• Daughters Education Programme (DEP) est. 1989

Support of girls (and boys too, since 1998) to attend primary and secondary school in two districts of Chiang Rai province. The children have all been identified as being at risk of entering prostitution or are orphans with no one to take care of them.   Read more ...

• Half Day School (HDS)

The Half Day School provides free non-formal elementary education for local village children from the Shan state in Burma. If it were not for this free schooling these children would be left at home during the day while their parents went to work. At this non formal school children learn the basics of Thai language, maths, social skills and basic living skills in the morning and agriculture and outside activities in the afternoon.
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• Mekong Youth Net (MYN)

A network of trained youth leaders operating throughout the Mekong sub-region, assimilating into community leadership roles and engaging in educational prevention programmes at the community level. They advocate the reintegration of trafficked women and children back into their communities by providing counseling and support services, maintain and enhance the network of NGOs and GOs in the region as well as strengthen advocacy and raising awareness on human trafficking, the rights of children and human rights issues at community level and with local government agencies.
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• Community Learning Center (CLC)

The Community Learning Centre in Mae Sai, under direction of DEPDC, provides computer training, human rights education and literacy training in both Thai and English for undocumented migrants, refugees and other community members living along the Thai-Burmese border. The Centre is also open to both young people who may be at risk of being sold into the commercial sex industry, as well as to their parents and other adult community members.
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• Mekong Study Centre (MSC) in Mae Sai

The MSC conducts research and keeps data on the villages surrounding DEPDC. It also houses reports and information on issues concerned with Child Rights, Trafficking, Prostitution and HIV/AIDS in all six countries of the Mekong Sub Region. Researchers, students and other persons interested are welcome to visit MSC and to look for information.

MSC handles the Thai Language Public Relations of DEPDC, functions as a library and maintains the DEPDC website. It is currently completing a database of information on all children past and present who have benefited from DEPDC programs.

The Vocational Training Programme is aimed at children who are at risk of being sent into child labour or prostitution. It is open to both children from the DEP and HDS programmes. The girls are taught sewing, weaving, handicrafts, typing, computing, English, cooking and other activities such as art, sports and music. Where appropriate finished items are also sold in the DEPDC shop adding a business perspective to the skills training programme. It is hoped that these skills increase the students chances of employment when they leave DEPDC thus enabling them to support themselves and their immediate family and thereby steer clear of a life in prostitution or other exploitative child labour situations.

The training is operated from the Mae Sai centre, where most of the students either live or attend the Half Day School. In addition to vocational training, the girls attend non-formal education on weekends. The training lasts for 18 months.

The children are able to practice one skill per semester (there being two semesters per year). Each session provides training and practice in the design, manufacture and selling of the products within the selected skill.

The skills chosen reflect the local economy. Experts from the community are recruited to help teach the particular handicraft. Staff and teachers from DEPDC work closely with these people.

Where appropriate the history of each skill is taught especially when it pertains to a particular minority in the area.

At the end of each semester the children can choose to either opt for a new skills program or continue the current program to a more advanced level.

At the end of each semester all the classes participate in an exhibition of the semester’s work. This gives the students the opportunity to see each others work and present their own work in a meaningful way.

There are now 7 skills training programs operating at DEPDC.

• Weaving

Here the children learn to produce hand woven fabric using traditional tools and techniques.

• Handicrafts

The main objective of the handicrafts program is to teach the children how to turn everyday things which might otherwise be thrown away into toys, decorations or even repair them.

• Wood carving program

The main objective of the wood carving program is to teach the children how to create toys and decorations out of wood which can be found locally. The children create such things as ducks, lamp stands and toys.

• Local and Thai Desert (Ka-Nom)

Many ethnic minorities are represented in the community all with their own traditional snacks and sweets. Unfortunately many western style snacks are also available and this program hopes to encourage the more healthy traditional snacks, deserts and sweets.

This training program teaches the children to make the traditional deserts from ingredients readily available in the area. The children obviously like this program a lot since they are able to eat their products or take them home to their family!

Some children can improve their skills to such an extent that they can use these skills to earn extra money in the future.

• Chemistry in the kitchen

The main objective of this program is to apply basic science and chemistry to create handicrafts such as soap, candles and dying flowers. The students are shown what ingredients are needed for these and how to safely mix them.

