Ethnic minority Dara-ang without Thai citizenship

Chaiyakorn’s parents are divorced. His mother works in housekeeping at Sansai Hospital. She sends $94 USD/month to the grandmother who cares for Chaiyakorn and his brother in the village. She occasionally has work or will weave for some extra income. His father has a neurological problem and is unable to work, but lives in the village.

Chaiyakorn can hear and understand, but he cannot speak. As a result, he is behind his peers in school. His grandmother would like to see him go to vocational school where he can learn a trade that will get him a job in the future. Because he is not a Thai citizen, they would have to pay the cost of treatment, which is not possible.

Ethnic minority Dara-ang

Chayapon has three siblings, but they all have their own families now. His mother and father work, but his father has a drug problem. Chayapon’s older sister was worried that Chayapon would use drugs, so she brought him to live with her and her family in Hauywai village where he could study. He is now in Secondary 1. The transportation to school costs his sister 300 THB/month, which is difficult for them to afford as employees on an orange farm who also have their own children to care for.Chayapon would like to finish high school and continue on to vocational school where he can study construction. He would like to build houses one day.

Ethnic minority Dara-ang without Thai citizenship

Junjira has a younger sister in primary 6 at Hauyloung school. She is in Secondary 5 at a different school. She’s a very good student and a volleyball player. Junjira’s village is far from school, so she has to ride a motorcycle to her friend’s house and then take the bus to school, which costs $20 USD/month. Because she is not a Thai citizen, she must pay school fees and other fees as well. Sometimes she works on weekends to help her parents, who were making $12.50USD/day before the COVID pandemic, which has made it difficult to find work. If Junjira has the opportunity, she would like to study Communication Arts at university. She is expressive and would like to be an actor. This way, she could make enough money for her sister to have an opportunity to study too.

Ethnic minority Dara-ang without Thai citizenship

Nutcha lives with her parents and older brother. Her brother graduated from grade 9, but had to discontinue his education because there was no money for him to attend school. Like his parents, he gets work when and where can. The family grows rice to eat and corn to sell, but it is not enough because the forest department limits their ability to produce more and the corn sells for a low price. They are forced to go out from the village to find jobs, which have been more scarce since the COVID pandemic began. Nutcha would like to be a nurse so she can help people who are sick. She attends Robin’s House of Hope after-school program.

Ethnic minority Dara-ang without Thai citizenship

Yanika’s parents are divorced. Her mother has a new family, so Yanika lives with her grandmother, older sister and her sister’s 4-month-old baby. Her sister is also divorced, so Yanika helps to take care of her niece when her sister goes to work at a construction shop. She has a salary of 7000 THB/month, but it is not enough to take care of everyone in the house. Yanika started school very late, but she hopes to study much more. She believes if she gains knowledge she will have a better future. Yanika wishes to go out from her village and see more things in the world. She would like to be a military nurse because they seem smart and strong.