BackgroundKhorat is the largest city in the Isaan region of North East Thailand. Isaan is the poorest region of Thialand, most people live off the land by farming rice. Agriculture is seasonal work, causing great unemployment during the rest of the year. Many young people leave the country side and head for the cities in search of financial security.
Many girls get married young, and as their marriage ends they are left the sole caretakers of their children and aging parents. They are faced with a heavy financial responsibility and with very little education and work experience they see only one solution; to go to Pattaya and find a foreign husband. Often the girls do not know what awaits them. They are shocked to find prostitution and an expectation on them to sell their bodies. The truth of the work in Pattaya is never openly discussed.
The problem in Pattaya persists because girls keep coming in desperation to help their families survive. Since, 2007 Tamar Center has been leading outreaches to the villages of the women they help in Pattaya. The women serve as bridge to making connections with the villages. However, with Tamar Center helping an increasing number of women, and the overwhelming response in Isaan, Tamar decided to open a center in Khorat.
The center opened in July 2010, and currently has two staff. We are building relationships with the villages in the area. The staff visits two villages weekly: Ban Non Tako (Phimai) and Ban Sab Udom (Nonsuwan). In these villages the staff runs:
In Khorat, Tamar started up work especially focusing on the youth. The staff in Khorat run soccer camps for about 50 young people every Saturday and Sunday. It is a place for them to learn the game, but also feel loved and appreciated for who they are.
In the future Tamar wishes to start a leadership training school, so that people in the villages can take over running children ministries and cell groups. As this gets established Tamar hopes to eventually open a vocational training center.
There is a longing to help the villages with their economic problems. A desire to come alongside them and help with already existing businesses such as fish farming, pig rearing ect. There is also a possibility to start up micro-enterprises to generate more employment opportunities and income for the villages.
Short term volunteers (less than a year) to come along side our work and serve in anyway necessary.
Staff Needs (Longer than one year, and have completed DTS (six months) as well as the Thai Language and Culture Study (1-2 years). We are open for people to come and serve in anyway, but below is a list of needs we currently see.