Our Rimklongwatsaphan Kindergarten, one of eight preschools we operate in Klong Toey, is a modest wood-frame schoolhouse located right next to a canal, about 200 meters from the Slaughterhouse. It may not look like much, but in the past twenty years, over 1,000 slum children have graduated from this head-start Mercy Preschool in preparation for government primary schools. These are children who might never have gone to school or learned to read and write their names. On its 20^th anniversary, we held a grand celebration.

I’d like to tell you a fantastic story about a bunch of street kids we took camping a few weeks ago.

On an evening some time ago as young Yor Saeng left her home in Issan to catch the overnight bus to Bangkok, a jing-jok (small lizard) made its "tak-tak" sound at her. Her Momma shuddered: "Girl, that creature is warning you. Make a 'tak-tak' sound back to thank the jing-jok and change your clothes so the naughty mischievous spirits won't recognise you."

This last Saturday at Lumpini Park, friends of Mercy ran the first of 10 10-Kilometer runs on our foundation’s behalf as a part of the California Wow Corporate Wellness Program in celebration of their 10^th Anniversary. More runs are taking place all week at California Wow tracks around Bangkok and in Chiang Mai. Please call California Wow for details if you would like to join in a run! Photos above and below show our Mercy Children with Fr. Joe, Usanee, House Moms, and California Wow’s Eric Levine at the Saturday run in Lumpini Park. 

Bangkok, Sept. 2, 2010, HRH Princess Srirasmi, the Royal Patroness of the Human Development Foundation, visited our Mercy Centre in the port area of the Klong Toey community in recognition of the newly awarded status of the foundation. During the visit HRH unveiled a plaque signifying the foundation's new status.

We want all our children to know where they are from – to have a strong sense of place and home outside of Mercy Centre - and to understand and love their real families.

Mercy kids go home whenever possible. Sometimes our children may join their families for just a weekend, short holiday or school break. Other times, whenever the home life is safe, nurturing, and loving, our children stay home, and we can help from a distance, just when needed.

Over the recent Mothers Day extended weekend, we held a three-day family workshop in Suphanburi Province, which brought together 46 Mercy kids, 14 moms, 2 dads, 16 aunties and grandmoms, several Mercy House Moms and House Dads, plus Ms. Wannee, our director of shelter programs, and Sister Maria. Every moment was dedicated to the strengthening of family bonds. And there were many joyous and tender moments.