Hidden within Bangkok’s 50+ shopping malls and extremely successful skytrain and metropolitan rapid transit system, lies their largest slum community in the district of Khlong Toei. The community of over 100,000 that resides there is a unique body of people from all parts of Thailand; including minority groups. Many still do not own the homes in which they live, even having been there for decades. The slum is about 1.5 square kilometers in size, and the land is relatively low and swamp-like. Many of the tin-roofed homes are on stilts over stagnant, polluted water, and the area is especially prone to flooding during the monsoon season.
The people of Khlong Toey face many problems typical of a slum area. The vicious cycle of poverty makes it hard for children and teens to break from engaging in criminal activity as well as drug and alcohol abuse. With social and financial problems, the children are often prevented from receiving a proper education, and become illiterate in their own language. Realizing this, the founders of “Kids Club”, Benjamin and Suzi Collins, had a desire to enrich the lives of children physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Their desire eventually formed the vision and establishment of Ruam Jai Kids Club, an after-school program once a week that endeavors to regularly sow the seed of the Word of God and the Good News of Jesus.
At Kids Club, because most of the children are oral learners, we take an active learning approach and involve stories, crafts, games, and activities with all our Bible teaching curriculum. We also make sure to implement S.T.E.M. lessons for the kids to build and teach creativity, problem solving, life skills, ingenuity, resourcefulness, patience, and curiosity. The hardest part, however, is the lack of affection these children receive from their parents, so they come seeking all the love and affection they can get from us. Of course, the lack of affection from home manifests itself in many different ways, so learning to navigate and handle those things with the kids has been quite a challenge for all the volunteers.
It has truly been an honor and a joy to be in the presence of these children from Khlong Toei. Amid their innocent ignorance of who their cultural hierarchy says they are ---how their life “will” be; their wit, curiosity, and zeal for life is illuminating and sobering to my soul.
Consider Matthew 18:3-4 when Jesus says, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” The humility of a child consists of childlike trust, vulnerability, and the inability to advance his/her cause apart from the help, direction, and resources of a parent and/or adult; Christ calls us all to such a posture with Him.
--from Christina Vang, East Mountain Bangkok, Partnership Development Coordinator