Why Partnerships Matter

A 6-year old girl removed from harm waits in a government children’s shelter. Smaller than most girls her age, she looks like a tiny grasshopper swaddled in uniform, complete with an orange polo tucked into baggy black pants. Her hair is cropped short in the local custom for a school girl. Her gummy smile confirms her actual age with two rows of missing front teeth. She chats willingly and easily, telling us her favorite colors, foods, and obediently recites the entire 44 letters of the Thai alphabet. With little prompting, she waves a perfect English “hello” to the westerner in the room. 

The government shelter is a pleasant surprise, with a well-trimmed lawn and recently painted buildings in playful, child-friendly colours. Two government social workers, one government psychologist, and three non-profit social workers from two different organizations come together to discern the optimal outcome for this one little girl. The combined experience in the room reaches well over 75 years, all hearts soft with hope that this child can find a loving home and a bright future. 

This isn’t a formally registered case that we get to count for the books. This isn’t a success story that we log into our numbers. This is a story of government and non-profit organizations working together for a six-year-old girl who has suffered atrocities beyond imagination, and the open-hearted, optimistic social workers doing their best to give her the positive future she deserves.

We won’t know how her story ends.* In this case, LIFT simply acted as a conduit between two groups deeply invested in caring for this girl. Because of LIFT’s consistent and intentional focus on building and maintaining partnerships, a southern Thailand government shelter came together with a northern Thailand non-profit to bring this little one to safety. We trust in our partners to take it from there.

*Update: The social workers found a family to adopt her. The process has begun!