When people think about helping vulnerable children in Thailand, they often think about making a donation.
Financial support is certainly important.
But money is not the only way to make a difference.
You can volunteer your time, share information, offer professional skills, organise a fundraiser, support a school, donate useful goods or simply help someone else discover an organisation doing meaningful work.
For many people, the biggest barrier to helping is the belief that they need to have a lot of money.
They don’t.
Sometimes the most valuable thing you can give is your time, knowledge, skills, network or attention.
Thailand has made significant progress in reducing poverty, but children continue to experience different forms of disadvantage. UNICEF estimates that 21.5% of children in Thailand — around 2.8 million children — live in multidimensional poverty, meaning they experience overlapping disadvantages involving areas such as health, education and living standards.
So how can an ordinary person help?
Here are 10 practical ideas.
1. Volunteer Your Time
One of the simplest ways to help children is to give your time.
Charities need people to help with far more than working directly with children.
Volunteers can potentially contribute to:
- Administration
- Fundraising
- Events
- Communications
- Social media
- Marketing
- IT
- Photography and design
- Translation
- Research
- Logistics
- Educational activities
Mercy Centre’s work includes education, child protection, children’s homes and community support, meaning there are many different types of work involved in running a nonprofit organisation. Its current programmes include 17 kindergarten schools serving around 1,000 children in Bangkok’s disadvantaged communities.
If you have professional skills, don’t assume that a charity only needs people who can teach.
Your existing career skills may be extremely useful.
Explore volunteering with Mercy Centre
2. Donate Your Professional Skills
Perhaps you don’t have spare money, but you have something else that can be valuable:
expertise.
A graphic designer could help improve a campaign.
A marketer could help develop a fundraising strategy.
An accountant could help with financial processes.
A lawyer could provide appropriate professional guidance.
An IT professional could help improve technology.
A photographer could create useful images.
A translator could help make information accessible to international supporters.
A business owner might be able to provide advice on operations.
Skills-based volunteering can potentially give a nonprofit access to expertise that would otherwise be expensive to purchase.
Before offering your services, however, ask the organisation what it actually needs.
The most useful volunteering is not necessarily the volunteer’s favourite activity.
It is the activity that solves a real problem.
3. Organise a Fundraiser
You don’t necessarily have to donate your own money to raise money for children.
You can ask other people to participate.
For example, you could organise:
- A charity run
- A birthday fundraiser
- A workplace collection
- A school fundraising event
- A sports tournament
- A quiz night
- A charity dinner
- An online campaign
- A sponsored challenge
- A community event
The important thing is to choose a clear purpose and communicate honestly about where the money will go.
A small group of people can sometimes achieve more together than one person acting alone.
If 20 people each raise THB 1,000, that is already THB 20,000.
If 100 people participate, the potential becomes considerably larger.
4. Donate Useful Goods
Not every donation needs to be money.
Many organisations need practical items to operate.
Mercy Centre currently identifies goods such as hygiene supplies, educational materials, furniture and equipment as examples of in-kind support that can help its programmes.
However, there is an important rule:
Ask before donating goods.
It is easy to assume that a charity needs something simply because it sounds useful.
But unwanted donations can create additional costs.
Someone has to:
- Receive them
- Store them
- Sort them
- Transport them
- Distribute them
- Dispose of unsuitable items
Instead, contact the organisation and ask what is currently needed.
A carefully chosen donation can be much more useful than a large box of unwanted items.
5. Share a Charity’s Work on Social Media
You don’t need thousands of followers to help spread awareness.
You can:
- Share an important campaign
- Repost an educational article
- Tell friends about a volunteering opportunity
- Share a fundraising campaign
- Introduce a charity to your employer
- Post about a child-development issue
- Share reliable information about poverty in Thailand
Awareness matters because many people cannot support an organisation they have never heard of.
And social media can help organisations reach people who may eventually become:
- Donors
- Volunteers
- Corporate partners
- Fundraisers
- Advocates
- Long-term supporters
The key is to share accurate information.
Avoid exaggerating statistics or using sensational images of children simply to generate clicks.
Children deserve dignity and privacy.
6. Help a Business Become More Socially Responsible
If you work for a company, you may have another opportunity to help.
