; insane.
- Word 4: a celestial object consisting of a nucleus of ice and dust and, when near the sun, a ‘tail’ of gas and dust particles pointing away from the sun.
- Word 5: not firmly or tightly fixed in place; detached or able to be detached.
- Word 6: a chiefly freshwater fish of the salmon family, found in both Eurasia and North America and highly valued for food and game.
- Word 7: a garment fastened around the waist and hanging down around the legs, worn typically by women and girls.
- Word 8: chequered or tartan twilled cloth, typically made of wool.
Octordle Today #410 Answer: What Is It Today?
If you don’t like the previous Octordle answers and you need to see the answers, we have you covered. Sometimes you have to do whatever it takes to keep the streak alive. Here, there are no judgments.
Don’t scroll further if you want to give the Octordle answer today a fair shot without spoiling it.
Here are the answers to Octordle Today #410 for 10th March 2023:
- Word 1: AWARD
- Word 2: MUCUS
- Word 3: BATTY
- Word 4: COMET
- Word 5: LOOSE
- Word 6: TROUT
- Word 7: SKIRT
- Word 8: PLAID
Octordle Today #410 Answer – March 10th, 2023
Is figuring out today’s answers easy, or are you scratching your head while guessing? Come back tomorrow for more Octordle clues and answers.
More In: OCTORDLE
UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to protect the rights of every child; they have spent 70 years working to improve the lives of children and their families. In Thailand, their Thai children donation project aims to provide every child with a fair chance to grow up in a safe, healthy and protective environment and reach their full potential.
UNICEF believes that all children have a right to survive, thrive and fulfill their potential – to the benefit of a better world. UNICEF’s mission is simple: The world has changed, but children’s needs have not. UNICEF works day-in-day-out in the world’s toughest places to reach the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children.
Why UNICEF?
Did you know that over 1.4 million children in Thailand still live in poverty? Since 1990, UNICEF has helped save more children’s lives (approx. 90 million) than any other humanitarian organization. UNICEF makes sure the world’s children are protected, fed, vaccinated and educated.
Not every child is born with equal opportunities. You can give hope to children, from newborns to teenagers, by donating to UNICEF and becoming part of the solution. UNICEF provides long-term aid that addresses immediate needs and creates lasting change for the better across three dedicated age groups:
Newborns – UNICEF works closely with the local government to promote more breastfeeding and prevent mothers from seeing harmful infant formula commercials.
Early childhood – To help children grow up with healthy development, UNICEF works closely with parents and caretakers to better understand early childhood education.
School-age –Around 14% of Thai children do not attend school. UNICEF strives to bring education to kids in rural areas through various grassroots projects and initiatives.
Early Childhood Development
UNICEF’s Thai children donation project is mainly focused on early (0-5 years) childhood development. Why? Because the first months and years of life are the most critical in a child’s development, it’s a time of significant brain, language, social, emotional, sensory and motor development. It is when the foundation for lifelong learning is established.
Unfortunately, many young children in Thailand lack appropriate care and stimulation. Many parents do not engage in learning activities with their offspring and have few or no books in the home. To help at-risk children receive the early learning experiences they need to reach their full potential, UNICEF is undertaking a range of targeted grassroots initiatives across Thailand, here are some examples:
SwimSafe program
Drowning is a leading cause of death in children in Thailand, with approximately 1,250 children under 15 drowning each year. UNICEF is working with the Ministry of Education and other partners to pilot the SwimSafe project at 20 schools in Thailand to help stop this preventable problem. To date, about 6,000 children have benefited from the first phase of the programme.
Mobile Library
More than 50% of children under five years old in Thailand live in a household with fewer than three children’s books. To provide such children with greater reading opportunities, UNICEF and its partners have established a mobile library. Under the project, over 15,000 students at 135 UNICEF-supported public schools in remote hill tribe communities are benefiting.
Demonstration centres
Across 24 provinces, UNICEF has organised quality experiences for pre-primary children and engaged carers through parenting programmes at designed demonstration centres. These free centres provide much-needed support, guidance and resources for parents, guardians, grandparents and caretakers who are time and cash poor.
To learn more about UNICEF’s invaluable Thai children donation project, please check their website.
Brian and Karen Shaben are going all-in with humanitarian work as they prepare to move to Thailand from Canada.
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CHIANG RAI -Canadian’s Brian and Karen Shaben never had kids of their own, but, by next week, they’ll have 24 to look after. “That’s just the ironic part, how do you go from zero kids to 24?” Brian said with a laugh.
The Canadian couple, founders of World Wide Life Humanitarian Partnership Society — a non-profit that partners with organizations to enhance living conditions for at-risk individuals in underdeveloped countries — will move to Thailand next week, having retired from full-time work in Canada to make careers of the humanitarian efforts they began in 2008.
They will start by partnering with Give Kids Hope Thailand, an organization that runs a children’s home in Mae Suai, Chiang Rai Province, home to 24 girls at risk of becoming involved in the sex trade in Thailand.
The Shaben’s will operate the home while helping in the development of a new training center that will emphasize vocational training and enhanced educational opportunities.
“It’s so rewarding for us,” Karen said.
“We think we’re going to help them and to bless them, but we’re actually the ones who get blessed — we really are.
“It’s amazing how wonderful these kids are and how creative they are and smart they are.
“The only difference between them and me is I was born here and I was given access to opportunities,” Karen said.
“Unless we do this, or people like us do this, they’re not given access to opportunity, especially some of the ones who live in these northern, remote areas.”
For the Shaben’s, the decision to move overseas and make full-time work of their humanitarian efforts has been a long time in the making.
Since their first hands-on experience nearly 10 years ago, the couple found their attention increasingly dominated by their work in Southeast Asia.
In October of 2014, they felt it their calling to move overseas and help — permanently.
“A lot of it came out of a bad situation I was in as a kid,” Brian said.
“I came from an abusive family background. My father was kind of abusive to the kids, very stern kind of guy.
“That kind of left an impression on me.”
The couple never had kids of their own, in part because of Brian’s upbringing.
“Earlier on, when we first got married, I wasn’t really wanting children because of my past — I wasn’t sure what kind of father I would be,” the 56-year-old said.
“I didn’t want to bring a child into the world if there was even a slim chance that my upbringing would make me a bad father.”
Brian’s youth, coupled with a horrific motorcycle accident in 1979 that stopped his heart and left him dead for minutes, made him feel there was a larger purpose to his life.
Despite never having kids of his own, his humanitarian efforts showed he had a knack for working with children.
“Brian’s living proof that you have a choice,” Karen, 49, said.
“He chooses not to be a victim.
“He has chosen to deal with the past, to get on with life and to take his experiences and make a difference for other people.”
The nature of the Shaben work will no doubt evolve during their time in Chiang Rai.
Brian said the country’s elderly and other orphanages may need help.
Regardless of what they end up doing, Brian and Karen will be making life better for those around them, which is all that matters.
“Making an impact on someone’s life in a positive way, when things look so bleak in the present, and then watching them develop and watching them come out of this thing called life on a positive note, knowing that you had a big part in that, it’s an exceptional feeling,” Brian said.
“You can leave this planet one day knowing that you’ve made a difference in the world — all the money in the world can’t buy you that.”
By Adam Williams
For more information on World Wide Life, go online to www.humanitarianpartnership.com
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