An Update: For several years, I have been supporting and recommending a Christian mission school and orphanage in northern Thailand. One of our good friends has volunteered to work onsite there several times in the past three years, so I can vouchsafe that this is a worthy charity with genuine needs. The orphanage/school Center is called Baan SuFan. (That is Thai for: “Home Of Destiny.”) The school and dormitories are located near Chiang Rai, Thailand, which is fairly near Thailand’s borders with Burma and Laos. This is commonly called The Golden Triangle region.
The majority of the Baan SuFan students are orphans or are from broken homes from Hmong and Mien refugees. These are minority highland tribes that have undergone decades of massive repression that has been genocidal in scale, especially in Burma (Myanmar). There is currently a civil war raging in Burma. Not surprisingly, there are now large numbers of Hmong and Mien refugees in northern Thailand. Though the Thai government has shown them great compassion, these are still stateless people who live on the margins of society, living a hardscrabble hand-to-mouth existence. Legally, as “non-resident” refugees, they cannot seek employment in Thailand.
Genuine Needs
The Baan SuFan school operates on a shoestring annual budget. Many of the school’s facilities dating from the 1960s are worn out. For example, four of their six aging washing machines are broken, so the children and staff have mostly been washing their clothes by hand. To keep their costs low, they have developed gardens, poultry pens, and beehives to provide vegetables, eggs, meat, and honey to help feed the students and staff. The school also sells some of their extra honey and some handmade Hmong needlecrafts to generate cash for the school.
The school has recently expanded to nearly double the number of dormitory residents. This necessitated buying many new bunk beds. Thanks to SurvivalBlog readers, all of that bed purchase expense has now been paid off.
Other recently completed work:
1. A new roof was built to expand a parking area for ministry vehicles. (Locally funded.)
2. Garden nets were put up to provide 50% sunlight cover to reduce the effects of excess heat on the crops.
3. New garden beds were built to expand the amount of food produced at the Center.
4. New waste bins were built to keep the Center neat and tidy.
They also had to replace their burned-out water pump. That was paid for by a generous SurvivalBlog reader in Upstate New York:
But then the pump shed roof was recently damaged by a basketball that went in an unexpected direction.
A lot of the infrastructure at the Center is now 40+ years old:
According to the Center Director, Inkhian Chanthima, here are their current needs that are above and beyond their normal monthly budget:
- The Purchase of four replacement washing machines to make things easier and free up more time for the students to focus on homework and getting a good education. (They are still washing most of their clothes by hand.)
- Paint for the outside of the buildings, to tidy things up.
- Hardware and labor costs for building repairs.
- The water pump shed needs a new roof.
Total: $4,012 USD.
Please prayerfully consider making regular donations and perhaps a special donation to cover some of their current needs through the Baan SuFan donation page, with multiple donation options.
A Renewed Prayer Request
Note: Even if you cannot afford to help, then please pray! I am making these prayer requests:
1.) Please pray that the financial needs of Baan SuFan Center are met, internationally.
2.) Please pray for peace, reconciliation, freedom, and a true Christian revival throughout the Golden Triangle region.
Thanks! – JWR