On 23 August 2025, Mrs Rosalin Kowae, National Director of World Vision Foundation of Thailand, together with her team, participated in the Christian Hackathon, SoilBox Season 2. They intended to share valuable experiences with young people who had come together with a passionate heart to bring about positive change in society. World Vision Foundation of Thailand shared real-life experiences from working with vulnerable children, families, and communities, aiming to inspire and guide these young changemakers.
“It is a great honour to meet young people full of energy, creativity, and a heart committed to doing good,” Mrs Rosalin Kowae began the conversation with a warm smile, before sharing lessons learned from the field to convey her experience in development work.
Drawing from her experience working with vulnerable children in remote areas, Mrs Kowae shared key insights with the youth, focusing on strategies that are central to driving change. These strategies consist of three main components: having a clear vision and goal to address social issues, designing projects that tackle root causes, and evaluating and monitoring project outcomes.
These strategies serve as essential tools that young people can effectively apply to their own projects. She also offered tips on writing proposals that align with funding sources and emphasised the importance of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), highlighting that sustainability is not a distant concept but something that begins with everyday actions. “Be proud of what you do, and never stop asking, ‘Can we do better?’ Because every small step we take is part of building a better world,” Mrs Kowae ended with some words of encouragement.
On the same day, specialists from World Vision Foundation of Thailand served as team coaches, offering guidance and brainstorming support for the youth as they developed their project proposals. Each team presented compelling projects based on social issues they had personally encountered, such as:
Little Masterpieces from Living Streams Church highlighted the plight of over 120,000 children in orphanages, 90% of whom have parents but lack close care. With a child-to-staff ratio as high as 30:1, individual attention is difficult, leading to delayed development and low self-esteem. Their project aims to help children recognise their self-worth and unlock their hidden potential.
Heart for Bangkok – Filling the Footpath Gaps from Life Church addressed a commonly overlooked issue: damaged pavements and inadequate repairs, especially in neglected areas. This problem affects the safety and daily lives of millions. Their goal is to help close this gap and improve the situation.
Happy Beat from Grace Bangkok Church uncovered a shocking disparity: Thailand has over 400,000 deaf individuals, but only 202 sign language interpreters, meaning one interpreter must serve around 2,000 people. This imbalance forces teachers to act as interpreters in classrooms, making communication difficult and leaving deaf students behind, even after graduation. Happy Beat is committed to bridging the gap between the hearing and the deaf.
BLOOM BKK from LEPSOG Ministry focused on the challenges faced by Karen youth under 20 living in Bangkok, who are being exploited with low wages and coerced into working in disguised massage parlours. This issue not only destroys life opportunities but also their future. BLOOM BKK aims to create a project that offers education and decent workopportunities, paving the way for a stable future.
At the end of the sharing session, all the young participants were filled with inspiration. They gained both knowledge and the essential tools to develop their projects, along with ongoing support from coaches who are staff members of World Vision Foundation of Thailand, ready to provide continuous guidance. This training reflected the biblical teaching: “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10). Each team not only received technical knowledge but also affirmation that they are instruments prepared by God to carry out good works.
This training delivered valuable knowledge and understanding, empowering young people to transform their goodwill and determination into creative and tangible actions — to honour God and benefit others.
