Saawatdee Meet Kru Nuannoi Timkul

Saawatdee 
Meet Kru Nuannoi Timkul

     Kru Nuannoi Timkul or "Kru Noi" helps underprivileged children even though she has had a stroke and is not rich. She worked in strained circumstances from 1980 until "Baan Kru Noi" was certified by the Department of Public Welfare as able to care for children in 1987.
     Kru Noi grew up in a poor circumstances and her experiences made her understand the poverty of children who do not have the opportunity to get an education. Kru Noi attempts to help these children past the crises in their lives and grow up to be good productive citizens.. She has spent her life helping them and never given up no matter how tough the obstacles or pressures she faced.
     In 1980 she had a stroke which affected her legs and she had to convalesce at her small house in Bangkok. This allowed her to see laborers' children playing in the fields with no opportunity to go to school due to poverty and the lack of required documents such as house registration forms and birth certificates. Kru Noi decided to use her house as a place for the children, to feed them and to teach them to read and write. Since then, she has received a lot of publicity, and she is still accepting new children even though she has amassed about $250,000 in debt in the process.
     Ten years ago, Kru Noi's story received publicity from the mass media. Organizations, foundations and the general public started helping "Baan Kru Noi" by contributing food, clothes, money,  and toys. They also petitioned the government to allow children to study at primary level without official documents.
     Since 1980, Kru Noi has helped over 1,000 underprivileged children, homeless children and children with imprisoned parents to have a chance for education. Now at Ban Kru Noi, there are total of 55 children, aged between 6 and 18 years. The ones not in school are very young children and children with multiple disabilities. Many of these children go home at night while others live at Ban Kru Noi and in houses rented by Kru Noi.
In Ban Kru Noi, there are only 10 members of staff, 4 teachers and 6 support staff who work in 2 shifts. Kru Noi not only works at Ban Kru Noi but also works with other organizations  and foundations and such as Srinartsiam School, Sriwara School and Sithasinee Foundation  in Bangkok and in other provinces.
     On weekdays after school, weekends, public holidays and vacations, many people used to come to visit Baan Kru Noi, but the visits and support have dwindled in recent years. There are still a few volunteers from institutions in Bangkok running academic activities and entertainment for the children, things like teaching computing , art, music, and English as well as occupational activities such as candle making. This builds good relationships and allows other people to share their smiles and kindness with the children. It can also assist the children in changing their behaviors and attitudes so that they can grow up to be good people and productive citizens following Kru Noi's example. She wants the children to be healty, educated and happy and does not require anything in return.