Getting to know Kru Nuannoi Timkul

While many people are willing to help others when they are ready to help, Kru Nuannoi Timkul or "Kru Noi" gives a hand to underprivileged children even though she has had a stroke and is not rich. Initially, she worked in straitened circumstances for several years until "Ban Kru Noi" was guaranteed by the Department of Public Welfare as able to look after underprivileged children in 1987.

Kru Noi grew up in a poor family so her experience made her understand the poverty of children who do not have any chances to study or even to serve their basic needs. Kru Noi intends to help these children to pass the crises of life and grow up to be valuable resources for society in the future. Therefore, she has spent her life helping them without giving up no matter what obstacles or pressures face her.

Kru Noi started helping children in 1980 when she had a stroke which affected her legs and had to rest at her small house in Soi Ratburana 26, Thonburi. This allowed her to see laborers' children playing in the fields with no chance to study at primary level because of poverty and the lack of necessary documents such as birth certificates and house registration forms. Kru Noi decided to use her house as a place for the children, to give food to them and to teach them to be literate. Since then, her extreme generosity has been much talked about, and many people take their children to live with her even though Kru Noi is massively indebted for food and other expenses.

Ten years ago, Kru Noi's story received attention from the mass media. Organizations, foundations and the general public started giving help to "Ban Kru Noi" donating money, food, clothes and toys. They also encouraged the government to allow children to study at primary level without official documents.

Since 1980, Kru Noi has helped about 800 underprivileged children, children with imprisoned parents and homeless children to have a chance for education. Now at Ban Kru Noi, there are total of 128 children, aged between 6 and 18 years. 98 of them are studying at schools. The rest 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 cooperates with many other foundations and organizations such as Sithasinee Foundation, Srinartsiam School and Sriwara School in Bangkok and in other provinces.

On weekdays after school, weekends, public holidays and vacations, many people come to visit Ban Kru Noi. Also, there are volunteers from many institutions in Bangkok running entertainment and academic activities for the children, for example, teaching art, music, computing and English as well as occupational activities such as candle making. This builds good relationships and allows others to share their kindness and smiles with the children. It may also help the children to change their attitudes and behaviors so that they can grow up to be good people in the society following Kru Noi's intentions. She wants the children to be happy and does not expect anything in return.