Education & Health for 2,500 in Bangkok Slum

Concordia Day Care and Community Center Annual Report 2024

Concordia Welfare and Education Foundation - Thailand (CWEFT) believes that access to educational opportunities provides hope for a better future for poor and at-risk children, women, and families.

The Concordia Day Care and Community Center (CDCC) was established to support disadvantaged children in Thailand who are at risk due to extreme poverty, as well as children who have been displaced by conflict in the region. They are the most vulnerable group in society, aged two to 15, and live in slums under the Bang Na Expressway and adjoining villages in Bangkok and Samut Prakan provinces.

CWEFT and the CDCC would like to thank all supporters who have kindly collaborated with us this past year to support children, women, and families in need through our various programs. A summary of the individual students and family members impacted by CDCC programming this past year is below.

For the 2023-2024 year, the CDCC supported a total of 49 children, 14 of whom were able to enter the school system. Additionally, the CDCC provided assistance to 225 family members through a variety of outreach and support programs

Saturday Class Program: Over the last year, 53 children received extra training on Saturdays, 34 attended art therapy workshops, and 456 parents participated in Saturday programs.

School Break Program: This year, there were a total of 17 children and 73 family members who participated in the CDCC school break programming.

Elderly Outreach: In the last year, the CDCC team helped to support four slum communities: Bang Na Expressway, Rungrueang community near Udom Suk Market, Poon Sin Community, and Yam Suam community near Mahasin Market. The total number of community residents who received support in all four communities is 3,890 people.

Scholarship Program: To best support families, CWEFT has continued to provide scholarships to children and families in need. These scholarships provide the required uniforms, including school, sports, and scout uniforms, along with other supplies necessities. This year, 58 children received scholarships of 1,000-2,000 Thai baht (US$30-60) depending on their grade level and need.

Volunteer and Service-Learning Programs: 

The CDCC prioritizes collaboration with interested individuals and external agencies, particularly Thai and international students, to organize educational activities and provide community services, allowing them to learn about social issues and the conditions of children in slum communities. This year, we hosted several students and volunteer teams.

Students from Panyotai Waldorf School spend time at the CDCC to intern during their school break; students from KPIS International School helped to paint a wall as a learning resource and organized an English camp for children in Saturday classes. The CDCC also welcomed students from the American School of Bangkok to conduct fun events, explore the neighborhood, and share their English knowledge. Additionally, students from NIST International School organized a fundraising activity to purchase education supplies for children at the CDCC. A team from the International Church of Bangkok organized an activity to provide knowledge about Easter, along with several individuals and groups from churches in the United States who visited this past year and provided educational training for children, parents, and families, and visited the elderly in the community to show the Love of Jesus with all people.

Thank you note from children to supporters

Grade 6 student note:  Thank you for helping me to study at the CDCC. I have made friends and received a scholarship so I can buy school uniforms and supplies.  On the day of the parents' meeting at school, I received my school grade results, and I received top marks in every subject. I am very happy. I would like to thank everyone for your sponsoring me and allowing me to improve my studies and get the help I need. May God bless you with good health and prosperity.

Grade 7 student note: I am currently enrolled in seventh grade. Now I attend Sai Nam Phueng School. I went to study there, and it is a lot of fun. Even though the CDCC is a bit far from my home, I enjoy going there to study. They help me with tutoring, reviewing my school lessons, and helping me to pass the entrance exam at my school. Thank you for your support so I can continue to study at a higher level.

Links:

• Thank you for your prayers and support.

Daycare centers and community service centers “Concordia House

Progress report January – April 2024

Introduction

Concordia Welfare and Education Foundation – Thailand is committed to helping impoverished children, homeless women, vulnerable people in society who live in slums in big cities, and ethnic minority children in remote areas. When families have low income and lack educational opportunities, children are at increased risk of not being protected from exploitation. Our goal is to improve the quality of life for these families with sustainable solutions, so they can stand on their own and contribute positively to society.

Concordia Daycare and Community Center in Bangkok: Concordia Daycare Center is open from Monday-Friday for children between the ages of 2-5. We take care of nutrition, promote age-appropriate development through activities of play, art projects, drawing, painting, jigsaw puzzles, singing, music and life skills training such as putting on shoes, clothes, using the bathroom, brushing teeth, joining groups, listening, and following instructions. We also teach how to communicate and tell stories, and how to eat independently and have good hygiene. We want to help children to be self-reliant according to their age, have fun with friends, and be prepared to enter school according to their appropriate development. Additionally, Concordia Daycare works closely with government officials, volunteers, and international school students to help promote child development and emotional care.

Saturday supplementary teaching Program: For children between the ages of 5-15 years to come to study every Saturday from 8:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m., totaling 59 children. Most of the children have problems with slow learning. We provide homework review and tutoring in mathematics, English, and computers. Children who come to study regularly not only improve their GPA, but benefit from being with friends and reducing hours spent on the internet.

