Building Strong Families

Time for class! 🔔 New uniforms, shoes, socks, and bags – it was a joy to see kids within the BSF Choeng Doi program in Thailand all set up for school recently. Education costs can be a real economic burden on families and create barriers to their kids’ education, but it’s that education that will go a long way in helping their children’s futures. After receiving his outfit, ten-year-old Wasupon said, “My school uniform was all too small, I [didn’t] have money, my father doesn’t have money, but I am grateful to the project that helped me have a school uniform, shoes, socks and a bag to go to school.” It's amazing that just a few small items can have such an impact! 😁

After 11 years of dreaming, we are so excited to have finally launched an 18-month BSF program with eight precious families in the beautiful Akha hilltribe village of Pha Dang Luang in northern Thailand. 😀👍Check out all the photos to see the sites, smiles, colourful Akha outfits, and joy from this special opening day. We are so thankful to Khun Nun (program coordinator) and her team of volunteers (Bee & Fern) who did an amazing job! A special thanks to Ajarn Mee and the village leaders for welcoming us to their village and partnering with us in this program to strengthen families of vulnerable children. And we are so grateful to God and our donor partners who have helped open this door to see this dream come to fruition. Thank you all. The families are so excited to see what is going to transpire in the months ahead and so are we! 👏😊

Families from our Dhapakhel and Dukuchhap programs recently attended an informative one-day Societal Problem Training to equip them to use the internet safely, address migration exploitation, and prevent human trafficking. 👍The 53 participants were taught through group work, presentations, games, and action songs to foster interaction and participation – and from these photos it’s clear the day was purposeful, but not at the expense of some fun! 😁

Please check out our latest blog post about a precious mother raising her three daughters. 😊 https://www.building-strong-families.org/post/sewing-a-stronger-family

We love seeing our families grow in financial independence! 💪As part of BSF programs, the Income Generating Activity is a major step toward families securing financial autonomy. This was Oon’s story, who is a single mother raising three daughters. She worked as a cleaner and picked up small sewing jobs to make ends meet, but her dream was to work from home to care for her daughters more attentively. As part of BSF Ton Pao in Chiang Mai, Oon was given an overlock sewing machine that was over four times more efficient than her old one. Oon’s vision to support her family while investing more actively in their life is becoming more of a reality: “I felt more comfortable that I have time to take care of my children fully…[the] sewing machine can be an inheritance to pass on to my children from generation to generation.” 😄

Fun – a key ingredient to any thriving relationship – is at the heart of our Family Fun Days. Recently, 8 BSF families from Chhampi, Nepal boarded a bus and travelled to Chandagiri, a unique hill only accessible by cable car. For nine-year-old Suhsal and his family, the excursion marked a milestone – they had never journeyed together purely for leisure. Sushal said of the day, “Today…was awesome, I had an amazing time with my family and other friends.” What a joy to see families bond over fresh experiences shared together!🎉

Eight families from Chhampi, Nepal, were provided with full medical check-ups from BSF. The results helped them gain a better understanding of their overall health situation and made them aware of any urgent health conditions that needed treatment. BSF also combines these health check-ups with a training on good Health, Hygiene and Nutrition. Pabi said, “Thank you so much for the health check-up. Without it, I wouldn't have known that I had issues with my heart or been able to receive the proper treatment that I needed. Thank you, BSF.” 😀👍

Please check out our latest family blog post about the power of resilience and the transformative impact a little love and support can bring. 👍😊

Life is not always easy, but with hope comes strength and success! Ae and her daughters found themselves in a desperate situation, but their hope was renewed after receiving an invitation from BSF.

