Human Development Foundation

Charity Visit Report

On the 1st September 2005 I visited the Mercy Centre of The Human Development Foundation,
situated in in Klong Toey, Bangkok's largest slum.

This organization was established by Father Joe Maier in 1974 to help the children and communities
of the many slums of Bangkok.

Activities :

Mercy Orphanages and Shelters
They have over 200 children under our care, ages 3 to 18, living in six homes in and
around Mercy Centre. These children have been orphaned, abused, abandoned, or assigned
to the Foundation by Thai courts.

Mercy Kindergartens
Today they operate 33 Mercy Kindergartens, providing over 4,500 slum kids, ages 3 to 6, their first lessons in reading, writing, Thai folklore and history, song, dance, sports, religious celebrations, and more. The children receive daily nourishing lunches and snacks and health care check-ups throughout the year.

Aids Care
Both hospice and a home care program. Currently their home includes 8 mothers and 50 children. The children range in age from just a few months old up to age fourteen. The HDF Mercy Centre operates the first and largest free AIDS hospice in Bangkok.

Housing Construction and Repair
For the elderly and indigent - over 10,000 homes to date.

Community Organization
Consultation, leadership, education, and coordination with several government ministries, including the national housing authority, police departments, the port authority, and various welfare organizations.

Drug Rehabilitation
The foundation assists with program placement.

Documentation
The Foundation helps to obtain birth certificates and other documentation required for government schools, health benefits, and hospitalization.

Sports
Construction and maintenance of drug-free playgrounds.

Financing
Small business start-ups, emergency low-interest loans, etc.

Klong Toey Women's Group Savings & Loan
Empowering poor women to combat domestic problems and loan-sharking.

Handicapped Program
Uniting a strong common voice among the handicapped to ensure proper hospitalization, medicine, wheelchairs, and prosthetic limbs.

Fires and Emergencies
In 30 years, responding to over 70 major slum fires, they have worked through the night and following day with the victims, mostly squatters, to rebuild homes and prevent eviction. In most cases, the Foundation provides the materials, social workers, and community organizers while the victims of the fire provide the labor. They also respond daily - often hourly - to individuals and families in crisis.

Tsunami Support

II also understand that the Foundation was fairly heavily involved in supporting the Tsunami victims in Southern Thailand, which many people preferring to donate money to them, as they felt more certain that the funds would get to the people that need it most.

For More Information

The Human Development Foundation has a website at www.mercycentre.org , where you can get more information on their activities.

You are also able to submit donations at their website and they also have Sponsor-a-Child programs.

Father Maier has also authored a very beautiful book entitled "Welcome to the Bangkok Slaughterhouse", which contains many moving stories of the people that live in the Bangkok slums. It is available from their website and also hopefully from your local bookstore

Notes :

Accounts :

They have a fixed assets figure of Thai Baht 180 million, which is mainly invested in buildings and improvements, which initially seemed strange to have so much invested into fixed assets, when one would think that perhaps the funds could be better utilized for more immediate needs.

However upon questioning the foundation they informed me that the foundation received a single gift - the largest they ever received - that was restricted exclusively for construction. On reflection if you were a donor of such a large sum, you may well wish to insist that it be invested into long term development.

Total Income (2004) : US$ 1.4 million
(amazing that they achieve so much with such a small budget)

Highest paid individual :
Father Maier, US$ 30,000 pa - though most of his salary is spent on hand-outs to his poorest neighbors in the slums in times of emergency.

Report compiled by : Simon Fenley

Visit www.mercycentre.org