Businesses can support children through corporate social responsibility programmes.
This could involve:
- Sponsoring educational programmes
- Providing equipment
- Supporting school improvements
- Organising employee volunteering
- Donating professional services
- Supporting fundraising campaigns
- Providing technology
- Running workplace fundraising
- Supporting emergency response
Mercy Centre currently works with corporate sponsors and says partnerships can support vulnerable children while helping companies pursue meaningful CSR objectives.
You could start by asking your employer:
“Do we have a CSR programme, and could we explore supporting a children’s education project in Thailand?”
One conversation could lead to a long-term partnership.
7. Become an Advocate for Children’s Education
Helping children isn’t always about providing something directly.
Sometimes it means helping people understand the problem.
Education inequality remains an important issue in Thailand.
UNICEF reports that disadvantaged children continue to face greater barriers to education, while learning outcomes also remain a concern.
For example, UNICEF’s analysis of PISA 2022 data found that Thai 15-year-olds scored 394 in mathematics, compared with an OECD average of 472. Only 32% reached baseline mathematics proficiency, compared with 69% across OECD countries.
These figures are about the education system as a whole, rather than one individual organisation.
But they illustrate why conversations about children’s education need to go beyond school enrolment.
Children need opportunities to actually learn.
You can help by talking about these issues responsibly.
Share reliable information.
Encourage businesses to support education.
Discuss child poverty with your community.
Help people understand that poverty isn’t only about income.
8. Support a Child’s Education Through Your Community
You don’t have to personally sponsor a child to help children stay in education.
Your community can work together.
For example:
A school could organise a book drive.
A company could collect educational supplies.
A sports club could organise a charity event.
A church or community group could support a local programme.
A group of friends could organise a monthly fundraising activity.
This approach can make helping children a shared activity rather than something that depends on one person’s finances.
It also gives children and adults an opportunity to learn about social responsibility.
9. Volunteer for the Long Term
One afternoon can be useful.
But consistency can be even more valuable.
If you have the opportunity to volunteer regularly, consider making a longer commitment.
For example:
- One afternoon every week
- One day every month
- A six-month project
- A professional skills project
- Regular administrative support
- Ongoing fundraising
Long-term volunteers can become familiar with an organisation’s systems and needs.
That means they may be able to contribute more effectively over time.
It also gives volunteers the opportunity to understand the organisation rather than simply making a one-off visit.
However, when volunteering with children, the organisation’s safeguarding requirements should always come first.
10. Tell Someone About Mercy Centre
Perhaps the easiest way to help is to introduce someone else to the work.
Tell a friend.
Send an article to a colleague.
Mention a volunteering opportunity to your company.
Share a Mercy Centre campaign.
Introduce a business owner to the organisation.
You never know where that conversation might lead.
One person may become a volunteer.
Another may become a donor.
Another may organise a fundraising event.
Another may offer professional expertise.
Your role may simply be to connect them.
Why Does This Matter?
It can be easy to look at statistics about child poverty and feel overwhelmed.
For example, UNICEF’s recent work on multidimensional child poverty shows that millions of children in Thailand experience overlapping disadvantages.
At the same time, rising living costs are creating additional pressure on families.
A UNICEF/NIDA Poll survey conducted in June 2026 involving 1,227 households with children found that 61% experienced a great or very severe impact from rising living costs.
The same research found that families were cutting back on essential spending, including food and education.
This demonstrates why support for children cannot be reduced to a single issue.
Children need:
- Education
- Food
- Healthcare
- Safety
- Stable relationships
- Opportunities
- Protection
- Support from their communities
And communities need people willing to contribute.
You Don’t Have to Be Rich to Help
One of the most important things to remember is that helping doesn’t require wealth.
You can contribute:
One hour.
One skill.
One introduction.
One fundraiser.
One box of requested supplies.
One social media post.
One conversation.
Each action may appear small.
But collective action can become significant.
Imagine 100 people each giving five hours of their time.
That’s 500 volunteer hours.
Imagine 50 employees each donating one professional skill.
That’s 50 opportunities for additional support.
Imagine 100 people sharing a campaign with their networks.
The original audience can grow dramatically.
