As Pratthanadee Foundation approaches its 25th anniversary, I am filled with pride and optimism about our journey and future. Recently, I had the opportunity to visit Ubon Ratchathani, where our team is making a significant difference in the lives of girls marginalized by poverty.
Empowering Girls in Ubon Ratchathani
During my visit, I attended two workshops at a local school, where we trained over 150 young girls aged 14 to 17. These sessions are the heart of what we do at PND. The energy and passion our team brings to each session are truly inspiring. It’s a high-energy, interactive, and music-filled half-day that would rival any motivational seminar.
The reactions we get from the students, school staff, and administration are overwhelming. After nearly nine years in the community, we’ve built a reputation for delivering training courses that make a real difference. The demand for our program is so high that last year alone, we trained over 6,000 women, yet we still can’t meet all the requests. This underscores the critical need for our work and motivates us to continue expanding our reach.
Transformative Experiences
One of my favorite moments during the workshops was when a young woman shared her dream of becoming a pharmacist. She had never voiced this dream before, fearing it would be dismissed as impossible. But after spending the day with us, she left with a renewed sense of hope and a clear understanding of the steps needed to achieve her goal. We don’t promise easy fixes, but we do aim to show these young women that success is within their reach if they are willing to put in the effort and dedication.
Building Confidence and Awareness
Our workshops are designed to empower girls by providing them with the knowledge and skills to make informed decisions about their futures. Whether it’s understanding the dangers of borrowing money from loan sharks, knowing how to protect themselves from violence, or realizing that there are career paths beyond farming, these sessions are transformative. It’s incredibly rewarding to see the girls’ confidence blossom as they progress through the Better Me sessions.
A Community’s Gratitude
At the end of the day, the school principal expressed her deep gratitude for our commitment to her community. She, too, came from a family of farmers but worked hard to pursue a different path in life. Her excitement about our work and eagerness to have us train more students in nearby schools reaffirmed the importance of our mission. As word of our work spreads, more schools and communities are reaching out, eager for us to train their young women.
Expanding Our Reach
We are committed to finding ways to expand our reach and impact without compromising the quality of our programs. This includes training more facilitators, developing new partnerships, and exploring innovative ways to deliver our workshops. With a small investment and generous support from readers like you, I am optimistic that we can achieve these goals. I’m especially proud of the cost-effectiveness of our program—training 500 women costs us just $15,000.
Looking Ahead
While getting up to Ubon is out of the way, never easy, and absolutely inconvenient, it’s always my favorite trip of the year. Each visit renews my passion for the work we do, and I’m already looking forward to the next one. As we celebrate our 25th anniversary, I invite you to join us in our mission to empower women and girls in Thailand. Your support is crucial in helping us expand our reach and make a lasting impact.
Thank you for being a part of our journey.
