ANNUAL REPORT OF PROGRAM IMPACT January-December 2018
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NEW LIFE CENTER FOUNDATION ANNUAL REPORT OF PROGRAM IMPACT JANUARY-DECEMBER 2018
According to UNICEF Thailand (n.d.), “All children have the right to be protected from violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation. The consequences of violence range from the immediate impact on their development, such as physical injury, learning ability and school performance to long-term harm that they carry into adult life. In Thailand, there are an average of 52 children being sexually, physically or psychologically abused, neglected, or exploited each day...” UNICEF Thailand (n.d.). Child protection: No child should live in fear. Retrieved May 13, 2019 from https://www.unicef.org/thailand/what-we-do/child-protection
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IMPACT FOR CHANGE The New Life Center Foundation continues to press toward the vision of an exploitation-free society by promoting education, rehabilitation, and human rights for vulnerable minorities. We are honored to work collaboratively with dozens of private, government and faith-based partner organizations in these efforts. In this report, we are excited to present the highlights of our program impact for 2018. None of these outcomes would have been possible without the hard work and dedication of our incredible staff and generous financial partners. Thank you for your participation in the empowerment of tribal minorities so that, together, we can build a society in which everyone has a voice.
TIEMCHAN “BEE” KAMONKLAPACHON FIRST NATIONAL DIRECTOR OF THE NLCF
Bee is a Thai national from the Karen tribal group. She graduated from Payap University with a degree in finance and banking in 2002. She began her employment at the New Life Center shortly after graduation, working first as the office assistant an accountant. Due to Bee’s gifts and skills, she was quickly promoted into the role of office manager and began serving on the NLCF’s leadership team. In 2014 Bee stepped into the role of acting director. In 2018, the Board of Directors invited Bee to become the NLCF’s official program director. Happily, she accepted and was promoted with the full support of the NLCF staff.
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PREVENTION • 17 anti-trafficking campaigns were conducted in collaboration with private and government entities, reaching over 3,000 people. • NLCF staff participated in over 40 meetings to build strategic alliances with government entities and nongovernmental organizations to advocate for antitrafficking, human rights, and legal status. • NLCF staff provided tribal language interpretation for the local Thai police, court system, and Thai Ministry of Social Development and Human Security 13 times.
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NEW LOCATION FOR CHIANG MAI RESIDENCE Last August, the NLCF received a call from the landlord of the main residence in Chiang Mai. She regretted to inform us that she was selling her property to developers. We were disappointed to move, yet very grateful that this landlord had rented her beautiful property to the NLCF for over 20 years. Thank you, Mrs. Noi, for your generosity! In December, we moved to a new location just southeast of downtown Chiang Mai. We are grateful to rent a newly renovated space from the Church of Christ in Thailand’s Women’s Department. This residence is across the street from a vital Thai church with a Karen tribal pastor. Church members and neighbors have welcomed us warmly and attended the NLCF Christmas party and graduation ceremonies. We are thankful for God’s provision and are comfortably settled into our new home.
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PROTECTION • 76 tribal women and girls from 11 ethnic groups received comprehensive residential care. • 28 survivors of sexual abuse, domestic violence, human trafficking and other forms of trauma received social and psychological rehabilitation services. • 6 people received temporary emergency transitional care. • NLCF staff provided family tracing services for a lost child, located the child and returned her to the safety of her family.
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A CALLING FULFILLED Sarah’s* parents suffered from substance use disorders, and she and her siblings were subjected to severe domestic violence and neglect. One day, Sarah’s father burned down their house in a drunken rage. Another day, Sarah witnessed her mother, while under the influence of drugs, murder her youngest sister. When Sarah was 14, she had the courage to leave. She walked 28 km (17 miles) to a Christian hostel and asked for refuge. Shortly after this she was referred to the NLCF. Sarah entered junior high school, and it was during this period that she experienced a call to ministry. After graduating from high school, and with continued NLCF scholarship support, she attended the McGilvary College of Divinity. After receiving her B.A. in Theology, Sarah received a call to serve as the pastor of a local church. Sarah’s success is a tribute to her incredible resilience, and the healing power of the Spirit of God. Her story is also a success story of “us” – the NLCF staff, counselors, donors, teachers and pastors who saw her leadership potential and invested in her! * “Sarah” is a pseudonym
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REHABILITATION • 51 residents received counseling from a qualified on-staff psychological counselor. • 22 residents participated in group counseling. • 24 residents received the care of a qualified medical or dental professional • Almost all residents participated in at least one of the twelve therapeutic activities offered this year, including traditional tribal embroidery, art, music, baking, swimming, hiking, and ceramics. These activities support a healthy and balanced lifestyle. • 30 residents participated in community service projects that involved deep cleaning a local church, conducting an anti-trafficking drama in Burma, distributing toiletries to students in Laos, and participating in a choir tour in northern Thailand and Burma that blessed over 1,000 people. The choir visited 7 locations, including a convalescent home and a youth detention center.
