J1123N Building Hope Thailand

Hope Alive Foundation was started by Jeph and Apple in 2011. This was in order to create a more effective foundation from which to reach and help the Thai and hill tribes’ people. They believe that training young people, and equipping them with a strong moral, educational, and spiritual base is one of the most effective ways to change families, villages, and nations. They want to enable, equip and empower their children, youth, parents, and villages so that they are all built up in faith, hope, purpose, and zeal.

Hope Alive Foundation wants to address the needs of the young people they reach in a holistic way. They address any behavioral issues, often a result of poverty, and adolescent thinking by considering the needs of the “whole person”. This includes the areas of emotional and social development, as well as intellectual abilities, and health and physical growth. They believe that all aspects of life must be addressed in order to raise men and women who have resilience, perseverance, moral character, a sense of responsibility and integrity, and an awareness of their own strengths and weaknesses. Lastly, Hope Alive Foundation provides a place where a good education can be obtained and also helps the youth in choosing a career. Many youths in Thailand are unable to support themselves while studying at university. Hope House encourages its students to seriously consider attending a tertiary institution and offers support and advice as the students decide what career path to take.

They help to engage community health workers to work within the village to promote health and hygiene and prevent disease and injury. Secondly, they train and equip youths to be gainfully employed by serving the routine living needs of the community, in order to achieve a higher quality of living for themselves and their families, as well as their village. Thirdly, they will help set up a village co-operative to empower members to be self-sustaining and have a greater quality of life. Finally, they encourage and help enable entrepreneurship and microfinance among the villagers. This will help them to support themselves and each other and encourage small businesses.

The current project involves purchasing the adjoining property for farmland enabling the orphanage to grow and harvest their own food and have chickens, pigs and cows on site for food supply. This land and adjoining house will also see it used to build a new kitchen and play area, potentially a medical centre for the children and the local community.