The Giving Trust

‘To whom much is given, much is required’

Duang Prateep Foundation

The Duang Prateep Foundation provides a remarkable range and depth of outreach that brings hope and enablement to the very poorest of the needy people of Thailand.

The Duang Prateep Foundation was established by Ms. Prateep Ungsongtham Hata, known affectionately as the ‘Slum Angel’. It was initially set up to provide relief and assistance to the residents of Bangkok, Klong Toei slum, but now provides hope and enablement to poor communities all around Thailand.

Born in the Klong Toei slum of Bangkok, Prateep was a child labourer. She enjoyed just 4 years of formal education at primary school. As a teenager she completing her studies at evening classes paid for with her own wages. She opened an informal slum school at the age of 16 and two years later she was awarded a place at Suan Dusit, Bangkok’s foremost teacher training college.

Her support and success in defending slum dwellers from eviction led to her receiving the Magsaysay Award for Public Service and it was with the prize money that she established the Duang Prateep Foundation in 1978. She would later become the first Asian citizen to be awarded the John D. Rockefeller Award for Outstanding Contribution to Mankind as well as, amongst other awards, The World’s Children’s Prize in 2004.

Today the activities of Duang Prateep Foundation extend far beyond the slums of Klong Toei in Bangkok, including:

  • Educational scholarships
    • Currently sponsoring over 2,000 students including 200 at University or diploma students at vocational schools
  • Kindergarten projects
    • Establishing 8 kindergartens in Bangkok slum communities
    • Working with other urban and rural communities in the provision of kindergarten services
  • Community Development
    • Registration program for slum dwellers to help them achieve the official recognition necessary for attending Thai schools, securing employment and land purchase
    • Negotiating compensation for evicted slum dwellers
    • Assisting with resettlement of slum dwellers including
      • arranging loans for building materials and land purchase
      • helping with rebuilding programs
    • Working with slum youth groups
    • Supporting the Klong Toei Community Radio station
    • Computer training to slum residents
  • HIV/AIDS project
    • 4 full time staff and over 300 volunteers work with the slum community
      • Training family and friends of suffers to provide home care
      • Accompanying those with HIV on hospital visits to ensure proper treatment
  • Credit Unions/Microfinancing
    • These provide an alternative to the loan sharks that prey on the poor
    • Currently 1,100 members have a combined bank account of Baht 14 m.
    • Members can borrow for up to Baht 3,000 for emergencies and up to Baht 100,000 for start up capital for business enterprises
  • Seniors
    • The Duang Prateep Foundation provides financial assistance to the elderly
    • They have negotiated special discount prices with Bangkok hospitals for cataract procedures performed on elderly slum residents
    • Provision of eye glasses
  • Special education for the hearing impaired
    • Established a school for the hearing impaired for 20 children with 4 teachers
    • Integrated with the Duang Prateep Kindergarten
  • New Life Project
    • Provides rescue and relief to children at risk from drug abuse, crime, exploitation and other abuse
    • Boys rescue centre set in a farming environment in Chumphon Province
    • Girls rescue centre set in a farming environment in Kanchanaburi Province
  • Tsunami Relief and Development
    • Financing new fishing boats and other start up enterprises for Tsunami victims
    • Educational sponsorship for over 400 affected victims of Tsunami
    • Built two Community Centres in Phang Nga, the worst affected Province
  • Firefighting
    • 4 fire fighting trucks provided by a donor in Japan are manned by round the clock volunteers bringing life saving services to the Klong Toei slum community

Epilogue:

In the year 2000, Ms. Prateep Ungsongtham Hata won a seat in Thailand’s first ever elected Senate.

More information about this wonderful Charity that is such a shining beacon of hope to so many can be found at their website at: http://en.dpf.or.th/