Jojo’s Sanctuary: Celebrating 9 Years of Impact

In May 2025, Jojo’s Sanctuary celebrates 9 years of dedicated service to low-income families in Chiang Mai. Our mission is centred on family preservation, with a threefold focus: Educate, Protect, and Empower. We believe every child deserves the opportunity to grow up in a loving family—not an orphanage—and we work to remove the barriers that separate children from their homes.

EDUCATE: Back-to-School Uniform Fund

March and April mark the school break in Thailand and the start of our annual Uniform Scholarship Campaign. For many families, the cost of school uniforms—especially when children transition to new levels like preschool, elementary, middle school, high school, or university—can be a major obstacle. Uniforms get more expensive with each educational milestone, especially for families with multiple children.

Since the start of this program, we've proudly supported over 225 students with full sets of uniforms, including socks, shoes, and accessories.

In 2024, we provided 89 students with scholarships, and our goal is to beat that number in 2025! Each recipient receives:

• 5 uniforms

• 2 pairs of shoes

• Socks

• Scout accessories (for middle and high school)

Our 2025 goal is to raise 335,000 THB. So far, we've raised just over 36,000 THB and are also campaigning in the U.S. this month. We invite you to partner with us—your support helps children stay in school and stay with their families.

We welcome representatives to join us in March and April for uniform distributions. Students across Thailand can apply via our Facebook page.

PROTECT: Foster Care and Citizenship

Our Protect initiatives ensure that children have access to legal protection and care:

• We currently support around 40 active citizenship cases across 10 districts. Each case takes 3–5 years to complete and can result in Thai citizenship or a 10-year residency card.

• We've completed 22 cases and have helped with 62 cases in total.

• Co-founder Jay, fluent in Hmong and currently studying law, plays a vital role in navigating these cases at the district level.

We've also provided foster care for 11 children, and are now supporting their transition into the next stage of life. Just last week, our team travelled to Mae Sot to assist a new client with ID documentation—a process made possible by Jay’s language skills and commitment.

EMPOWER: Building Family Dreams & Micro-Grants

Our Empower arm helps families become self-sufficient through two core initiatives:

1. Building Family Dreams – Our fourth cohort will graduate this March! This programme helps prevent family separation and even supports the reunification of children from orphanages back into their families. We continue to stay in contact with past participants to support their progress.

   
   

2. Income-Generating Micro-Grants – We offer grants up to 12,500 THB to families with young children to help them launch or grow a small business. Participants reimburse 50% of the grant within one year. So far, we’ve had 14 recipients.

Recently, Narumon and her children received a serger sewing machine to complement her existing equipment. She will begin training with Sozo Life Chiang Mai to develop her skills and work from home—one more step toward family stability and independence.

Thank you for standing with us as we educate, protect, and empower families in Thailand. Together, we can ensure children grow up surrounded by love, dignity, and opportunity.

With gratitude,

The Jojo’s Sanctuary Team