Dear all,

This has been a year of change, growth and progress for Philanthropy Connections. In addition to maintaining support for all the projects that need our continued help, we have managed to take on seven new projects. Four projects are featured in this newsletter.

We plan to launch our new website early in 2016 which will provide updated summaries and background information on all of our projects. We were convinced of the value of a versatile website by a sponsor, who kindly agreed to cover the costs.

We are grateful for the generous donations we have received from our sponsors, which this year has included a growing number of new sponsors, both overseas and in Thailand. It has made it possible for us to make even more ambitious plans to reach out to the many disadvantaged children and adults who need support.

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To take on all the challenges we now have a full time team of five in our Chiang Mai office. More about them and our many international volunteers on our website.

Left to right: Bow, Sallo, Noona, Miranca and Hunter.

Vanessa Loucky, who worked with us for two years, returned to the United States. We are grateful for two years of dedication she gave to our work.

Philanthropy Connections has big plans for 2016. In view of our growth over the last couple of years, a logical next step is to register as an independent foundation in Thailand. This increases our capacity to expand our work even more. We plan to have all the required paperwork completed early in the New Year.

A sincere thank you to all of you who have contributed in so many ways to our work, we would not be where we are today without your efforts to support our mission.

We trust that you will continue your support in 2016, and wish you a happy festive season and a peaceful and healthy New Year,

Sallo

Mary’s Sweet Home Orphanage

Mary's Sweet Home Orphanage is in Piang Luang at the Thailand-Burma border. It is a safe haven that offers educational programmes and vocational skills to orphans and disadvantaged children of ethnic minorities.

It runs an English evening school for seventy students to give them valuable language skills. These skills will enable them to further their education and provide more opportunities for their future. We support the cost of running the school as well as much needed upgrades to the classrooms and children's living quarters.

Kids Ark

We support a new project to empower impoverished ethnic Red Lahu women in Thailand, for at least three years.

The local organisation, Kids Ark, will teach thirty women per year about hygiene, basic health care and nutrition as well as weaving skills. The woven products will then be bought by a Swedish firm which will give the women a guaranteed income.

This is a valuable project that will not only have a positive impact on them but on their families and villages as well.

IECBP

Funds have been secured to run a new educational project in Burma called Intensive English and Career Bridging Program (IECBP) for three years.

The programme was developed by a local organisation, Mehm Kan Kyi Education Network (MKK) and aims to train twenty ethnic Karen and Mon students per year. The students chosen for this project are determined to make an impact as local community workers for international aid and development organisations in Burma.

Tomato Village certificates

Since we started supporting Tomato Village Learning Centre (TVLC) in 2014, ten students aged 13-18 have been awarded their Certificate of Achievement for completing the three year English programme.

These graduates now have intermediate English skills that add value to their CVs and which will increase their chances of completing secondary school and securing better paid jobs in the future.

Please watch this short video to learn more about the project and about us.