Who We Are

Since beginning in Chiang Mai in 1997, the Thai-run VCDF has been working to improve the lives of street children in Northern Thailand. Using art therapy, non-formal education and providing information on how to protect themselves from HIV/AIDS, we have given children the opportunity to develop and improve themselves.

While working in Chiang Mai, we found that many of the children who were working as prostitutes and in various bars through out the Chiang Mai Night Bazaar came from Burma or tribal families located along the Thai-Burmese border. Most of the youth on the Chiang Mai streets were at least 12 years old and we learned they were trafficked from the busy market city of Mae Sai.

In order to prevent these children from becoming victims of human-trafficking, VCDF began the Buddies along the Roadside Project in 2001. We immediately began focusing in on the small children who begged on the streets with their mothers as we found they were most likely to be trafficked or tricked into working in the bars of Chiang Mai.

Since opening our first Drop-In Center back in 2001, we have served hundreds of kids via our Drop-In Center and currently support the educations of over 100 children.

For more information about our organization, please visit our VCDF Web site by clicking the button below.