Holt's work in
Thailand
Thailand
began in 1975

In the communities Holt serves in Thailand, sponsors and donors provide nutritional support for newborn infants in the form of infant formula. As they often have to work to provide for their families — or are overcoming malnutrition themselves — the mothers in this program find it difficult or impossible to breastfeed. To ensure infants and toddlers receive the vital nutrition they need at this critical time of growth and development, Holt provides monthly supplies of a nutrient-dense powdered infant formula. For so many families, this formula delivery prevents them from feeding their child unhealthy substitutes like sweetened condensed milk, which can mean the difference between an overweight or stunted child and a child who is both healthy and developmentally on track.

Educating families about the importance of formal education is one of the first and most critical steps for HSF social workers. Throughout Thailand, but especially in rural areas, many adults have not completed their grade school education. As a result, some parents don't see the value in sending their children to school, especially their daughters. But even if they do, families living in poverty face many hurdles to providing a basic education for their children, including a high cost of tuition, school supplies, and the requirement that children have three different school uniforms — one for everyday wear, one for physical education and one that is cultural. But when matched with a sponsor whose monthly donations cover the cost of these essentials, children can overcome these hurdles — starting in preschool, and sometimes continuing on to higher education at a university.

Wherever Holt-sponsored children and families live in Thailand, community support groups are a critical part of their development. HSF social workers facilitate support groups on parenting young children, parenting twins and triplets, for teen parents, families living with HIV/AIDS, foster families, families who like gardening, for children who like sports or art or books — whatever situation a family is in, or whatever interests their children have, there is a place for them to learn and belong. Some groups are peer-led, giving parents the opportunity to lead their friends and neighbors. And as places of community, accountability and learning, they provide a space for parents to discuss their struggles and take encouragement from one another. After each group, HSF provides a nutritious meal for families and children socialize with each other and build healthy friendships. Together, families strive to achieve self-sufficiency, overcome poverty and to create a safe and healthy community for their children.

Throughout Bangkok and southern Thailand, HSF initiates "trust savings groups" to help struggling families achieve financial stability. As traditional means of income such as rice farming or other agricultural work are traded for manufacturing jobs due to the government's development initiatives, and families are pressured to move from the country to the city, many find themselves without sustainable work or income. More than ever, it is important for families to know and practice good money management. In trust savings groups, families learn to save their earnings, pool their money to invest in bulk or community items, and work towards their financial goals. In doing so, families also create community with one another and build a stable and bright future for their children.

For many families in Thailand, livestock is an invaluable commodity. Most commonly raised among families we serve in Thailand are chickens or ducks, which provide protein-rich eggs and meat for growing children. Some families also raise fish, most commonly catfish, first in small concrete tubs and then in ponds on their property once the fish are grown. Extra eggs, chicks and fish can be sold to neighbors or at the market for a profit. Children often take care of the animals — giving them a chore that is not only fun, but also teaches responsibility.

Whether a family lives in the city or an outlying rural area, we encourage them to start a family garden. Organically grown fruits and vegetables provide children with the vital nutrients they need, and families save money that they would have otherwise spent at the market. Families have found that a thriving garden can cut their food expenses by 40 percent! What's more, gardening becomes an activity the entire family can enjoy together. Either in a well-tended plot of land, or in large pots outside of their city home, families are growing peppers, corn, rice, mushrooms, carrots, lemongrass and other nutritious food. Gardening empowers families in Thailand to improve their health, earn an income, and achieve greater self-reliance.

In the communities where Holt works in Thailand, the wellbeing of not just sponsored children, but every child, is closely monitored by our partner staff. At partnering schools, teachers are trained to screen each child's health and educational needs. If a teacher finds that a child needs extra medical, nutritional, emotional or educational resources, they can connect the child and his or her family with a social worker who will ensure that the child's family is equipped and empowered to meet whatever needs the child may have.

On three and a half acres in southern Thailand, Holt Sahathai Foundation's Tha Sala Learning Center is a beautiful garden refuge where children and families learn, work and play together. There are too many fruits and vegetables here to count, but among the produce they grow are mango, rose apple, mangosteen, mushroom, sugar cane, pineapple, corn, rambutan and cucumber. Sprinkled throughout the flowing garden plots are obstacle course-like learning activities for children to participate in as they learn about planting, tending and harvesting their garden. This knowledge empowers families to then garden and provide fresh food for themselves. All Holt-supported children and families in southern Thailand, as well as the greater community of schools and neighboring families, are invited to learn and participate in special events at Tha Sala Learning Center

Every year, HSF supports over 200 women who are experiencing an unplanned pregnancy. Many women first reach out to HSF through a 24/7 support hotline. An HSF social worker may then meet with her, connect her with safe housing resources, and provide pregnancy counseling as she decides whether to parent her child or make an adoption plan. A strong stigma against single mothers and their children endures in Thailand, and many women may also receive counseling to help them cope with discrimination. About 80 percent of the women who have received HSF's support ultimately decide to parent, and many continue to receive ongoing support as they work to independently provide for their children. If a woman decides to make an adoption plan, HSF will walk her through the process and work to find a permanent, loving family for her child in Thailand or the U.S.