A short distance from the northern city of Chiang Rai is the village of Baan Hoikom, where a 9 year old boy, Api*, rakes leaves amid the lush vegetation in the cool temperatures of a Thai winter.

Api always felt one with nature. His village depends on a waterfall atop a mountain for its water needs, giving Api the chance to put on his slippers, take a walk to the stream and return home with his water bottles brimming with fresh water for his grandparents.

When Api was a young 5 year old, his father passed away, leaving his mother devastated but resolved to find another life for herself – and herself only. Without warning she left the house with her new-found husband and young Api never saw her again.

Left behind, Api was in the care of his grandparents – farmers who raised a few chickens and pigs for additional income. But their income was insufficient to give Api the nutrition he needed. Api struggled to make the 10 kilometer commute to school every day and depended on a truck to get him to school and back – the cost for which was around one sixth of his grandparents' income.

It was the lack of food that alarmed Api's grandparents. On their small salary they were unable to nourish young Api's growing body. Day by day, they watched their diligent grandson feed the farm animals and take long walks past the rows of bamboo houses to the fields nearby. They knew they had to do something to give Api a better future.

When his grandparents heard about Hand of Hope's feeding program, the first visit they made was to find out if Api could join. When Hand of Hope heard his story, they accepted him with a warm heart… and an even warmer plate of healthy food!

The Hand of Hope feeding program's nutritious meals, school tuitions and Bible lessons given to children everyday has not only improved the health and potential of the children, but is a great source of support to their families.

Nowadays Api's grandparents welcome him home and give him a quick hug before he darts off to the front porch to practice his Thai and Karen lessons. Swinging his legs, he reads every day – a practice that will greatly boost his future academic/professional opportunities.

Strapping on his poncho styled Thai shirt, Api still enjoys walking past the green fields and over rocky mounds, sometimes taking the younger neighborhood children with him on bicycle rides. Though he feels his mother's absence he has also received an unmatchable love that Hand of Hope has given him.

If you would like to help us reach more children and give them a happy home, partner with Hand of Hope! Click here to partner with us today.

*Name changed for privacy