This is how communities can amplify individual actions.
Put Children First
There is one important principle that should guide every attempt to help children:
The activity should benefit the child, not simply make the adult feel good.
That means thinking carefully about what you do.
A good volunteer programme should have a genuine purpose.
A good donation should meet a real need.
A good social-media post should respect children’s dignity.
A good fundraiser should be transparent.
A good corporate partnership should produce meaningful impact.
And a good photograph or story should respect privacy and safeguarding requirements.
Helping children should always begin with their needs.
Avoid “Helping” That Creates New Problems
Good intentions aren’t always enough.
For example, sending a charity hundreds of items it doesn’t need may create a storage problem.
Arriving at a children’s home without an appointment may disrupt children’s routines.
Sharing a child’s personal story publicly may compromise their privacy.
Giving children gifts directly may create inequalities between children.
Posting identifiable photographs without appropriate permission can create safeguarding concerns.
This is why working with established organisations and following their procedures matters.
Mercy Centre publishes information about its child-protection approach and identifies child protection as part of its organisational responsibilities.
If you want to help, ask:
“What would be most useful right now?”
That simple question can make your contribution much more effective.
You Can Help Without Giving Money
Here are the 10 ideas again:
1. Volunteer your time
Give a few hours regularly or help with a specific project.
2. Donate your professional skills
Use your career experience to solve a real organisational problem.
3. Organise a fundraiser
Get your friends, colleagues, school or community involved.
4. Donate useful goods
Ask the charity what it actually needs before purchasing anything.
5. Share reliable information
Help more people discover child poverty and education issues.
6. Introduce your company
Explore CSR or employee-volunteering opportunities.
7. Advocate for education
Talk about children’s education and inequality responsibly.
8. Mobilise your community
Turn a group of friends, colleagues or community members into a support network.
9. Make a long-term commitment
Regular volunteering can be more valuable than a one-off visit.
10. Tell someone else
A simple introduction can create an entirely new source of support.
And If You Can Donate, That Helps Too
Although this article focuses on ways to help without donating money, financial support remains an important part of running programmes for vulnerable children.
Mercy Centre says donations currently support its 17 preschools, children’s homes, meals, education and outreach programmes.
If you are in a position to give financially, you can:
You can also support a child through Mercy Centre’s sponsorship programme.
Sponsor a Child with Mercy Centre
But remember:
You don’t have to be a major donor to contribute.
Small Actions Can Create Bigger Change
Mercy Centre began its work in Bangkok in 1972.
Today, the organisation reports that around 1,000 children attend its 17 schools, while children also live in its Mercy Homes.
That scale of work requires more than money.
It requires teachers.
Social workers.
Staff.
Volunteers.
Businesses.
Community members.
Donors.
Partners.
And people willing to tell others about the work.
That means there is a place for almost everyone.
You may have money.
You may have time.
You may have skills.
You may have a business network.
You may have an audience.
Or you may simply care.
All of these things can be turned into action.
The Most Important Step Is to Start
You don’t need to solve child poverty in Thailand.
You don’t need to change the entire education system.
You don’t need to become an expert in international development.
Start with one practical action.
Volunteer.
Share.
Organise.
Introduce.
Teach.
Create.
Fundraise.
Support.
And then encourage someone else to do the same.
Because helping children isn’t only about what one person can give.
It’s about what a community can accomplish together.
Ready to Help?
Whether you have an hour, a professional skill, a business network or simply the desire to make a difference, there are ways to get involved.
Support a Child through Sponsorship
You don’t have to do everything.
You just have to do something.
Sources
- UNICEF — Thailand Country Programme Document 2026: child multidimensional poverty figures (21.5%, around 2.8 million children).
- UNICEF Thailand — Rising Living Costs, 2026: household survey on rising living costs, food and education.
- UNICEF Thailand — Fix Thailand’s Education Before It’s Too Late: PISA 2022 results and education outcomes.
- Mercy Centre — Schools: Mercy Centre’s 17 schools and around 1,000 children.
- Mercy Centre — Donate: in-kind donations, corporate partnerships and how donations are used.
- Mercy Centre — Who We Are: the organisation’s history and child-protection approach.