" Joining hands to shape our future"
Child & Youth Development Programme
Wish to become involved?
The availability of new sponsors, means more children and their families will be helped.
Should you wish to follow-up an interest in sponsoring a child, please contact us by fax, e-mail or letter, indicating the age of the child you would like to assist.
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Cost of sponsoring a child depends on the level of the child’s education
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Primary : 5 – 10 years old (uniform, books, food) ………. …… . 7,500 baht per year (Approx: Euros 200; US$ 237; A$338 )
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Secondary : 11 – 14 years old (uniform, books, food, transport) ……. 8,500 baht per year (Approx: Euros 230;US$269; A$383 )
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Upper secondary : 15 – 18 years (uniform, books, food, transport)…… 10,500 baht per year (Approx: Euros 285;US$332; A$473)
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Commercial/technical/university (as above + resources )………….…. 12,000 baht per year (Approx: Euros 326; US$380; A$540)
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For those requiring board in the town or transportation costs……... …. 15,000 baht per year(Approx: Euros 408; US$475; A$675)
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NB: Exchange rate Sept 26th 2020
For birthdays/Christmas etc, sponsors may wish to send a special gift.
Additional assistance
A village committee of 9 persons, assists staff with visitation, liaison with schools and providing safe points of contact within the villages for any children experiencing difficulty.
The committee also manage Savings Groups for the families within the programme and a Death Fund, open to others in the community also. For a minimal regular payment, families are paid 19,600 baht towards funeral costs upon the death of a family member.
A child with an education,
is a youth with a future
In the northeastern villages of Thailand, due to the economic circumstances of families, the opportunity for children to further their education is not usually available.
Whilst deemed by the United Nations as a universal right of every child, there are many deterrents to education, for a family’s basic needs come before the purchase of uniforms and books.
The Good Shepherd Sisters, determined to provide that right, opportunity and future for northeastern children and youth, have built up a sponsorship programme, which has assisted an average of 600 students annually, helping families with the expenses of putting a child through school.
From visitation of the villages, families most in need are identified. Whilst money is provided for the child’s educational expenses – fees and lodging (higher education),uniforms, books, food and transport – the needs of the family are never overlooked. Support is provided for medical, social and economic problems. So while sponsors are helping send a child to school, they are in fact, helping the entire family.
Covid has put increasing burdens on families with loss of employment and family members returning from other provinces. The children have been disadvantaged in their learning, when school closed and learning went on line. The majority do not have adequate technology, internet access, computer skills or people at home to guide them.
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Seminars are provided each year for children and village youth in three age groups, with a workshop provided for their parents. They are instructed on a range of issues including self-development, inter-personal relationships, HIV/AIDS, drug abuse, sex education, community development and vocational choices.
The Sponsorship Staff reaches out to youth outside the programme through workshops conducted in schools.
Regular visits are conducted to the child’s family, school and village community by the Good Shepherd Sisters and their dedicated and experienced staff. Communication is maintained with the sponsors of individual children or with benefactors/organisations providing funds for seminars or collective sponsorship.
Apart from sponsoring an individual child, should you be interested in funding a seminar, helping with administrative costs, or assisting a group of students, please let us know your wishes.
'Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." - Nelson Mandela
