Six members of BCTFN committee made a trip to Nong Khai to visit the Good Shepherd Sisters who have been supported by money raised at Ploenchit Fair for many years.  BCTFN gives each application received careful consideration and require original receipts, photos and a report on every project however it was thought it was about time we checked out some of the charities to see for ourselves the work being carried out. 

We received a very warm welcome on Sunday, 3 March as some of the villagers had made a special trip to the Garden of Friendship to meet us and show their appreciation of BCTFN.  After a delicious lunch consisting of home grown produce, we watched a video about the work done in Nong Khai and the surrounding villages which was very moving.  It is wonderful to see how the Good Shepherd Sisters and their team improve the lives of the poor, those with HIV, as well as physical and mental disabilities.   

On Monday, before we departed for Udon Thani Airport, we had another delicious lunch in the restaurant on the main road in Nong Khai, another one of the Good Shepherd Sisters’ projects.  This is at the front of the Regina Centre where we had been in the morning learning details of the education sponsorship which is deemed paramount to give the young ones the chance of a better life.

This was the first charity we have visited and we were all humbled and heartened by the Good Shepherd Sisters team who do wonderful work with their education sponsorship for hundreds of poor children, HIV hospice and outreach programme, chickens, fishing, agriculture to make them as self-sufficient as possible as well as occupational work making cards and other gifts. Truly worthy of BCTFN support.