An exciting training day on “Valuing Children and Positive Discipline” was held with BSF families from Padaed, Thailand. 😀 Parents shared their experiences and learned about the importance of valuing children and communicating effectively with their kids. The families also had the opportunity to participate in a traditional Thai water-pouring ceremony where children show respect to their parents and they in-turn receive their blessing. 😊👍

BSF families from Dhapakhel, Nepal, were excited to participate in a Family Fun Day to the Chandragiri cable car station. BSF took the families to Chandragiri by bus and then they boarded the cable cars to make the exciting 2,000 foot ascent to the top of Chandragiri Mountain. 😀👍 It was a beautiful day with a refreshing breeze. At the top, the children enjoyed visiting a lovely garden and playground. The families had so much fun and captured memories to cherish for a lifetime. At the end of the day, participants gathered to enjoy some yummy snacks and share their experiences about visiting such a special place that would be almost impossible for most of them to do on their own. 😀

BSF is built on the love, support and hard work of so many precious volunteers. 😊 They freely give of their time, skills and advice, to help us in our mission toward building strong sustainable families for vulnerable children. We want to honour and thank them today (including those who didn't make it to the photo collage 😊). We couldn't do this without you! We appreciate you all so much and are grateful for your loving hearts and your faithful commitment to our cause. God bless you all. 😊❤️👏

เราตื่นเต้นที่เเจ้งให้ทุกคนทราบเรามีหน้าเว็บไซต์ใหม่ของ BSF ทั้งภาษาไทยเเละภาษาอังกฤษเเล้ว😀👍 กดเข้าไปที่โลโก้ BSF เพื่อเข้าไปชมเว็บไซต์หลักและสามารถเข้าไปดูภาษาไทยได้ที่นี่

Contribute Now | Building Strong Families ทุกอีเมลที่ลงทะเบียนได้มอบโอกาสให้ครอบครัวที่ต้องการความช่วยเหลือ

We are excited to announce we have a new BSF Landing Page in English and Thai, and a new revamped BSF website. 😀👍 Please check it out in English here!

Contribute Now | Building Strong Families Founded in January 2020 in Chiang Mai, Thailand, Building Strong Families (BSF) is dedicated to addressing the challenge of child-family separation caused by poverty.

What a joy to celebrate with ten families from Tha Wang Tan who recently attended their BSF Graduation Camp! 😀They successfully completed their 18-month BSF Family Strengthening program and shared stories of happiness and appreciation. They were so delighted to spend a wonderful time celebrating and reflecting on what they have achieved during the program. A huge thanks to Khun Duke (program coordinator) and all the volunteers from Chiangmai City Gate Church who have helped make this possible! 👏😃👍

In Tha Wang Tan, Thailand, BSF has been assisting children from our BSF families with school fees, school uniforms, bags, shoes, and school supplies at the start of their school term. The kids were really excited to be well prepared for a good education. 👍😀 On top of this, BSF also strives to empower each family with income generation assistance and a sustainable livelihood over 18-months so they can eventually cover these education costs themselves by the end of the program. 😀👍

In Nepal, Mamata has successfully cultivated cauliflower in her BSF greenhouse tunnel and has begun selling her delicious produce at a nearby market. 😀Through her diligent efforts, Mamata is better supporting the needs of her family and saving for future needs. She said “I feel extremely grateful and blessed to have received support from the BSF program. Words cannot adequately express my appreciation. Thank you for your invaluable assistance and generosity”. 👍😀

A workshop on Effective Communication was held for BSF families from Dukuchhap and Dhapakhel in Nepal. 😀 Thirty-five participants gained insights into fostering effective communication within their families and in their interactions with others. They openly shared their personal experiences and the strategies they employ to communicate effectively. Additionally, they reflected on the challenges they've faced due to poor communication in their personal lives. 👍😃

Please check-out and share our BSF 2024 Annual Appeal. Your contribution transforms lives and families! 😀 https://bsfeofy24-gdg-j1079.raiselysite.com/
สามารถเข้าไปดูเเละเเชร์ การสนับสนุนของประจำปี 2024 ของ BSF ได้ที่ลิงค์นี้ การมีส่วนร่วมของคุณช่วยเปลี่ยนเเปลงชีวิตของครอบครัวได้ 😀

BSF EOFY Appeal 2024 Please Help Us Transform Lives, One Family at a Time!