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SMILING AGAIN Eighteen-year-old Som* had never received dental care before. She had oral hygiene problems and suffered from painful cavities. She had few friends and lacked the confidence to approach others. Her NLCF house mother took her to the dentist who removed two of her front teeth and replaced them with dental implants. Som received instruction in proper dental hygiene and her dental health has improved. This gave Som the confidence to talk to others. She quickly made friends and eventually even summoned the courage to start smiling again. *Som is a pseudonym
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COLLABORATIVE PROJECT: INVESTIGATIVE DOLLS In 2018, the NLCF was approached by Police Lieutenant Colonel Jareewan Puttanurak, a special investigator with the Chiang Mai Provincial Police Force Children and Women’s Anti-Trafficking Unit. She explained that it is often challenging to conduct interviews with child victims because the children have difficulty verbally describing what they have experienced. She asked if the NLCF could design and produce flexible and “anatomically correct” dolls for use in these types of investigations. Auranut, the NLCF sewing instructor, has over 20 years of experience designing textiles. She worked with the police to design male and female dolls complete with outfits, hand-painted faces and genitalia. The police department found the dolls to be so useful in their investigations that they ordered 15 sets to distribute to investigative police units throughout Chiang Mai province. This is just one more way that the NLCF is working collaboratively with government authorities to combat trafficking and sexual abuse in the region.
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CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT • 18 residents graduated from various levels of education from primary school to associate’s degrees. • 269 students received scholarships to attend programs in technical school, associate’s degrees and university. 59 of them graduated and 83% are already gainfully employed. • 5 scholarship recipients graduated from a nurse’s aide training program and have viable jobs. • Students participated in formal life skills workshops on the topics of criminal property law, fire safety, CPR and self-awareness • 4 NLCF graduates offered an additional life skills workshop for current residents covering practical topics such as navigating the university system, selecting a major, landing a part-time job, renting an apartment, and choosing a positive and supportive circle of friends.
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SIEVERT LARSSON SCHOLARSHIP FUND CASE STORY Oh* is a young tribal woman. Both of her parents suffered from depression and her father committed suicide when she was 12 years old. Oh’s mother then became inconsolable and the responsibility to care for 3 younger siblings fell to Oh. So she dropped out of school and worked as a farm laborer to support the family. When Oh’s mother recovered from her depression, she remarried and resumed care for the children. Oh was given permission to return to school but there was no money to cover her daily expenses. A schoolteacher in Chiang Mai offered to host Oh so that she could attend school in the city. During that time, Oh lived with the teacher’s family and did housework to reciprocate for her room and board. When she reached the 10th grade, the grade level at which Thai schools begin to assess tuition fees, she applied to the New Life Center’s Sievert Larsson Scholarship Fund. The scholarship she received, in conjunction with earnings from her summer job, enabled Oh to finish high school and then subsequently graduate from university. Oh is now gainfully employed as a teacher at private Christian school. Oh said, “I am deeply grateful for the assistance I received through the SLSF scholarship and I am committed to contributing to society by educating underprivileged children.” *Oh is a pseudonym 18
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ORGANIZATIONAL SUSTAINABILITY • The NLCF seeks to practice responsible stewardship for all resources, including personnel, property, finance, and positive network relationships.
Total 2018 Budget of the NLCF US $364,000
• The NLCF invests in staff capacity development through workshops and continuing education opportunities.
11% ADMINISTRATION 60% ACTIVITIES 29% RESIDENTIAL FACILITIES
• The NLCF is committed to excellence in all areas of internal management, including adhering to international accounting principles, undergoing a comprehensive audit by independent auditors, reporting to our foundation board, and implementing monitoring and evaluation procedures. • NLCF beneficiaries influence policy, procedure an services offered through providing bi-annual consultative feedback to senior administrative staff. • The NLCF was honored to receive an award for excellence in anti-trafficking from the Provincial Governor of Chiang Mai in 2018, and is most grateful for our collaborative working relationship with local government entities.
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11% 29%
60%
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THANK YOU The New Life Center would like to express our deepest gratitude to the many individuals, churches, civil society groups and network agencies that work collaboratively with the NLCF to build a more just society for minority people groups in the Mekong sub-region. In particular, we would like to recognize the following organizations and individuals for their sustaining support: • American Baptist Churches, USA • Bellevue Heights Humanitarian Foundation • Beter-Uit Reizen, Netherlands • George and Carol Bauer • The Bauer Family • Crossroads Church, Denver, CO • Dr. Neil and Robyn Davies • Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
• First Presbyterian Church, Berkeley, CA • High Flight Holland International Company, Ltd. • International Ministries, ABCUSA • Donna McDill • Royal Thai Government Ministry of Social Development and Human Security
• The Royal Thai Police, Region 5 • Tim and Connie Sauer • Sievert Larsson Scholarship Foundation • Church of Christ in Thailand
“I sought the Lord and He answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to Him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.” Psalm 34:4-5 22
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NEW LIFE CENTER FOUNDATION 226 M. 2 Sanphranet, Sansai, Chiang Mai 50210 Tel. 053-351312 Fax. 053-380871 E-mail: newlifecenterfoundation@gmail.com www.newlifecenterfoundation.org New Life Center Foundation Director: Ms. Tiemchan Kamonklapachon
This report was prepared with the assistance of all of the NLCF staff. Photo credits: Cyanea Yui Sum Poon, Kit Ripley, Pinit Tanomwarakul, Craig Thompson (www.discipledesign.com), Faye Wimonsuksuwan