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Father Joe’s Articles
The latest articles and letters written by Father Joe, from 50 years of life and work with children and communities in Bangkok.
Slaughterhouse at War
Miss Teacher Froggy called three times in ten minutes. Her messages had been totally clear…
Shootout in the Not-So-OK Corral
Nowadays, when people say they’re from Klong Toey, they get a funny look, like they’ve…
When the Pigs Move
They’ve closed the slaughterhouse for almost two months now. Why should that be news? Because…
Slaughterhouse Legends and Codes
Outsiders say the old pig, cattle and water buffalo Slaughterhouse neighborhood at the southeast end…
The Mom Factor
This is a story about children who sell flower garlands on the street corners of…
All Charity News
The Saga of Miss Teacher Froggy
The slum kids in her kindergarten class call her Miss Teacher Froggy—Kru Kee-it—and every year she tries to get them to call her by her proper title and given name, three beautiful syllables in Thai. But the name somehow sticks to the roof of the mouth and kids forget it. Kru is Thai for teacher...
Shootout in the Not-So-OK Corral
Nowadays, when people say they’re from Klong Toey, they get a funny look, like they’ve just stepped on something smelly and tracked it on someone’s nice, clean rug. The fast food chicken and pizza joints won’t deliver here after five o’clock anymore. As for taxi drivers, forget about them. Their policy hasn’t changed for over...
When the Pigs Move
They’ve closed the slaughterhouse for almost two months now. Why should that be news? Because when they mess with the bowels of the city, it affects us all. The Slaughterhouse slum serves as a barometer: tell me what’s happening in the Rong Mu, and I’ll give you a “tea leaf” reading of the city, accurate...
Slaughterhouse Legends and Codes
Outsiders say the old pig, cattle and water buffalo Slaughterhouse neighborhood at the southeast end of the Klong Toey slums, just where the river wraps around the port, is a dangerous part of town. Some even say it has the worst reputation in Bangkok, one it has earned from decades of crime and violence. But...
The Mom Factor
This is a story about children who sell flower garlands on the street corners of the Klong Toey slums, their moms and a new law that is child-friendly. But it’s still hard for the law, policemen, courts, lawyers, or social workers to save a kid when the moms and their cohorts won’t play by the...
Love at the Hua Lamphong Station
Is it a love story or a tale of survival, a heroic cry for help? Maybe just another grim account from Bangkok’s uncaring streets? You tell me. But first, let me tell you about Ang and Tuk. Both Ang and Tuk are drug addicts, not all the time, but more often than not. And they...
The Aftermath
Slum people always rebuild their homes after fires. Always. And as quickly as possible. I’ll tell you why in a minute. First, let’s revisit the Tap Gaew slum the day after the fire. You could still smell the fire as you approached. The families that had been burned out were camped temporarily next to an...
Poey’s Fire
She was given the nickname of Poey, meaning “plump,” because that’s what she’s been since infancy—just a little bit plump. She used to rent a room in the Tap Gaew slum for 1,000 baht a month—less than a dollar a day—until she started the fire. She didn’t start it intentionally. She accidentally left a candle...
Bridge to Nowhere
The man who died was named Somchai. Perhaps it was murder; nobody knows for sure. He died from a hard blow to the head. He had been drinking a bit of the Eleven Tigers, a tonic made with rice wine, so some people assumed that he just fell down and hit his head, but the...
Slum Friendship
Miss Vipa’s nickname is Jai, meaning, “heart.” Jai is a high-powered poetry-in-motion waif, skipping, hopping and jumping to her destinations. If there’s a tree nearby, she climbs it too. Just six years old and a star pupil in her kindergarten class, Jai is that rare one-in-a-million child, a pure joy and blessing to everyone she...
The Slum Girl and the Wedding
This is the most fabulous wedding story I’ve known in thirty-three years as a priest and at least 500 weddings. It’s about a famous model in Bangkok and ten street children she asked to be her bridesmaids and flower girls. Can’t use her real name, I promised, so we’ll just call her Model Lady, because...
First Day of School
The school year in Thailand starts in May, and last Tuesday was the first day. We have over 200 kids in our Mercy Centre homes and every school-age kid attends school so it’s a huge day for us, too. The preparations are immense, getting all the kids kitted out in uniforms with proper schoolbooks in...
The Horse Walker
Pim, aged twelve, had been “walking” drugs for six years. In Thai they call these people “horse walkers.” She walked them all over Southeastern Bangkok. That’s where she’s from—born and raised in Klong Toey. Two months ago, police caught Pim and arrested her Uncle Pai-lawd. That brings the total to sixteen family members currently incarcerated....
What Does a Brighter Future Look Like? Measuring the Real Impact of Supporting Children
When we support vulnerable children, it is natural to ask an important question: What difference does our support actually make? A donation can provide food. A school renovation can create a safer classroom. A book can help a child learn. A volunteer can give their time. But the real impact goes beyond any single activity....
Supporting Children Through Difficult Times: The Importance of Stability, Care and Compassion
Every child experiences difficult moments. They may feel worried about school, upset after an argument with a friend or frightened by something happening at home. For some children, however, difficult circumstances are not temporary. Financial hardship, family difficulties, unstable living conditions or other challenges can create ongoing uncertainty. During these times, children need more than...
From School Renovations to Safer Communities: The Impact of Better Learning Environments
A school is more than a building. It is a place where children learn, make friends, discover their interests and begin imagining their futures. But the condition of the environment where children learn can make a real difference. A classroom that is safe, clean and welcoming can help children feel comfortable and ready to learn....