TCDF empowers underprivileged children in rural Thailand
The Thai Child Development Foundation (TCDF) supports underpriviledged children in their development by making sure that customized medical care and education is also available to children with disabilities, learning disorders or children from challenged family’s. TCDF is founded by a charitable Thai/Dutch family and has supported children in need on a direct and day to day base in Thailand since 2004. In TCDF’s social support programs, only our trained, local Thai team members work with the children together with their daily life caregivers. We do not take children out of their homes; we work in the community and help create a safe and suitable home in their own village if needed. Thanks to support from our ever growing international network, our women led team can support individual children in their development on a daily base. Sustainable support towards a greater independence and a better quality of life. All TCDF programs are in cooperation with local schools, healthcare institutions and village leaders.
Community based support.
Medical Care
such as operations, medicine, check ups by specialists
Nutrition program for children in need,
such as milk for newborn babies who are separated from their mother, or special food for children with dietary problems.
Physiotherapy for disabled children,
such as medical massage therapy, and exercise machines for use in the home (with their caregivers)
Emergency fund in case of endangering situations,
such as flooding, storms or road accidents
Education
Special school and support for mentally and physically disabled children,
customized education for children who cannot go to the village school due to their disabilities
Occupational training Center and perma culture farm,
young adults with disabilities are trained to have an occupation in the future
Scholarships for underprivileged children,
nationwide scholarships, only for the poor, support towards the monthly expenses such as school bus, school lunch and books.
Community Learning Center
Creative Learning Center, Workshops, teambuilding and seminars, School camps
Values of TCDF: sustainable, honest, effective
- Support for underprivileged children as long as, but neverer longer than, needed.
- Support for underpriviledged children should be customized and include the direct family and/ or daily caregivers of each child
- We take care of children in their own community, without taking them out of their homes
- Only reliable long term and local team members work directly with the children in the social programs, not our volunteers.
- International and Thai volunteers open up the worlds of our children and the members of our forest community by sharing their (often unique!) skills and knowledge within the community learning center, yoga center and/ or on our organic farm.
- Visitors make all the difference because they are our link between the world outside and our forest community and help spread the word!
- We hire local , positive minded people and with the help of professional trainers teach them how to best take care of our children, within our values.
- We pay fair, local salaries so our teammembers can stay for a long time and create a real bond with our children.
- All team members including online volunteers and ambassadors are expected to be proactive and carry a high standard of personal responsibility in their tasks. To be effective and honest to our values we cannot supervise people with poor commitment or ambition.
- We make use of traditional knowledge and work closely together with the local community and government institutions.
- All donations by individuals are used directly for the children in the programs and not used for overhead cost.
- We act when it’s needed in support of the kids! We do not stop when a project is written out or only start when the budget is secured. We start when needed for a child and begin with whatever and whoever is available at the moment. Always working towards improvement.
- We are always open to positive feedback, new ideas and change.
- We try to limit the damage to our environment. We are strict in handling garbage, reusing garbage, and recycling. We use vehicles, chemicals and electricity with conservational awareness. And we organize environmental education all year round.
- We treat all people with respect and tolerance. We welcome everybody, with good intentions, no matter what race, nationality, age, sex or religion.
- We do not engage with relious or political activities.
Women led team reaching children in the far a way villages
Creating jobs in the communty
At TCDF we believe that the social outreach work can only be done well by working with local people who can develop a long-term bond of trust with the children and their caregivers through constant communication. We have a fantastic team of dedicated people from the village who we have trained step by step to work within our values and commitment.The head of the Thai team is Ms Kanjada Lapma (Gun), she has been working at TCDF full time since 2006 and lives on the property full time with her son.
TCDF community
One of the values of TCDF is that only long term, local people work directly with the children with disabilities for the continuity and the quality of the care for the kids. The work within our Community Learning Center however supports all local children, is possible thanks to a constant rotating group of Thai and international volunteers who support our Thai team with creative educational activities! These volunteers also help in our organic farm and spreading the word online about our charity.
International board, ambassadors & volunteers share their skills
The directing founder, Rosalie Tieges (right), lives with her Thai family within walking distance of the Foundation, she is responsible for the Thai team and the social and educational support programs of the children. Mrs. Ingrid van der Straaten (left) has been ambassador and full time volunteer at the foundation from the very beginning. She keeps the international network updated and welcomes and informs the international visitors to the foundation!
The board of TCDF- registered as a charity in Thailand and the Netherlands
The boards meet at least once a year to discuss the programs and finances of TCDF. All board members in both Thailand and Holland are volunteers. The Dutch board is responsible for the financial administration, fundraising and correspondence with international sponsors. The Dutch board members are in Holland where the Foundation was first registered in 2004 and where most donations still come from.
- Marieke Smit, president
- Maria Tieges-Voermans, secretary
- Mariette Wittenberg, board member
- Xander Kranenburg, finance
- Rosalie / Roos Tieges, director
The Thai board members are all people from the village including the village headman and active parents of children in the social programs.
- คุณโรซาลี ทีเกส ประธานกรรมการ
- คุณกัญญาดา ลาภมา รองประธานกรรมการ
- คุณงามรัก จานทอง เลขานุการ
- คุณปริศนา รุ่งสุวรรณ์ เหรัญญิก
- คุณเขมิกา แซ่ทอง กรรมการ
- คุณเบญจมาศ มณีนวล กรรมการ
- คุณขรรค์ชัย กิ่งนำ้ฉ่า กรรมการ
- คุณสุนทร กลับดี กรรมการ
- คุณธรรมรงค์ คงแก้ว กรรมการ
Pro bono administrators & fundraising
All administration, office support, networking and fundraising are also on a voluntary base and done by our ambassadors worldwide and other members of the TCDF Community. Advitax accountants has been a dedicated and trustworthy supporter of TCDF since the set up in 2004 by offering their accounting services on a donation base!
Friends of TCDF
The Friends of TCDF are people who know that TCDF truly changes lives of children. Most of them have been here and seen with what a difference a donation, big or small, can make if put into the right hands. Friends trust TCDF and support TCDF on a long term monthly base with financial contributions that the Thai team can count on when planning and ensuring the care of the children.
Sister company, charity new style
Eco-Logic, Resort for Charity is on the same property of the Foundation. This sister company of TCDF is a Thai for profit company and is our main sponsor. Eco-logic was setup to support the Foundation in a sustainable way, to ensure the work of the Foundation can always continue and to help reduce the dependency on other sources of donation. Eco-Logic pays for the electric and water bills, all other overhead, provides daily school meals for the students and helps organize events in the community. Eco-Logic buys food from the TCDF farm, they organize and pay for the bakery & restaurant occupational training programs, host all visitors to the Foundation and keep community members updated after their visit.
Planting the seed
One small action can have a big effect, and even if the effect is not directly visible to you please know that without all these small actions, TCDF would not be possible. We planted a seed, and all your “nourishment and drops of water” helps that seed grow into a strong, healthy tree that bears an abundance of sweet fruit! Please realize, you, as a reader, are also part of TCDF’s growth & development.
Thank you for helping us grow!
