Helping Hands For Kids With Dreams (hh4kd.org) is a nonprofit foundation we recently founded to help underprivileged kids.  It's an outgrowth of the modest help we've had the pleasure of providing to some kids in Ban Lao Fai, a poor rice farming village in northeastern Thailand. 

Dave's wife, Jintana, was born in Thailand.  As a young girl, she lived and went to school in Ban Lai Fai.  Jintana moved to Los Angeles when she was nine years old.  Years later, she returned to Ban Lai Fai to visit her aunts, uncles and cousins.  While there, she stumbled upon a little girl doing her homework.  In her hand was a tiny, worn pencil maybe two inches long.  It was hard for Jintana not to feel sad in seeing this, and wonder whether she'd be able to finish school, or one day go to college.  Jintana (and I) have since visited that village many times.  Each time, we go to the elementary school and hand each student a "goody bag" with colorful new pencils, eraser, paper, pens, cookies, candy and more.   

Ban Lao Fai, like so many other places around the world, is poor.  It is surrounded by rice fields as far as the eye can see.   It has a small elementary school with 147 students, and a nearby high school.  A child's schooling costs a couple hundred dollars a year for books, uniforms, bus fare and lunch money.  To many of us, that doesn't seem like much.  But there, it is.  And too often, families can't afford to keep their kids in school.  So some drop out, and help their families farm their land. 

Jintana's first cousins, Nares Norasri and his wife Nukid, oversee Ban Lao Fai's schools.  About 10 years ago, while we were visiting, they introduced us to one of their young students.  Her name was Kritsana.   She was the smartest, hardest working student in the village.  Her family was among the poorest.  Kritsana took us to her home.  It was modest to say the least.  Dirt floors; no running water; and a small desk tucked in a dark corner where she did homework at night by candle light.  We helped her a bit over the years.  Kritsana stayed in school, graduated from college, and today works for Charoen Pokphand Group, Thailand's largest conglomerate. 
 
We started our foundation in the hopes of helping others like Kritsana.  Mr. and Mrs. Norasri are at the center of our efforts.  Among other things, they will select students that are deserving of scholarships who we can then help.  At the moment, they have 3 candidates in mind:  Palida Jampa, Chanida Chanapai and Achara Sorrasing.  Click on their names if you'd like to see the resumes they sent us to offer some background.  Mr. and Mrs. Norasri will also be working towards finishing construction of the library at their elementary school.  About 5 years ago, they started building it.  Work stopped 2 years ago because they ran out of money.  Hopefully, we'll be able to help them finish it.  You can click here and see a summary via pictures sent to us by Mr. Norasri.  

We are planning some upcoming fundraisers, and talking to some local schools about having one of their classes become scholarship sponsors.  If you'd like more information, or to offer your helping hand, please contact Dave at dave@kayndaves.com.