Association for Promotion of Children Youth and Families - APCYF

01/06/2026

Today is the first day of the new term.
If you measure it by the mix of tears and laughter,
blended with tiny shoes
scattered in front of the classroom,
you could probably tell—
this year feels a little more lively than before.
Some children are just learning
to let go of their parents’ hands.
Some are still not used to sitting
among many new friends.
Some start crying right at the door—
but once a toy appears in front of them,
the tears slowly fade away.
Today, we began with the smallest lessons:
taking off shoes, placing bags, washing hands,
sharing toys, waiting in line,
calling friends by name, remembering the teachers.

Because we believe
that early childhood learning
doesn’t begin with books,
but with learning how to live with others.
Did you know?
Here, school uniforms are not required—
because for some children,
just being able to come to school
already means overcoming many challenges in life.
We want every step into the classroom
to feel as light as possible
for both children and their families.
Here, there is no fee for lunch—
because we believe
no child should have to choose
between a full stomach
and an education.
And here, there is no tuition fee—
because the word “opportunity”
should not come with a price.

Everything that supports these children each day
comes from the kindness and sharing
of many people in society—
people who may have never met,
but believe in the same thing.
Our small early childhood centers
in the middle of orange orchards
may only be the “first step”
into education
for the children of many working families.
And we believe that the “first step”
may be the most important one.
Because if it is strong enough,
a child…
may be able to go farther
than anyone ever imagined.

You can support the children of Rai Som
to have a better quality of life at:

https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/sponsor-education-for-ethnic-children-in-thailand/

Because maybe we can’t change the whole world today,
but we can change
“someone’s today.”

31/05/2026

In a Small Classroom in the Orange Orchard 🍊
This morning felt a little chaotic.
Names being called back and forth,
the sound of shoes tapping on the floor,
teachers guiding, pointing, gently leading the way.

We began by introducing the children
to their “new world.”

This is your teacher.
These are your friends.
Your bag goes here.
Your shoes stay here.

Then a small tour around—
the bathroom is over here,
this is how you use it,
wash your hands here,
turn on the tap like this, scrub like this.

Simple things,
taught slowly,
step by step, moment by moment.

In the morning,
there were a few tears,
soft voices calling for mom now and then.

But as time passed,
things began to change.

The child who sat quietly at first
started moving closer to others.
One shared toy
became the beginning of many laughs.

New friends, old friends,
gradually running toward each other—
without anyone telling them to.

The small, once-chaotic classroom
slowly found its own rhythm.

—

This little early childhood center
continues to grow
through small acts of kindness from many people.

Toys, books, or simple supplies
that may no longer be needed elsewhere—
here, they become something truly important
in every single school day.

If you’d like to be part of these smiles,
we are always grateful for your support and sharing 🍊❤️

You can support the children of Rai Som
to have a better quality of life at:
https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/sponsor-education-for-ethnic-children-in-thailand
Because maybe we can’t change the whole world today,
but we can change
“someone’s today.”

29/05/2026

There are only a few storybooks in this room.
The same ones are picked up
and read over and over again.

Some days, we can’t help but wonder—
do the children truly love the same stories,
or is it simply because…
these are the only ones we have?

But every time a teacher begins to read,
those little eyes still light up with the same attention.
They laugh at the same moments,
feel the same suspense,
and smile at the same ending—just like before.

Maybe it’s not because the stories are new,
but because that moment
still means something to them, every single time.

At the Child Development Center of
the Association for the Promotion of Children, Youth, and Families,
every book, every toy,
comes from an act of sharing—
from someone who simply wanted
to pass on an opportunity to these children.

Because here,
we do not receive government funding.
Everything that happens in this small room
is driven purely by people’s kindness.

We may not have much,
but we try to make the most
of what we do have, every single day.

And if one day,
a new storybook finds its way here,
we believe…
the smiles in this room
will grow just a little bit wider 😊

#สมาคมสร้างสรรค์เด็กเยาวชนและครอบครัว

27/05/2026

A Lesson We Hope We Never Have to Use

Sometimes…
being a “teacher” is not just about teaching lessons in a classroom.
It also means being prepared
to take care of the little lives in front of us
on days we never expect.

The Association for the Promotion of Children, Youth, and Families
organized an internal training session
on basic first aid and CPR
for teachers and staff
at the Early Childhood Preparation Center.

We were grateful to have experienced trainers
from Fang Hospital
who kindly shared their knowledge
and guided us through hands-on practice.

Members of Ban Den community
also joined this learning session together.

We may just be small teachers
in a small center
in a remote area.

But the farther we are,
the more we need to learn.

Because we never know
when the skills we practice today
might become the most important thing
in the very moment
someone needs help the most.

Border teachers may not have everything,
but we keep growing,
learning, and improving ourselves
to take the best possible care
of the children in our hands ❤️

25/05/2026

from Second-Hand Things

Some toys have scratches.
Some books are wrinkled.
Some cloth dolls have faded a little with time.

They may not be brand new.
No beautiful boxes.
No clear plastic wrapping.

But this morning, many children held them tightly
as if they were the most precious things in their lives.

One child raised a piece of cloth with an animal printed on it,
asking the teacher again and again,
“What animal is this?”

Another sat flipping through English vocabulary pages,
even though they couldn’t read yet.

Standing there, watching those moments,
I realized something too—

Maybe the “value” of things
has never really been about how new they are.
But about how they are passed on
with intention from someone else.

