"Keeping families together"
Poverty
Many families in Sangkhlaburi live in conditions of serious poverty. In Sangkhlaburi District many workers are paid well below Thailand's minimum wage of 300 Thai baht per day, earning as little as 3,000 Thai baht per month (around US$100). A preliminary study by One Sky suggests that some families in Sangkhlaburi currently earn half the sum required to cover sufficient living costs for their whole family.
Poverty exacerbates social issues. In Sangkhlaburi, children are left in risky and otherwise unacceptable situations, may leave school prematurely, or become unable to access lifesaving medical care. In worst case scenarios, poverty can even lead to family separation. As few local NGOs provide support for families living together in the community, many children are sent by their families to live in Sangkhlaburi’s many children’s homes, in the belief
that this is the only way for children from poor families to continue in education, or even to survive on a day-to-day basis.
One Sky's Income Generation work helps to provide struggling families with a stable income; click here to find out more.