the giving well . . . thailand
Posted on by moderninkadminInspiration: The SOLD Project and Thailand
Location: Located in Southeast Asia, Thailand borders Burma, Laos, Cambodia, and Malaysia. It’s roughly the size of Wyoming times two and has a very tropical climate.
History: Prior to 1939, Thailand was known as Siam and was established in the mid 14th century. Thailand is the only country in Southeast Asia that has never been taken over by a European power.
Behind the scenes: Human trafficking and illegal prostitution involving nationals and children is extremely prevalent. According to human rights organizations, Thailand is a destination, source, and transit country for sexually exploitative crimes.
Thankfully, the Thai Prime Minister chaired several meetings in 2010 that addressed anti-trafficking efforts and set forth a National Policy Strategy on Human Trafficking for 2011-2016. The Thai government has also trained numerous government officials in victim identification.
Although there are increased efforts in combating Human Trafficking in Thailand, several NGOs have reported that corruption, bias perspectives towards migrants, and local officials’ lack of understanding play significant roles in preventing progress. As a result, Thailand has been placed in Tier 2 in the 2011 US Department of State’s Trafficking in Person’s report–a comprehensive evaluation by the US government administered to measure the Thai government’s success in combating Human Trafficking.
How you can help: With overwhelming statistics and information about Thailand’s Human Trafficking condition, it can be challenging to know where to start or how you can get involved. Thankfully, we’ve made it simple for you to get involved with on-the-ground progress.
The SOLD project is a very strategic grass-roots organization located in Chiang Rai that works to prevent child prostitution through on the ground programs focused on education. With creative strategies and after school programs,The SOLD project is teaching English and equipping young children with the tools they need to change the fabric of their communities, curb vulnerability that leads to trafficking, and training Thailand’s future leaders. The Stand 4 FREEDOM project, implemented by The SOLD project is a 16 dollar per month program that allows you to support Anti-trafficking awareness, mentorship, weekend english classes, field trips, and other extra curricular activities. Additionally, you can provide monthly education scholarships for 31, 45, or 55 dollars depending on where the child is in school.
The SOLD project uses every dollar donated to its maximum capacity and fosters genuine relationships between sponsors and the children. Every cent of your personal donation goes directly to the children affected for maximum impact.
Interesting facts about Thailand: Thais adhere to a custom of not touching a person on the head as it is spiritually considered the highest part of the body. So, playing duck-duck goose in Thailand is not in your best interest. Pointing to your feet is also considered a faux pas.