We ended 2023 and started the new year on a high note, thanks to Girls Opportunity Alliance. With a grant from them, we conducted ‘Preparing for Success’ training for 1,506 junior high school girls in northeast Thailand between November last year and this January. Twelve poorly resourced schools participated in our workshops held in Ubon Ratchathani, Amnat Charoen, and Sisaket provinces.
Most of the girls had never taken part in similar training before; unsurprisingly they received us with a large dose of enthusiasm and curiosity. With our proprietory toolkit and lots of fun and games thrown in, we guided them on planning for their future. Many were inspired by what we shared with them, be it post-high school further education or career choices, especially jobs in the emerging digital economy. Despite coming from underprivileged backgrounds, many had high aspirations. We polled them and found quite a number want to be doctors, businesswomen, teachers or nurses. Previously, they did not know how to get from where they were to achieving these goals. Now they do
A majority of the girls said our training helped them understand themselves better, discover their strengths and weaknesses, and enable them make more informed decisions. They added that the training boosted their confidence in planning their future and pursuing their dream educational and career paths.
The Pratthanadee team is extremely grateful for the Girls Opportunity Alliance’s kind support of this important project. Underprivileged young women in rural northeastern Thailand are now better equipped for their life paths through pursuing higher education and career aspirations owing to the information, training, and resources made available by our work
