Happy Community Foundation

HCF Offers Free English Classes To Schools

2011-12-19T06:04:00.002-08:00

"We don't just wait for them to come. We go to them!"
This is one of the objectives of the foundation and what's in the hearts of our volunteer teachers. They know that by doing so, they would be able to serve more and meet those who need their services the most.

Learning English, though becoming important in Thailand, is still a privilege that not everyone can easily afford. One of the goals of Happy Community Foundation is to make this privilege available to everyone in the community, and so HCF teaching team has gone out from teaching at HCF center to the public schools.

To date, HCF has 4 volunteer English teachers who are available to offer free teaching services to schools that don't have foreign English teachers. The foundation prioritizes schools that cannot afford to hire foreign teachers.

Should you want to avail of our services or you want to get involved by volunteering as a teacher, please write to hcf.bkk@gmail.com or contact us here.

October English Program Completed Amid Flood Threat

2011-11-08T08:57:00.000-08:00

Despite threat of flood that continues to haunt the entire city of Bangkok, HCF teaching team managed to complete another English Program that served more than 50 children.

The month of October is a holiday for all public schools in Thailand, thus, we all look forward to this month where more children could avail of our free English classes. We were blessed that floodwater had not reached our area before we were done with the program.

To date, the floodwater has started to creep in our area and we have to close the HCF center until the floodwater subsides.

Teachers Enrichment Training and Workshop

2011-09-14T11:02:00.000-07:00

Happy Community Foundation launched its first teachers training under its education support project on September 10-11, 2011.HCF offers this training to schools that don't have foreign English teachers. Its goal is to strengthen the local schools' English program by providing the local teachers new tools in teaching English. Rongrian Anuban Wantha in Muban Nakila is its first recipient.

HCF training staff and volunteers will continue to work with the school by assisting them in their actual English classes, if necessary, and by providing English Refresher Course for teachers.

If you think your school qualifies to avail of this program, write to hcf.bkk@gmail.com.

Meeting Families Where They Are

2011-05-01T18:37:00.001-07:00

Happy Community Foundation's free English classes have brought happiness to many families in the east side of Bangkok. The ongoing summer classes have served many more children. We, at HCF, are happy to know that children from underprivileged families can avail quality English programs for free. And we want to do more services for the communities.

HCF is currently conducting a survey to know the felt needs of the people. We, at HCF, want to deliver what is needed, so our staff are visiting families, knocking doors, meeting people where they are, to see their real situation and to know how HCF can better serve them.

Happy Community Foundation is registered to operate in four areas: education, livelihood training, counseling, and health care. If you wish to participate in meeting the needs of many communities in Bangkok, contact us. There are many ways to get involved and significantly help build happy communities within urban poor areas in Bangkok.

New Faces In HCF English Program

2011-03-26T02:15:00.000-07:00

HCF March English Program ended yesterday, March 25th, on a happy note. There were new names added to the growing list of students. An average of 30 students benefited our free English classes during after-school hours.

Special thanks to the volunteer teachers who tirelessly prepare their lessons and come to teach these children and to all friends and neighbors who support our literacy project with their donations.

HCF is now preparing for the Summer English Program which begins on April 18th. There are 2 new volunteer teachers and already 40+ students enlisted to avail of the program.

If you wish to participate in our efforts to bless under privileged families,please open this link: Get Involved.

A little sacrifice you'll make will be a hundred times happiness to many families in need.

HCF Offers New English Class

2011-01-29T22:35:00.001-08:00

Happy Community Foundation opened a new English class this month of January. This 10-session class focuses on teaching basic English grammar. Aside from the 20 regular students we had in our previous classes, 7 new students were added. So we have a classroom full of children ages 5-12. We are expecting more children in the coming days as the news has rapidly spread in the nearby communities.

Learning English in Bangkok has become a must yet very expensive. Though it is offered in most public schools, only those who can afford are privileged to study qualitatively. There are many quality programs available in the city but at a high cost. HCF offered it for FREE! Although the program is open to all who come to our center, but we give more priority to children of underprivileged families.

