prevention begins with education
Poverty, risk,
and exploitation
Our Model
Scholarships
for the most at-risk students
in Northern Thailand
Mentorship
Weekly mentorship and counseling
Human Rights
5,700+ students learned their sexual integrity & rights
Resource Center
Over 5,600 hours of classes per year
Sustainability
1,500+ members impacted by our sustainable livelihoods program
Ethical Storytelling
Guides for nonprofits on telling stories with honor
LEARN HOW WE BREAK THE CYCLE OF POVERTY AND RISK
Meet Nue.
She’s fourteen-years-old and lives with her family in a rural village in Northern Thailand. Her dad died of an overdose last year. Her mom works in the fields, making 150 baht ($5 USD) a day. As the oldest daughter, Nue is expected to help care for her three siblings. Her aunt offered her a job in a massage parlor in Bangkok. Nue is unsure what she wants to do when she grows up but knows she doesn’t want to do what her aunt does.
Scholarships
In theory, Thailand offers free education through 12th grade. Like many poor rural children, however, Nue can’t afford the cost of transportation to school and back each day. With the mandatory fees for uniforms, extracurricular activities, foreign language, music, and art classes, school is beyond her reach. She applies for a scholarship from The Freedom Story. She’s accepted! Nue’s new scholarship covers all aspects of her education: tuition, books, transportation, field trips, uniforms for each day, and more.
Mentorship and Counseling
Nue meets with her mentor weekly. When she has an issue at home or school, she has an advocate. Her mentor also encourages her to dream. They talk about the broader world and the opportunities available to her if she works hard. Nue’s imagination expands.
Human Rights Education
Through events like our 3-3-5 Program, which focuses on teaching students their sexual rights and raising up student leaders, Nue learns about her sexual, legal, and other basic human rights. As her imagination and awareness grow, Nue is emboldened to dream about her future.
5,700+
students learned their sexual integrity & rights since 2008
4,500+
hours of mentoring & resources offered to at-risk students each year since 2008
Resource Centers
Nue researches careers online during free time at our Resource Center. She talks with other scholarship students already in university and vocational school. She decides she wants to a be a nurse and finds a perfect program in Chiang Rai. Her mentor helps her apply for different scholarships to supplement the support she receives from her Freedom sponsor. Our Resource Centers offer our scholars and other students over 5,600 hours of classes per year. 89% of our students graduate, and 5,700+ students learned about their sexual integrity & rights.
- CHINESE & ENGLISH CLASSES
- MUSIC & ART CLASSES
- TUTORING
- COUNSELING
- COMPUTER ACCESS
- COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES
Sustainability Programs
When Nue was young, The Freedom Story’s Sustainability Project partnered with her mom. In our programs, her mom learned organic farming, took weaving classes, and started a silkworm farm. The silk her mom sells covers each month’s rent. She also joined a farming co-op that raises their own organic food and brings it to market.
Nue’s story is just beginning.
Now living in the bigger city of Chiang Rai, Nue continues to have community and resources to support her in university. Become a part of someone’s journey, just like Nue’s freedom story.
