A PROVEN PROGRAM TO DEVELOP SERVANT LEADERS AMONG THE MARGINALIZED KAREN PEOPLE
The Karen Leadership Development Program (KLDP) has been
recognized as one of the best examples of how to raise up
leaders among the marginalized Karen people of Thailand.
Through their work to provide a safe and loving residential community
to Karen youth during their years at university, they are
steadily graduating servant leaders who are
making a difference in Karen society. This is thanks to
their extensive leadership development program which they operate in parallel to the
students' university programs. In this program, servant leadership is joyfully
modeled and experienced as staff and students live together in community.
WHY THE KLDP NEEDS A BUILDING
The KLDP currently rents facilities from a local Karen church. These facilities limit
the KLDP program to about 10 students with little capacity to offer additional programs
other than their core residential program. The KLDP has a vision to expand their students
from 10 to 40 per year and offer a vareity of additional programs that can more broadly impact
Karen society. This includes a 9-month gap year option for Karen students and regular
programs, camps and activities for Karen youth. The KLDP is also poised to begin to influence
communities beyond the Karen through their programs. New facilities will also help the KLDP
to become more sustainable by allowing them to develop new income-generating programs and by
renting out their facilities for use by local communities.
MUCH HAS ALREADY BEEN ACCOMPLISHED
The KLDP has made significant progress in their efforts to become
more independent and sustainable for the long-term. They
now operate under their own organization, the Karen Leadership
Development Foundation (KLDF). They have purchased their own
land of 1.08 acres near to one of the universities where their
students study (see photo above). And, they have almost completed Phase 1
of their building project on this land, which includes a house for staff and fencing around the
entire property. Much of the difficult work is already completed - including
work with the government, engineers, and architects for the land purchase,
utility connections, and building designs.
THE NEED AND HOW YOU CAN HELP
The KLDP is now raising funds for the 2nd and final phase of their building
project - a beautiful building which will contain student dormitories,
staff and guest rooms, KLDF offices, meeting and classrooms, a kitchen and
cafeteria, a library, and a chapel. The outside of the building is designed
for large outdoor gatherings and activities. This building will fully meet the
needs of the new and expanded KLDP programs for many years into the future. The
KLDP needs to now raise US$500,000 to complete this final phase of their building
project. Your gift of any amount will be a great help to the KLDP. You can
choose an option for making your donation to support the KLDP Building
Project below on this page.
A GOAL TO RAISE $50,000 BY THE END OF MAY 2022
A donor for the KLDP Building Project recently donated $25,000 as a "head start
challenge," hoping to encourage other donors to give during the months of April
and May 2022.
Since that time, an additional $7,695 has already been raised, for a total of
$32,695 raised so far! Can you help us meet our goal to raise $50,000
by the end of May? We will continue to update our progress here on this page.