Happy Child Home

Susanne Janson, Hans Forssell and Khun Wow are the managers of Happy Child Home. Since Happy Child Home was founded, they have helped 130 children.

After the tsunami, Susanne and Hans went to Thailand to look for the family but unfortunately had to return to Sweden
without any of them. They were informed that a home had been set up to help children and families affected by the tsunami.
Susanne and Hans then decided to travel back to Thailand to work as volunteers. That was the start of the journey to the current
Happy Child Home that they run today.

All of the children who live at Happy Child Home have grown up in poverty where safety, love and security have not always been
a matter of course. Some of the children have lost parents in accidents or illnesses, others have parents who are very young, parents
with ongoing drug abuse, or a parent who is absent or in prison.

Therefore, it is extremely important for us at Happy Child Home, staff and volunteers to promote a safe, loving and secure environment
where our children can live as children. The home becomes a place where children can live and learn with adult role models who can provide
love, nurturing, good and nutritious food, education and skills for life.

The Home

The home is thoughtfully equipped and designed to create an environment where children can live
with freedom, and embrace the joy, love and responsibility of growing up together as a family.

Capacity to care for 35 children
Large courtyard with lawn and an outdoor pitch (with roof for sun protection)
- Where they can play football and volleyball
Rooms for indoor and outdoor activities
- To play, do homework, crafts, cuddling, etc.
Kitchen and dining room
Dogs living with the children, for extra company

Thanks to your and everyone else's support for Happy Child, we can create a safe and loving environment for the children.
And like all privately funded organizations, we are constantly in need of more money:

Salaries for our amazing staff
Food and drink
School uniforms and study materials
Hygiene items
Petrol and service for our cars (transportation vehicles for school and excursions)
Medical care and medicine
Electricity and clean water for the classroom, kitchen, dining room and bedrooms
Telephone and internet
Other renovations

Thank you all for supporting us, please come and visit the children and us if you come to Phuket!

/Susanne, Hans och Wow

Photoalbum

Education

One of our most important tasks is to prepare children for the lives they have ahead of them. To teach them skills and
qualities so they can help themselves to a better future as strong, independent individuals. The very best way to help
themselves to a better future is through a good education. That's why we focus on the children prioritizing their studies.
The children attend Thai schools and our dedicated staff and volunteers help the children with their homework.

Higher Education

We also want to give the children the opportunity to further their education and work actively to find sponsors for
scholarships for the university courses the children want to apply for. Today, we are proud to say that several of our
children are attending university and some have already graduated. You can read more about their stories and
university studies via the link below.

Sponsor higher educations

Our staff

Featured

Yaninee Saisrikoson - Wow

Wow has been in charge of the running of Happy Child Home together with Susanne and Han since 2006. It cannot be put into words just how important she is for the home and for the children. First and foremost she is a mother for the children, but on top of that she manages all contacts with the authorities, schools, relatives and the children who have left the home. Together with Sussi she also manages the daily finances and thus ensures that we use donations in a responsible manner. Wow has a big heart and she shares it with all of the children. She puts the children first in everything she does.

Hans Forssell - Hans

Hans started working as a volunteer in March 2005 and was hired by the Thai Foundation which runs Happy Child Home after the sponsors announced that they want him and Sussi to remain in charge of Happy Child Home for a continued collaboration.
Hans has since 2006 been responsible for Happy Child Home together with Sussi and Wow.
Hans is first and foremost the children's Swedish father and in addition to that he together with Sussi is responsible for getting new sponsors. It is also Hans who makes sure the children get out on long lovely walks and who is our grandmother's big hero and helps her with everything she can possibly need help with. His heart is with the children and he is driven by helping them to help themselves to a better future.

Susanne Janson - Sussi

Sussi started working as a volunteer in March 2005 and was hired by the Thai Foundation which runs Happy Child Home after the sponsors announced that they wanted her and Hans to remain in charge of Happy Child Home for a continued collaboration.
Sussi has since 2006 been responsible for Happy Child Home together with Hans and Wow. Sussi is first and foremost the children's Swedish mother and in addition to that, she is responsible for contact with the outside world and our sponsors. Together with Hans, she is responsible for getting new sponsors and is responsible for keeping all sponsors up to date on what is happening at Happy Child Home and that they receive ongoing financial reports. Sussi's heart is with the children and she is driven by helping them to help themselves to a better future.