Goong and Tim are just back from a productive trip to a village in Chiang Rai where we are preparing to start a BSF program in July. Goong ran a safeguarding training with the new program coordinator and volunteers. We also meet with quite a few families to finalize those who will join our first family strengthening program in this village where almost 50% of young children leave to stay in orphanages. We are really excited to get started and help more parents keep their children in a loving family. 😀 If you are interested in partnering with us in this program, please see our BSF website for ways you can contribute. 👍😀

Ten families from the BSF Ton Pao program in Thailand had a wonderful Family Fun Day outing to the Narit Planetarium. The families enjoyed spending time together inside the museum where they were very excited to explore the astronomy and science center. After this, they visited the Huey Tueng Tao recreational park for lunch and fun outdoor activities. The families had a wonderful time playing in the water and eating delicious food together. 😀👍

Please check out our latest inspiring blog post about a resilient Nepali woman and mother, Chini Maya...👍😃

From Struggle to Triumph: Chini Maya's Inspirational Journey Chini Maya is a resilient Nepali woman dreaming of a brighter future. Goats, buffalos & a nurturing BSF program are bringing her hope again.

What a great team we are blessed with! 😀Every three months, our BSF staff and program coordinators in Thailand meet together to encourage one another, share experiences, learn from each other, and pray for our families and co-partners. It was great to do that again today. Exciting days ahead! 😃👍

Eight BSF families from Chhampi, Nepal, participated in a training session on "Family Finances and Sustainable Livelihoods." Through engaging interactive sessions and games, families enjoyed learning about the importance of tracking income and expenses, and implementing good sustainable livelihood practices. 👍😃

Helping caregivers become financially sustainable to take care of their own families is a key part of a BSF program. BSF starts with the strengths, interests, and abilities of our beneficiaries. Ying is a hardworking mother from northern Thailand who had a lot of experience at working in a restaurant. After BSF helped Ying get started in her own restaurant, she now has more work and is earning much more to support the needs of her children.👍😃

เรามีความสุขที่ได้เห็นชีวิตเละครอบครัวได้รับการเปลี่ยนแปลงเมื่อได้เข้ามาร่วมโครงการ BSF 😀 โปรดเข้าไปเยี่ยมชมวีดีโอภาษาไทยล่าสุดของเราและติดตามช่องของเราเพื่อรับชมมากขึ้น https://youtu.be/2bfpzk6URes?si=h6ZZq8713YAptF6i

We love seeing lives and families transformed in our BSF programs! 😀 Please check out our latest professionally produced video (English version) just released today and subscribe to our Channel. https://youtu.be/lXVWAwJSFHI?si=fSW4foAk_tkSqTRt

BSF provided a training on ‘Health, Hygiene and Nutrition’ for ten families from Choeng Doi, Thailand. This was led by volunteer and pediatrician, Dr. Areeda, from McCormick Hospital. 😀 The families learned how to live a healthy lifestyle, while the children also learned about good hygiene and how to wash their hands properly. In addition, the program also provided first aid boxes to each family with advice and training on how to use the medicine properly. At the end of the day, all the children received a health check-up from the doctor as well. 😄👍

Devi and Keshev are from Nepal. They are deaf-mute. The couple were excited to join a BSF family-strengthening program with their two-year-old daughter as they were struggling financially to provide the basic needs for their family. BSF provided them with what they needed and requested...business training and goats. They are now taking great care of their goats and are well on the way to becoming more financially sustainable. Devi is so grateful for BSF's assistance and expressed his gratitude through a smile and thumbs up. 😊👍

Ten families from the BSF program in Padaed, Thailand, were excited to go on a Family Fun Day to Lunarr Star Water Park during a very hot Summer season! 😀 The children had a lot of fun playing in the water together and cooling off with their parents. It was a wonderful time to build precious family memories together. 😊

Please check out our latest blog post about Grandma Aroon's story of hope and resilience 😊👍

Grandma Aroon's Family Triumph over Hardship Grandma Aroon's story shines as an example of hope and resilience in a world filled with so much uncertainty. Her determination to provide a nurturing family for her grandson inspires us to carry on, always believing for a brighter future, no matter how challenging the obstacles may seem.