The toys, books, and learning materials today
traveled from many homes, many provinces—
from people we’ve never even met.

Because we don’t have big sponsors,
we don’t have a large budget.

All we can do
is slowly support one another, step by step,
so that one child can keep learning,
keep playing,
keep eating.

Some things that once lay quietly
in someone’s home
have now become laughter,
learning tools,
and small moments of excitement
for a child.

And maybe…
these second-hand things
aren’t just teaching English or math.

They are gently telling the children that—

In this world,
kind people truly exist.

:::

You can support the children of Rai Som
to have a better quality of life at:
https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/sponsor-education-for-ethnic-children-in-thailand/

Because maybe we can’t change the whole world today,
but we can change
“someone’s today.”

29/04/2026

Every bit of your support—
what does it become?

A meal on their plate,
schoolbooks in their hands,
toys that bring them joy,
and a safe place to belong.

All of this is possible
because many hearts
choose to give.

We know we don’t have everything—
but we don’t want them
to have nothing at all.

Thank you for making ordinary days
a little less harsh,
even on the days they are forgotten.

Support the next meal for these children:
👉 https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/sponsor-education-for-ethnic-children-in-thailand

Because we may not be able to change the whole world today,
but we can change someone’s today.

09/04/2026

Some children

grow up in many arms

not because the world is kind

but because

they never had the right to choose

In this photo,

the one holding him

is one of our young students

Because the mother of this little boy

is a single mom

and also a farm laborer

Her life has no fixed schedule

no one to help watch her child

only the sound of work calling at dawn

and a daily wage of $4

that is never enough

yet cannot be lost


This morning,

she carried her 3-month-old baby

and stood quietly

in front of our learning center

She looked like someone

about to ask for something

she wasn’t even sure

she had the right to ask for
“Could you help take care of him… just for a while?”

She spoke softly

as if afraid her own voice

might be too loud

Before the teacher could answer,

she rushed to explain

“Asking to bring him to work

would cost me $1

out of my $4

I’d only have $3 left.”


$1

for some

is just the price of a drink

But for her

it could be a meal

Or sometimes

the thin line between

“being full”

and “just getting by”


But money

is not the only reason

In the orange orchard

there is no safe place

for a baby to lie down

No crib

no stable shade

Just a piece of cloth

and a rope

tied beneath an orange tree

Sometimes she has to keep looking back

sometimes she carries him all day

and sometimes

she has to let him cry

Because both of her hands

are busy picking oranges

just to keep up


This kind of life

is far from what we call “raising a child”

It looks more like

two lives

simply trying to survive


So she came here

A small learning center

with one teacher

and dozens of children

each carrying their own stories


She didn’t come asking for much

She only hoped

someone

could hold her child

during the day

Not because she doesn’t want to raise him

But because

she wants to raise him well

Sometimes

“single mom”

doesn’t mean strong

Sometimes

it just means

“there was no other choice”


The teacher stood there

quietly listening

Because she knew

saying “yes”

doesn’t just mean

accepting one more child

It means

carrying a life

that has only just begun

The morning sun was soft

the wind was gentle

The baby in her arms

was still asleep

He had no idea

where his life

was about to be placed
No one knows

how this story will end

But what was clear that morning

was something no textbook ever teaches us

We saw

how heavy

$1 can be

We saw

that being a “mother”

sometimes means

placing your child in someone else’s arms

so they can have a better chance


And we saw

that some lives

are not difficult because of wrong choices

But because

there were never

any choices to begin with

👉 https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/sponsor-education-for-ethnic-children-in-thailand

Because we may not be able to change the world today

but we can change

someone’s today

06/04/2026

“If I didn’t bring my sister, I wouldn’t be able to come. There is no one at home to look after her.”

Kam-Ong told us this on the first day she arrived, cradling her baby sister in her arms after walking all the way to our preparation center.

Now, at the center, the sight has become a "normal" part of our daily routine: an 8-year-old girl sitting in class, learning her lessons while simultaneously nursing her sister.

A small girl sitting before a thin workbook. Her left arm supports her sister, keeping her calm and comforted. Her right hand slowly practices writing the first letters of the alphabet, one by one.

The lines on the paper might be a bit shaky...
But the hand holding her sister is steadier than any child’s hand should have to be.

It is important to know that it wasn't easy for her to even sit in this classroom. As the children of migrant workers, these kids live in a context that is fragile and isolated.

Far from schools.

Far from the main roads.

Far from the word “Opportunity.”

Circumstances often push these children away from the basic rights they deserve. Kam-Ong isn't a "slow learner"—she just has to travel a much harder road than others to reach the same starting line.

That is why we designed this place: A small preparation center in the middle of an orange orchard. A place built for every life that isn’t yet "ready," where they can walk in at any time.

We provide a small desk, a single notebook, and a space for every child who has the will to learn.

Today, in our tiny classroom, we see a girl trying to write her own future while carrying someone else's world in her arms.

How You Can Help
Help us keep the lights on and provide daily meals for these children.

Donate via GlobalGiving :
👉https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/sponsor-education-for-ethnic-children-in-thailand

We may not be able to change the entire world today, but we can change "someone's today" right now.

01/04/2026

01/04/2026

Today, the air pollution level has risen to 250.

Young children at the center have no choice over the air they breathe.
No air purifiers.
No fully enclosed safe spaces.

Only “thin face masks”
and an attempt to live as normally as possible