How do these children end up here and why?
There is no welfare system for assisting very poor families in raising their children in Thailand, nothing for schooling or medical needs. Often the burden is too great for poor families, sometime a single parent is trying to raise a child, and just can't make ends meet.
The philosophy is very different here than at a state orphanage. If a parent makes the decision that they can no longer raise a child themselves, state social workers sometimes offer MBD as an alternative to a state orphanage. At MBD, a child's natural development and freedom are taken into consideration, and they are allowed to learn at their own pace. They are also exposed to a system of making decisions and implementing justice that involves the whole community.
At MBD, the child is given the chance to heal wounds from what often was a very traumatic early childhood, extreme poverty, sometimes physical or sexual abuse, very few choices, a lot of suffering,
What are the biggest expenses for the school community?
The food, the shelter, and the salaries for the staff.
Where does the money come from?
We rely on charitable contributions. Eighty percent of our funding comes from Thai citizens or companions, while twenty percent comes from international sources, mostly Japan and France. However, since the depreciation of the Thai Baht in July of 1997, the domestic contributions have substantially dropped.
Why don't you get money from the government?
Our philosophies are not the same as the government's. If we accept their money, we have to follow their rules.
MBD provides education for children from the first to sixth grade, what happens to older kids?
Children who have completed the sixth grade can go on for further education at the state-sponsored weekend school program. During the week, they have various jobs here, for which they are paid a salary which is put into their bank accounts. However much money they make, that amount is matched by the school. This is their fund for their education, for tuition, transportation, lunch near the school, books, school supplies, etc.
The system of addressing wrongdoing in the community through the use of a school council is admirable, but can children raised in this kind of community ever adjust to the injustices of the outside world?
There are two answers to this question. Firstly, humans are social animals, therefore they can naturally adjust to their present environment. However, we don't want them to change their ways totally. For example, take on the values of a very consumerism-oriented society, and they usually don't because they have been raised to be independent thinkers.
Secondly, they do suffer frustration, usually in the first three months of leaving Moo Baan Dek. And the problems usually arise with authority figures, not with equals, and especially for the teenage girls, they find it hard to adjust to the level of gossip and back stabbing that goes on. They are used to a little gossip, but on the whole, they are used to dealing with situations in a much more straightforward manner. When a student first leaves to do a work internship, one of our social workers will keep in contact with the student and the employer, to see how things are going.
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