Successful Stories
Always Be Ready When the Opportunity Comes
Sawangjit Busuwa, or Jit to her friends, grew up in a lower middle-class family of pineapple farmers in Nakhon Panom province in northeast Thailand. Weekends would see her pitch in on the plantation harvesting the fruit alongside her parents. On weekdays, she would be...
No Longer ‘Blocking Out’ Life
Since failing to make it to university after high school and moving to Bangkok for work in 1995, Kanokon Matchimo (Riang) has experienced divorce twice, become a single mother, and shuffled through a range of jobs, most of which she did not like. Now a janitor at an...
Life’s Getting Better
She hopes to be a teacher one day, but when Aye Say (Mai) was growing up in Myanmar her family had a different life path for her. Attaining educational qualifications was not important they felt. They wanted her to be a farmer. Mai’s time in school would often get...
“ALL GENDER IDENTITIES DESERVE RESPECT” SAYS CANADIAN AMBASSADOR
Early last year we took on a challenge with support of the Canadian Embassy in Thailand. We’ve never done something quite like it: mainstream gender inclusivity education in select high schools on a pilot basis. Could we do it? Well, there’s no turning back since we...
Life, interrupted.
Nong first came to Bangkok in 2008. She tried her hand at many things until she landed a job as a massage therapist at a hotel in the tourist district of Sukhumvit. This was the best paying job she could secure to send money home as well as pay off a mountain of debt...
HelloBody, Danke Sehr!
We first heard from HelloBody early this year. Isabella, its project manager, wrote to us on the possibility of a partnership for International Women’s Day. We didn’t give much thought to it thereafter as it was just exploratory and besides, the cosmetic company was...
It’s Not Ok To Be Locked Up!
We kicked off the new year with much love and support from the folks at Estēe Lauder Companies. Not only did they fund us to run two workshops in northeast Thailand, they hit the road with us to see for themselves how we reached out to underprivileged high school...
“Change Starts From Myself”: Iangkham Romkhao
Iangkham Romkhao, known as Iang, is a 35 year old massage worker from Chiang Rai. Her family is originally from Issan, having moved to Chiang Rai because of the drought. Iang has three siblings, but she was the only one who had the opportunity to study at the...
Positive Transformations: Nui (Tin Tin Htwe)
Tin Tin Htwe, known to most as Nui, migrated from Myanmar in 2004. Her family worked in the agricultural sector. Though her parents never came to Thailand to find a job, three of six of Nui’s siblings are currently working in Bangkok. Nui went to school until...
Kaew’s Story
Hi readers, Did you read Kik’s story in December? What did you think? I am so happy for her. Pratthanadee helped me to speak up for myself, get better working conditions and even a pay rise! Now I would like to share my story with you as well. My name is...
Inspiring Stories From Pratthanadee: Kik
Kik of the past would not dream of doing anything like this... We're back with fortnightly blog posts! Pratthanadee Foundation would like to wish everyone a marvellous new year. To get started, we are featuring a student who has made active...
“Better Me” With Platoo: Changing Lives for the Better
“Now I know, no one can help me but myself… I would have never come this far without their support.” Platoo, the youngest child of four siblings, was raised by a single mother. Struggling with limited funds, Platoo’s mother found herself unable to continue...
Inspired: A Life of Change
“I realized that I cannot live my life without thinking about it carefully.” Parn was born in Ubon Ratchathani to a farming family. She was unable to finish junior high school due to an unplanned pregnancy. Once her pregnancy was revealed to her parents, they...
Living Life on Her Own Terms
“At the foundation, I learnt how to move forward in life. My life gets better by the day.” Khin Aye Nu (Nu) is a Karen girl born in the Mon State of Myanmar. After a difficult childhood, Nu was denied the opportunity to study at school. At the age of 15, she fled to...
Journey to Confidence
Pla was born in Chaiyaphum, a province located in the Northeast region of Thailand. She moved to Bangkok after being unable to support her high school education. As the only child, she lived with a relative and studied traditional Thai massage. Moving to Dubai to earn...
A hairdresser with international dreams!
“I came here with hope that I would be able to speak English; I gained more than that. My life is so much better since I started studying here.” Priyaphon Arethno (Joom) was born in Suphan Buri in 1993. After a difficult childhood, Joom was sent to live with her...
Everything Depends on Determination
“Sharing experiences and solutions, making a smart plan for my future life, thinking about how to manage emerging situations and so on, all these made an impact on me. I feel empowered.” Saengduen Krabuttong (Kratae) was born in 1984 in Nakhon Ratchasima. The oldest...
From student to staff, the future is bright for this star!
“Now I know there are many other things I can do, and I have the confidence to pursue a different career.” This month’s student success story is Pikul Wajadee (Duang). Moving to Bangkok from Surin at the age of 18, Duang started working as a receptionist and later as...