• Agriculture

Most of the children’s parents and extended family are or were farmers. This program aims to teach the children appropriate methods of farming which are also in harmony with their environment. The children learn how to use and maintain farm tools.

The children also learn how to cultivate plants, vegetables, flowers and shrubs for planting. They start with the basics and graduate to more advanced methods such as grafting and other crop cultivation techniques.

This program has many beneficial side affects one of which is the improved environment around DEPDC thanks to the efforts and creations of the students. They can also take their vegetables home with them.

• Computer Skills Programme

The children learn how to use computers which can be a very useful skill when applying for jobs in the future. The children learn the following basic skills;

• File Management
• Using the mouse
• Typing (word processing)
• Graphics skills
• File searches
• Peripheral Devices
• Multimedia – songs, DVDs, digital music etc

• Mekong Regional Indigenous Child Rights Home (MRICRH)

The MRICRH is a community based support service and safe shelter. It incorporates a Half Way Home, a Child Protection and Rights (CPR) Centre for Hill Tribe Children and a twenty-four hour hotline. It is an independent non- government organization.   Read more ...

• Border Child Protection Rights (BCPR)
  
  Initiated by DEPDC, the Mae Sai BCPR is a network of GOs, NGOs and community organisations in the Mae Sai district. The network takes on the task of prevention, protection and intervention on behalf of children through rescuing, counseling, and case follow-up.  Read more ...

The goals of the sports and activities programmes are to help foster an appreciation for personal fitness, encourage team work, discipline and improve the physical and mental health of the children incorporating a "Play with Purpose" philosophy.

The programmes are further broken down into individual and team sports tempered with sport solely for fun.

Participation in the individual sports programme hopes to encourage a healthy competitive nature. The three sports used to achieve this are running, tennis and swimming. The training programmes for these are rigorous and the children practice six days, Tuesday through Sunday, to improve their fitness and stamina. DEPDC participates in competitive events for these sports at the local, provincial and national levels according to the ability of the children.

The strength of the extra curricula program at DEPDC has won much praise and respect.  The results of evaluations have found that activities such as camps, sports days and national celebrations make a major impact on the lives of the children.

For example, swimming improves concentration allowing the children to learn through participation and develop a healthy attitude to learning. Many rehabilitation centers use water games and water sports as therapy. Excelling in a sport, particularly a non traditional sport such as swimming has enormous benefit in building children's self esteem and confidence. The team work involved teaches them co-operation and sharing, imparting a sense of belonging and family.

They are taught the value and satisfaction of commitment to a common cause, goal setting, improving one's performance and how to cope with disappointment. Teaching the body to regulate and control breathing for a sustained period during training can also have positive effects on mood disorders, encouraging the body and mind to achieve an overall meditative state.

The exposure of DEPDC’s excellent swimmers broadens its network exposing more and more people to their valuable work and demonstrating the good work of the program through the success of the swimmers, the strength of the team and the healthy, delightful children participating fully in life.

Volleyball and football are played in the team sports program. These sports are great in fostering team spirit and team work while at the same time improving the children's fitness.

The last category is all about fun and games. This can include both activities on and off site. This can be as varied as playing chess and checkers to a full day of events designed around having fun !!!!!

Games for small children, such as: jumping with ropes, playing with rubber rings, team running and jumping with elastic bands and ropes, marble games, running in pairs with one leg tied to each other, walking on coconut shells, hopping with one leg,etc

As its name suggests the directing team is responsible for DEPDC's continued direction and vision.

Their responsibilities include but are not limited to the following;

• policy control; ensuring that DEPDC’s activities are in keeping with its strategy
• develop new direction and strategies
• create action plans for strategy implementation
• resource planning
• fund raising
• the staff’s skills development

DEPDC keeps its administrative costs to the bear minimum. All of the staff have multiple responsibilities in the running of the organisation. Each day a myriad tasks and responsibilities are completed and fulfilled. The smooth running of the centre relies on a whole host of indiviudals pulling together. From the planning and preparation of meals to the maintenance of our buildings; the task is never ending. Many of the projects mentioned above rely heavily on this infrastructure for their continued successful implementation.