HCF Celebrates Children's Day

2011-01-29T21:58:00.000-08:00

Thai people celebrate Children's day every second Saturday of January. Many local authorities and organizations organize special events for the children to have fun.

This year, HCF was invited to handle the program during the Children's Days celebration of our immediate community. Children and parents came with food and gifts. It was a combined efforts of all parents and community leaders. HCF staff were pleased to be part of the celebration and to be counted as part of the community.

HCF Now A Member of League of Foundations

2010-12-12T01:11:00.000-08:00

On December 3, 2010, Happy Community Foundation officially became a member of League of Foundations of Thailand under The Royal Patronage of H.M. the King.

Members of League of Foundations in Thailand Under The Royal Patronage of H.M. The King

On December 4, 2010, HCF personnel attended the big annual meeting of LFT in Royal River Hotel, Bangkok, Thailand. That's where the certificate was awarded to the foundation.

Meet Our Students...

2010-07-29T07:58:00.000-07:00

and hear what they say about our program.

Today we completed our 24 session-Reading Program.Our reading class has an average of 15 students who come regularly. Yesterday, when we announced that we only had one more day left to complete the program and that we are taking a break, the students groaned and asked when will we resume classes.

We thought it was a good time to know what keeps them coming back to our center. We were blessed and encouraged of what we heard.

Natjami, 11

"Since I started learning English last summer at Happy community Foundation, I gained more confidence in my English subject at school. I can get better score now than before. Yesterday, we had a big test at school. I got 29 out of 30 items!

I like to study English everyday and there are many books in the library that I want to read soon."

Hussein, 5

"I like coming here because the teacher is kind."

Dream, 12

"I have much fun in our class."

Wewdaw,8

"I like my teacher."

Bei, 4

I like coming to class because the room is air-conditioned."

Nam, 7 ; Bon, 8

We like the coloring activities."

Berlin, 6

"The lessons are easy to understand."

Kick, 4

"I come because my dad said so."

Tie, 12

"I like to learn from a foreign teacher."

Folk & Boss, 9

"We enjoyed what we do here. We learned a lot, too"

Pop, 10

"I like everything here."

Bot, 13

"I come because I learn many things here."

Reading Program

2010-07-29T07:57:00.001-07:00

The main goal of HCF's library project is to plant the love of reading into the culture of the young generation in our community. No matter how we make our library as attractive as we can, that goal will not be achieved without teaching the children to read. So, that's why the Reading Program was developed.

The first Reading Program offered was in June-July 2010. It was divided into 24 sessions, 3 times a week.

Children ages 4 to 14 came. It was a mixed group so it was a big challenge to the teacher.
We wanted to control the number and the age group but parents came begging us to accept their children to the program.

It was on an after-class schedule so it is interesting to see the children come in different school uniforms.

HCF Humble Beginning

2010-07-29T07:56:00.004-07:00

From Zac and Ruth's Journal

( Zac is the founder/director of Happy Community Foundation, and Ruth, his wife, is the coordinator of the education advocacy project of the foundation.)

We came to Bangkok with the hope to set up a learning center offering quality education affordable to the under-privileged families. We had a vision to have a big library that would be open to the community for free reading on weekends. We had a beautiful picture in mind, so we prepared for it. We went to a training on how to start our own school, collected books, old and new, studied the local language, and shared our vision to our friends who also expressed their support.

When we started to look into details on how to get the license to legally run with our vision, we had come to realize that building a foundation would be a better and bigger step for us to take. In that way, we would not only serve the community through education but also through other ways such as health care support, livelihood training, and family counseling. Thus, Happy Community Foundation was born.

The learning center and library combined was first set up in our home.

The first batch of children who came to our library were the friends of our own children. They came and borrowed books.

But during the course of processing our license, there was a challenge to find a new location.

Zac and eldest son, Ben preparing the office area.

With the help of our friends and other private groups and individuals , we were able to leased a brand new 3-storey building within the community. We've seen how our need was miraculously provided for us to sign up a contract to use it as a library, a learning center and an office.

The place was set-up just in time the licensed was approved by the government and was awarded to us in November 10, 2009.

Summer English Program

2010-07-29T07:56:00.003-07:00