Saving 50 children from substance-abuse cycle

Saturday Training For Children And Youth At Risk Of Substance Abuse Project

In the past three months, the ministers are unable to hold a full day activity due to the covid situation. However, the children have shown great passion in coming to the Saturday school and none of them have missed a class.We continued providing various weekly activities to develop children’s life in the program are as follows:

 Moral Class included learning the Superbook lesson. The children learned about value and gifts in their life that God can use small children like them to be leaders and be a blessing to other adults or people in their family. Moreover, learned about jealousy and the source of it, at the same time, they learned how God would help them from their anger and jealousy.They also learned about how to be a humble person.  The minister provides handicraft activity or group discussion time to help them have more understanding on the lesson they learned.

Life skill training include learning about Preventing Sexual Harassment through Sexuality Education Program.The minister organizes a collaborative activity with the Department of Non-Formal Education, Pai district. They teach children on how to make a household accounting and an activity on battling Covid -19. Children also enjoy playing outdoor games and sport together. Children can share what they have learn with their parents. The parents have good feedback to all activities given.

Guitar’s mother sent feedback in a message through messenger saying, “Thank you to the minister, I never would have thought that you would teach my children how to use their money and how to make an income-expense record. Before, Guitar has always been thinking of saving up money to buy his dream toy. Then, he talked about breaking his piggy bank with me and grew hesitant about buying his toy because he was scared of using up all of his money. After the activity, it has completely changed his view on spending his pocket money.”

            This is another story of children in the program his nickname is TaTo. He was 10 years old. He told his life story that “I live with my sister, my brother-in-law and my nephew. My mother passed away 2 years ago and my father is in jail, in Phitsanulok Province. I have been attending the Saturday School for almost a year now and it has been so much fun for me. On Saturdays, my friends and I would get to learn many topics and we would get to eat snacks and food. My most favorite food is Basil leaves and Chicken with rice. Whenever I am at my village, I would not get to anything apart from helping my sister do all the little chores. Recently, I missed my mother who I was very close with when she was alive. Now that she is not here, it’s lonely and sometimes, in the nighttime, I would often cry because I have a bad feeling and I’m scared of ghosts. This is because I sleep in the open room of my house while my sister and her baby sleep together in a room. However, ever since coming here, the minister has been teaching me how to pray. So, I tried praying with God and felt great afterwards. I could even sleep comfortably and was not scared anymore. Although I miss my mother and father, praying has helped me feel like my parents are not too far away from me. Before I never prayed and would sometimes talk when I’m sleeping. After I started praying before going to bed, I’ve been sleeping better.”