“Tarn” or Thanya Nittayawan, 13 years, studying at Bann Lao Noi School, Yasothon province. Her parents got divorced since she was born and abandoned her to live with her grandmother who is now 85 years old. They stay together in a small old wooden house with one room.

Tarn’s grandmother has been the only one who raise her up for over 10 years with a daily wage of 100-200 Baht (3-6 US$) from being a worker in the rice fields. Unfortunately, her grandmother had an accident 2 years ago caused one leg broken and cannot walk without a walker. She has been, since then, unable to work again. 

At the present, Tarn have to do any kinds of odd jobs to earn enough for a living and take care of her grandmother. Tarn wakes up 2 am almost everyday to help her neighbor’s makes Thai desserts. She helps with everything from removing the coconut coir, blending the ingredients, steaming until packing and get paid for 30-50 Baht (1-1.5US$). All works normally finishes around 7 am and she has to rush to go to school in the morning. 

 



After school, she goes straight home to take care of her grandmother and do another evening job in the spring onion garden and get another 15-20 Baht (0.5.0.6US$) in return. 

However, the jobs are not available everyday. No job means empty stomach. Sometimes, the kind neighbors, gives some food for Tarn and her grandmother which help them survive another day.  
 
The teacher always help ther with asking the villagers for any used clothes donation for her, especially school uniforms , shoes and learning materials since Tarn could not afford any money to buy themselves.
 
Tarn’s homeroom teacher told us that “Tarn is a kind and polite girl. She tries her best to keep on studying eventhough she sometimes feels sleepy from waking up too early in the morning to work. She likes to do extracurricular activities and being chosen as a head in planting and taking care of school’s vegetable garden. I would be regret if a grateful girl like her does not have a chance to continue studying in lower secondary school. Her grand mother seems to be the only one relative Tarncould rely on, but she is too old and weak to take a good care of them”



 
Tarn expressed her words to us that “ I always try my best for earning enough money for a living and my education. No matter how exhausted I feel, I will never give up. I’m glad that I can do someting for my grandmother. She has been tired and sacrificed in raise me up for long time. I wish I could have a chance to continue my stdy in hogher education so that I can ge a good job and take care of my grandmother to repay the kindness of her” 

We strongly hope that Tarn’s story can well represent the prolonged problem of thousands Thai children who have been irresponsibly neglected by their separated parents to live with elderly relatives in the rural community. Based on our scholarship students database recorded for years, we found that, the number of students who came from broken family background and being abandoned is sharply increasing every year.