Mercy Center- Service Learning – Project Week Action Plan
| This service is needed because the people in the center are not as privileged as us, how we are always able to be educated in a good environment. Since the children sometimes do not have as good an environment to study then us, we think this service would be needed for motivational support where children can enjoy their learning at school more than they had been. Also, as we set up activities and games for the children, we would be able to help the children increase their collaboration and communication skills.
Mercy Center also referred as The Human Development Foundation (HDF) is a non-profit and non-denominational organization in Bangkok, Thailand. Mercy Center support both children and adults providing “a shelter for street kids, five orphanages, a hospice, a home for mothers and children with HIV/AIDS, a 400-pupil kindergarten, a community meeting place, and a serene haven in the slums with small gardens and playgrounds.” It has since expanded into a network of over 30 schools all over Bangkok, which have graduated an estimated 35,000 children. They are continuing to expand services to orphans, street children, and children with HIV/AIDS to improve the quality of life for these children. The HDF was established by Roman Catholic Redemptorist priest Father Joe Maier with Sister Maria Chantavaradom in 1975. It began as a single one-baht-a-day preschool for every child in the SlaughterHouse, including children of all religions and circumstances. The Mercy Center cares deeply about inclusivity and equality. Children who are economically and socially disadvantaged are treated differently from others, such as children living with HIV. Father Joe Maier says, “We here at the Mercy Centre continue to fight but our fight is not just about the virus. Ignorance, discrimination and isolation limits opportunities to fully participate, preventing them from living full and happy lives.” By investigating the NGO, we were able to understand that we need to make sure they feel included and teach them skills that can help them have more opportunities in their future, just like other children. |