Siriyakorn Kakthai - Khruu Jam

Khru (teacher in Thai) Jam has worked with us since 2011 and is the only teacher at the home. During the day she works at Wat Muang Mai school but she is an employee of Happy Child Home and we pay her salary. After school she comes home with the children. She helps them with their homework and if someone needs a little extra tuition, Khru Jam will give it. She is important in so many ways, partly for being the person she is, and the children love and respect her. She lets us know how each child performs at school, if they make friends, if they are naughty, and everything else that it is easy for a parent to miss. She gives so much support to the children, and so much of her time. Sometimes when the school is closed our children get extra tuition and after a long holiday they can get warmed up for school with some extra homework.

Mettra Panitchapan - Miaoo

Miaoo has been providing wonderful food for the children since 2005. She has responsibility for purchasing the food and then cooking it. She is also a very important figure at the home telling the children about right and wrong and making sure that there is plenty of fun and games. And Miaoo is also the one who bakes the fantastic birthdays cakes for the children, and then sings loudest and jolliest of everyone!

Taweeporn Chedsuk - Porn

Porn has worked for us since 2009. Initially she came looking for help for her own family when little Bat was still in her tummy. We were very lucky, because just then we were looking for some help in the kitchen and Miaoo decided that Porn was exactly the person she wanted, and we soon understood why. These two ladies form the dream team in the kitchen and everyone is a winner when they start cooking. On top of being a great cook, Porn is also someone who many of the new children, specially the girls, go to for a bit extra care and attention.

Thanawut Pinkheaw - Eak

Eak has worked with us since 2007. He is employed as one of three counsellors and acts as an extra dad for the children. In addition to helping them with homework, treating cuts and bruises, Eak makes sure that the children tidy their rooms, gives them praise when they perform well, tells them off when they are naughty and plays with them in their games. He also is a big support for our volunteers – and not because he has to as part of his job, but because he likes to do it.

Sunantha Thongcheed - Kate

Kate started working as a counsellor with us in 2018.
Kate has a very calm and pleasant personality and have a calming effect on our children. She acts as one of the children's extra mothers who help the children with their homework, making sure that they clean their rooms, helping the younger ones to prepare for school, encouraging them when they are doing something good and helping them to distinguish between right and wrong. She comforts them when they are sad and takes care of them when they are ill.

Witchuda Puangmala - Kook

Kook started working as a counsellor with us in 2018. Kook is a great combination between mother and big sister. A big sister, who cares for all her little siblings, helps them with homework, comforting them when they are sad, tending to their cuts and bruises, chatting with the little ones and listens to teenage problems.
A mother who gives them stability and warmth, teaches them to distinguish right from wrong, sheering them when they are doing good, correcting them when they behave bad and who are there for them all the time.

Waraporn Suwantada - Mae

Mae is a social worker and started working as a counsellor with us in 2020. Like Kook, Mae is a fantastic combination between mother and big sister. She helps the children with their homework, comforts them when they are sad, bandages wounds, chatting with the little ones and listens to teenage problems, gives them stability and warmth and teaches them to distinguish between right and wrong.
Being as social worker, she can also get into the moments when a child may need extra support - when they are new, when they are going through a slightly more tough phase in life, if they have difficulty focusing on school and if other problems arise that need extra attention.

Sa Samuthaban – Ma

Maa came to us looking for help with her two grandchildren in 2005. Her grandchildren have since left the home but Maa remained. She is not an employee, but we want to tell you about her because she is a very important person in the children’s lives, and indeed the rest of us, because she is our Grandma. She gives the children and us some extra love, security and warmth that only a grandma can give. If the children feel a bit sad or weak they go to Grandma, if you need an extra hug you go to Grandma. She is normally the first adult new arrivals meet at the home, and she fills them with love and energy so that they can take their next step into life at the home.

Happy Child Home is run by a Thai foundation - Thai-Swedish Children’s Foundation
The foundation was registered on March 18, 2005 and was started as a result of the tsunami that hit Thailand on December 26, 2005.

The foundations registration number is Por.Kor. 34/2548

Happy Child Home

The Home

Education

Our staff

News feed