Keep Girls Safe (KGS) Project Newsletter Volume 5 | 2021
KGS Newsletter Volume 5 English Language
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A Girl’s Story from Keep Girls Safe, Miss Pin
A Girl’s Story: Pin
I have 7 siblings which I am the 5th. My mother became a single mom of 7 children right after my father passed away. She worked very hard to raise her children. She worked at her small farm or sometimes she was hired by others to help out on their farm. She never stops working so she could pay her children to go to school. It was a very tough time in my family. Two of my bigger sisters had to marry when they were just 18 and 19 years old. Next, my third bigger sister was about to graduate from grade 12, but she has no chance to do so because she was kidnapped to be a bride. Regarding my tribe’s culture, this has been practicing a long time ago and still happening (rarely now except in a very remote area), most of them are not receiving a proper education, they don’t know what human rights are. I can say that many girls including me in the village are at high risk of this norm. From that event, my mom realized that home is not a safe place for the other 2 daughters anymore, so she asked for help and sought shelter. My sister and I stayed at a shelter in Phayao province when I was in grade 4 for only 1 year and this shelter closed down. My mom sought another shelter for us until I graduated grade 6.
As time goes by, my mom decided to get married and moved into her new husband’s house. This made four of us, my sisters, my brother, and I had to stay at mom’s new husband’s house because we have no relatives or cousins in my previous village to take care of us. Later, mom has a son with her new husband before he was arrested. I did not get a chance to continue my education after I finished grade 6. Then, when I moved in with mom, things got to settle, I went to the school in the village. I didn’t go to school regularly as I need to look after my little brother while mom went to work on a farm alone to feed the family. I was struggling with my study, with God’s grace, the SDA pastor overheard my situation. He stepped in and helped me by contacting the Keep Girls Safe Project of the ADRA agency. Here at KGS shelter, I received another life opportunity to have a safe place to stay, learning new life skills every day, no more hunger, learning how to play a musical instrument that I never know how to play or see before, importantly, I got to know God. Living with KGS makes me a better person and I can see my potential, I learn many things from the shelter and the church.
As I graduate from high school, I will continue my higher education in faculty in nursing at Asia Pacific International University. Being a nurse is my dream, so I can take care of my family member when they get sick and I want to help the patient who is suffering from sickness. I know I will feel happy when they feel better. Also, I can provide healthcare advice to people who need it. I know the feeling of happiness when we receiving warm hands from someone when we are very suffering or need help. Just like me when I was younger and I got help from ADRA.
Keep Girls Safe (KGS) Project Newsletter Volume3 2020
We are pleased to share the KGS Newsletter Q3, 2020 with you! As the government eases the lockdown to phrase 5, both government and private sectors are back on operation again but must follow the regulation of a new normal procedure to prevent the spreading of COVID-19. As a consequence of easing the lockdown, Keep Girls Safe staff are able to resume community work with village leaders and schools again.
At the shelter, all girls are finally back to school and they are happy to see their classmates again. They are encourage to wash their hands and wearing facial mask when they are in public. For more information of activities and what we have done in the quarter 3, kindly review it on the newsletters below.
Keep Girls Safe (KGS) Project Newsletter Volume2 2020
Over the past few months it had been a challenge for our girls and staff to get adjusted to the new norm of wearing masks, constantly sanitizing and washing hands, keeping social distances and having regular temperature checks. But these are things we are now all including yourselves used to. During the months of May and June, due to COVID-19 crisis, the start of the school year was differed however the girls’ continued their education as provided by the Royal Thai Government through the Distance Learning Television program received through satellite TV where classes of various levels were broadcast to students.
After months of not being able to attend school, we are glad that schools have resumed on July 1, following a directive from the Ministry of Education. As a precautionary measure, the Project has provided three washable cloth masks to each girl as protective gear. While school has resumed, students have been divided into two separate groups to reduce the number of students in school at a given time. With this, the two groups learn on alternate days meaning that when one-half of our girls attend school, the other half study at the shelter. In school, all teachers adorn face masks and shields and are armed with infrared thermometer guns so they can easily check students’ temperatures. On arrival, students wash their hands with sanitizer gel or with soap at handwashing stations while maintaining a distance of 1.5 meters apart from each other, before heading into their classrooms. While this may seem excessive to some, we are less worried knowing that preventative measures are in place.
Starting in July, the KGS team will begin conducting workshops in schools and communities, this is possible now that the local authorities have relaxed the domestic travel restrictions allowing us to engage within the communities. The KGS staff are encouraged to wear a mask and face shield at all times when working in the communities. It is important to protect ourselves as well as the wellbeing of our girls.
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Keep Girls Safe (KGS) Project Newsletter Volume 1 2020
We are delighted to share with you our very first newsletter covering the Keep Girls Safe (KGS) project. This project was established by ADRA Thailand in 2004 in response to human trafficking crisis affecting many vulnerable and marginalize ethnic minority girls in Northern Thailand. Since its start, 109 at-risk-girls have been given an opportunity to finish her basic education through support of the KGS shelter project.
At present, the KGS shelter houses 20 at-risk girls between the age of 10 to 18. Most of the girls come from the Hmong ethnic group. The shelter provides a safe accommodation as well as food for girls while the project enables them to attend school (primary, secondary or appropriate levels for vocational education). Besides traditional education support, the shelter also provide life skills training for girls. The shelter endeavors to re-integrate girls back into society at the most appropriate time taking into account among other aspects the specific situation within the home community and their academic progression if they are to return. This re-integration is evaluated on a case by case basis with the girls wellbeing taking center stage. ADRA is committed to supporting the girl till they complete their education which provides them with a better chance to live on their own safely. In some cases however, a transitional phase is required which may include locating suitable employment, helping to arrange apprenticeships, or providing transitional accommodation once they have completed university or vocational education. In addition to these shelter operation, the project also engages with the local schools and communities to raise awareness on child right, child protection and human trafficking. Since its start, the project has provided scholarship support to 447 boys and girls.
None of this would have been possible without you and for that, we would like to thank you for your continued support to this small yet life-changing project. Your support has positively impacted the lives of many.
We would appreciate your comments and feedback on the newsletter and please feel free to share the KGS newsletter with friends and families also if you wish to subscribe our quarterly newsletter, please file in your information in our subscription box.
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