5-year partnership with the Sarah Pantip Wong Foundation will help 970 families build income, stability, safe homes for children
EUGENE, Ore. – Holt International announced today the launch of a fully integrated economic empowerment pilot program model in Thailand designed to help economically vulnerable families build income, increase financial stability and safely care for their children at home.
The five-year program is made possible through a $675,000 grant from the Sarah Pantip Wong Foundation. The new initiative aims to help 970 families through a comprehensive model that combines small business support, vocational training, agricultural assistance, financial literacy, parenting support and ongoing case management.
Far too many families throughout Thailand – including teen parents, single mothers and caregivers for young children – face economic instability that can make it difficult to provide safe, stable homes. Through Holt’s local partner, Holt Sahathai Foundation (HSF), the model program will address root causes of family instability by helping parents and caregivers create sustainable income while strengthening family well-being.
“The partnership reflects our shared belief that children thrive when families have the support and resources they need to stay together,” said Michelle Joyce, chief philanthropy and communication officer at Holt International. “By investing in economic empowerment, we can help families move toward long-term stability while reducing the risk of child-family separation.”
The program will support families through three coordinated initiatives:
- Microloans for small business start-ups will help caregivers access modest, structured loans to start or grow income-generating activities. Each loan will be paired with financial literacy training, business planning and ongoing case management.
- Expanded support for parents will help teen mothers, single mothers, and young parents access small microfinance grants, vocational training, parenting support and wrap-around services through a partnership with the Equitable Education Fund, Thailand – a public organization under the supervision of the Prime Minister of Thailand that works to support children and youth in greatest need of quality education and training.
- Family-size vegetable farming training will help families living in rural, impoverished areas to grow food, reduce food insecurity and generate income by selling surplus produce. Families will receive training, tools and support through the Thasala Learning Center.
The Sarah Pantip Wong Foundation’s investment will support staff, training, monitoring and evaluation, home visits, community partnerships and the systems needed to build a scalable model for long-term impact. By integrating economic empowerment, family strengthening, and local partnerships into one cohesive approach, the model is designed to strengthen Holt’s existing programs in Thailand.
“Thailand and Holt Sahathai hold special places in our hearts because Thailand is where Sarah was born and HSF is who cared for her, her birth mom and us,” said Andrea Wang and Henry Wong, Sarah Pantip Wong’s adoptive parents. “We are honored to partner with Holt International to help families in Thailand build stability, dignity and opportunity. This investment reflects our commitment to strengthening families and helping children grow up safe, loved and supported.”
While Holt has long delivered economic empowerment programs across multiple countries, these efforts have often been implemented in more limited or varied ways due in part to budget constraints. This Sarah Pantip Wong Foundation investment enables Holt to implement a fully integrated model in one country, creating a clear, proven framework that can be duplicated and scaled across global programs.
“This is more than short-term assistance,” said Wang. “This is about building a replicable model that helps families worldwide become self-sufficient, strengthens communities and creates lasting change for children.”
About Holt International
Holt International is a Christian organization that provides care and support to many of the world’s most vulnerable children — those who are orphaned, abandoned, or at serious risk of separation from their family. Holt works in local communities around the world and strives to keep children in their families of birth by providing the care and support they need to grow and thrive as a family. For children who do not remain with their birth families, Holt helps find loving families through adoption, foster and kinship care. To learn more, visit holtinternational.org.
About the Sarah Pantip Wong Foundation
The Sarah Pantip Wong Foundation funds nonprofit organizations and institutions that share in its mission to foster safer and more compassionate communities by investing in research, public awareness and education, and initiatives that translate into practical, measurable impact. Learn more at sarahpantipwong.org.
