Every morning, before school begins, ‘Nong Aom’ a child sponsored through World Vision Foundation of Thailand, helps her mother tend the small grilled-pork-skewer stall in front of their home in Thong Pha Phum District, Kanchanaburi Province. She then heads to school, where she studies in a special science-mathematics class, and continues pursuing her dream of becoming a nurse.
Behind this hardworking child’s bright smile lies the story of a family that once faced a major crisis, when their old home was struck by a fallen tree and badly damaged. The family had to leave their original neighborhood and start a new life amid great uncertainty.
In that difficult time, World Vision Foundation of Thailand stood by the family, providing livelihood support and assistance through its holistic approach to child, family, and community development, so that the family could recover and build stability on their own.
Nong Aom’s mother received livelihood equipment, which led to the small grilled-pork-skewer stall that has been the family’s main source of income for more than five years.
“If we hadn’t received help from the foundation, life would have been hard. When our house was destroyed, we hardly knew where to begin. But once we received the livelihood equipment, we have had income to support the family until today.” her mother said
Income from selling grilled pork skewers may not be steady every day, but it is enough to keep the family going and, most importantly, to keep the children in school.
Growing Through Opportunity, Never Ceasing to Dream
Nong Aom is one of the sponsored children of World Vision Foundation of Thailand who receive continuous support, including school supplies, essential items, and care in various areas that help ease her family’s financial burden.
For Nong Aom, educational opportunity is not merely about going to school, but about seeing her own future clearly.
When asked about her dream career, the girl answered confidently, “I want to be a nurse, because I want to take care of my parents.”
This aspiration comes from seeing her mother struggle with health problems while working hard every day to raise the family, and it has become an important source of inspiration that keeps Nong Aom committed to her studies. Besides studying, Nong Aom loves drawing, helps with housework, and always helps her mother with the stall, reflecting the responsibility and character of a child who is growing up well under the care of her family and community.
When Child Sponsorship Changes the Whole Family
Nong Aom’s story reflects the approach of World Vision Foundation of Thailand, which believes that sustainable child development must begin with strengthening families and communities. Child sponsorship therefore means more than giving help to one child; it also means supporting families to generate income, become self-reliant, and create an environment that nurtures children’s all-round growth.
Today, Nong Aom remains determined to learn and to follow her dream of becoming a nurse, while her mother still rises early every day to grill pork skewers for sale, hoping to see her children receive an education and a good future as she has planned.
“I would like to thank the kind-hearted donors who have supported me all along. Because of them, I have school supplies and have been able to keep studying.”
Though they are only a few short words from one child, they reflect the meaning of giving in a profound way. Every act of support does not only meet today’s needs; it also gives a child the opportunity to learn, grow, and see the possibility of a better future.
Nong Aom’s story shows that when children receive the right opportunities, together with support from family, community, and kind-hearted donors, they can grow up secure, hopeful, and full of dreams, with confidence to move toward their own goals.
This is the heart of the work of World Vision Foundation of Thailand, which believes that shaping children to change the world begins with creating opportunities for each child to fully develop their potential. Even though change does not happen overnight, every opportunity given today is laying the foundation for children to grow into key contributors to their families, communities, and society in the future.
