The SOLD Project prevents child exploitation in Thailand through education. SOLD seeks to expand its Resource Center facilities, adding a second classroom building to reduce crowding and better serve the educational needs of the at-risk children in this rural Thai community.
Half of all children in rural Thailand are forced by poverty to drop out of school at a young age. 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.
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.
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.
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).
