The story of a 7 year old girl from Northern Thailand
Written by Not For Sale
Today is Giving Tuesday, a global day of giving and unity in response to the unprecedented need caused by COVID-19. I wanted to share with you an incredible story of freedom, made possible only by the support and donations you continue to provide.
Today I send you my heartfelt thanks, and hope you share this story with others and encourage them to support our cause, as you have.
The best pathway to a future, and potentially citizenship, was education.
David Batstone – co-founder Not For Sale
When I first met Krunam in 2006 on a visit to the border of Laos, Myanmar, and Thailand (The Golden Triangle), I was struck by her grit. She was a mother bear, who would fight for every last one of her cubs. At that time she had rescued 27 kids from the karaoke bars and mafia beggar rings that exploited children.
My first promise to her was that I would provide shelter for those 27 kids. Once secure in a safe home, the next step was to provide an education. Almost all of these kids were “stateless” – ethnic tribal groups that no country would claim as citizens.
The best pathway to a future, and potentially citizenship, was education.
We have sent hundreds of stateless and trafficked kids to schools over the past thirteen years. Last year alone (2019) Not For Sale Thailand sent 39 children from our village to some of the best boarding high schools in the country, and three went to university.
In 2015 we were proud that two of our “Not For Sale” children, a boy and a girl, became the first two stateless children to graduate from a Thai university in the history of the country.
That opened the door for others to follow.
In this short video I share the story of Bupa, a young girl who came to live with Krunam when she was 7 years old. Her story is beyond inspirational.
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