A delegation from the Rotary Club of Bangkok travelled to Sangklaburi from 1–3 March 2026 to begin the implementation phase of Global Grant GG257187, a project designed to strengthen education and psychosocial support for vulnerable migrant and stateless children served by the Children of the Forest Foundation.
From 1–3 March 2026, members of the Rotary Club of Bangkok conducted an official visit to Sangklaburi District, Thailand, to support the launch of Global Grant Project GG257187: Supporting Children of the Forest in the Provision of Primary Education for Vulnerable Children. The initiative is led by the Rotary Club of Bangkok as host club, in partnership with the Rotary Club of Pforzheim in Germany.
The project supports the Children of the Forest Foundation (CoF), an organisation dedicated to providing education and care for vulnerable stateless and migrant children living along the Thai–Myanmar border. The initiative focuses on strengthening teachers’ foundational teaching skills, developing ongoing professional development programmes, and providing psychosocial and trauma support for children in the community.
The Rotary delegation included PP Santi Chatterjee, PP Lalita Hongratanawong, PP John Quarmby, PE JP Verbiest, Rtn Margarete Sachs-Israel, Secretary Valaiporn Pornpruethianan, and PP Nico Reschke. They were joined by Dr Sombat Tapanya of the Peace Culture Foundation, one of the project’s appointed service providers.
The visit served as an orientation for Rotary members, the leadership team of Children of the Forest, and the project’s service providers following the recent approval of the Global Grant. During the visit, the delegation observed classroom teaching, conducted a site inspection of the education facilities, and visited the Mother and Child Protection Centre as well as the medical station that provides first-aid care for children.
Meetings with the leadership of Children of the Forest allowed participants to review the operational framework of the project. Discussions covered responsibilities between stakeholders, timelines, payment structures, and coordination with service providers. These meetings also helped identify potential challenges and outline practical steps for implementation.
Dr Sombat Tapanya used the opportunity to meet with several teachers to understand the challenges they face in their daily teaching environment. These discussions will help shape the training modules and psychosocial support programmes planned under the grant.
Before project activities can begin, funding contributions from all supporting Rotary clubs, districts, and The Rotary Foundation must be received. The project is currently expected to begin in May 2026 and will run for approximately two and a half years.
Service providers are now preparing detailed implementation plans and training schedules. The leadership team at Children of the Forest will coordinate these activities to ensure workshops are well spaced, allowing teachers and students to incorporate each stage of learning before the next begins.
A joint coordination call with all stakeholders is scheduled for the week of 9–14 March to confirm next steps and finalise the rollout plan.
Photo Album: https://www.rotarybangkok.org/PhotoAlbums/cof-gg-030326
Reported by PP Nicolas Reschke, 7 March 2026.