Art therapy and special activities: CDCC has hired a team of skilled art therapists to teach children monthly. There are regularly 28-30 children interested in studying per month, and we are also able to receive international school students to come and provide community service alongside the children. The activities include painting pictures, murals, games, and learning English. The response from children and their parents is that they greatly enjoy the art therapy. It is interesting, improves creativity, and is a fun time with friends. Due to popular demand, we will be offering more classes for grades 3-6 and 7-9 to be able to participate as well.

School break Program:  During the school summer break, there are 9 students in the community whose parents have to work each day and are unable to care for their children. To help relieve this burden and to ensure their safety (physical and online), we provide care for them as well as provide tutoring, sports, and activities. Interns in the high school level volunteer to help out with these children and earn community service.

Volunteers:  Volunteers are the key to development and ensuring learning opportunities for children, youth, and their families in vulnerable target areas of Thailand. For example, on March 16, 2024, students from KPIS International School performed community service activities by drawing, painting, and decorating the walls of the Concordia Children's Home. We also utilized the help of student volunteers to put together activities for an English camp. Students from American School of Bangkok came to organize fun activities for the Saturday program, including playing games, organizing recreational activities, and providing sound equipment for use in activities with the children at Concordia Center.

 What we achieved in this quarter:

1. Concordia House cared for 31 preschool children, among them 11 children prepared to enter kindergarten this academic year. Staff have helped with documents and contacting public schools for these children to enter on schedule, including Thai children and Burma, Laos and Cambodian children from migrant families.

2. Helped 59 children in the Saturday Project, 9 children in the school break project, and 30              young children for art therapy, a total of 129 children and youth who have been helped in                the past 3 months.

3. In January, National Children's Day activities were organized at Concordia Daycare. We                made sure children felt their worth through activities, games, gifts, and quality time with                  their parents, as well as learning the annual Children’s Day motto.

4. In February we organized activities related to Valentine’s Day, sharing the meaning of                    love through art with teachers and friends. The children made souvenirs to give to their                  parents and guardians.

5. Concordia House was honored to welcome volunteers from the United States this                          February as well. They came to educate children and parents about necessary life skills                such as how to use their time wisely, online threats, the importance of health and fitness,                and the great value in education.

6. In March we celebrated Easter by teaching the children the meaning of Easter through                  videos, coloring pictures, an egg hunt, singing songs, and giving gifts. Thank you to the                  student volunteers from an international school as well as Bangkok International Church                that helped to organize these special activities.

7. On March 23, 2024, the Board met for the Annual General Meeting to approve the                         2024-2025 budget and review the financial statements certified by a licensed auditor.                     They approved the implementation of 3 new projects: clean water project in Fang District,               Chiang Mai Province, expand work on child protection, and help women at risk in Chai                   Prakan District, Chiang Mai Province.

8. April 12-16, 2024, is the Songkran festival, which is the Thailand New Year. We made                   arrangements for children to pour water on adults and teachers to show respect in the                   traditional custom, and then they had the opportunity to cool off by playing in the water.                 Not only is it fun and creates special memories, but it helps to preserve important Thai                   customs.

Thank you to all volunteers and supporters, who come to help children through the Concordia Children's Home, giving blessings to children in need, and providing opportunities for education, food to eat, and a future and hope for a new day for them. May God bless you all!

Children Story

“Free is in fifth grade and likes to come to Concordia Children's Home. Especially because there are toys, bicycles, soccer balls, a playground, and swings. Care is free, and he now has the opportunity to have fun with friends, run around, study, and have nourishing food to eat. Free likes to study art, paint, learn, and be creative, happy, and have peace. He says, ‘thank you very much for giving me the opportunity to study books, art, and giving me space to run around and play happily with my friends’.”

“My name is Ploy. I'm in Grade 6. This Easter I enjoyed playing the Easter egg hunt game and playing with dolls. Concordia Children's Home also provides food for the kids to eat (fried chicken), and I can have fun playing with my friends. There were foreign teachers who came to help organize the activities. It was very fun. Everyone was kind and made me very happy. Thank you for your love and knowledge about Easter and gifts. I am very happy because this is my first gift of the year.”

“How wonderful that this special team visited and celebrated with us and children on this special day.” 

“I'm in third grade. When I grow up, I want to be a football player. My grandmother sells water. I'm tired and must go to work at night. Even though Grandma is already very old, and it is tiring, the family does not have a lot of income. I must be willing to study. Grandma will be fine when I grow up. My 3 younger siblings and I come to study at Concordia Children's Home. I made many friends. It is a lot of fun. The teachers love me. I will be a good kid.”

Volunteers Note: “Your program is so very precious! Keep shining Gods’ light. I am so privileged to be part of this program.” -Ms. Karmyn Larsen

Links:

• CDCC newsletter Jan- April 2024

• https://shorturl.at/blvHI (PDF)