The Life Skills Development Foundation (TLSDF)

Promoting Child Rights for Quality of Life

TLSDF was founded in 1998 as part of Save the Children USA transition strategy when closing down its operational presence in Thailand. TLSDF is a registered Thai non-profit and non-governmental organization with the National Cultural Commission’s permission in Lamphun province. TLSDF’s work is based on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), ratified by the Royal Thai government in 1992. It works primarily for children (age 0-18 years) of many ethnicities in remote areas of upper northern Thailand, who are vulnerable, disadvantaged, under-served, neglected, abused, or affected by HIV. TLSDF's current programs are implemented in Lamphun and Mae Hong Son provinces, with the main office in Chiang Mai. Project activities focus on early child development, quality education, life skills curricula, HIV/AIDS stigma reduction and children's participation by partnering with public schools and communities in collaboration with the offices of Primary Education Services, provincial and district health services, sub-district "Tambon" Administration Organizations(TAO), other relevant local government offices and other NGO’s.

Mission

Improve the quality of life for vulnerable children and their families in northern Thailand by building the capacity of those individuals or groups responsible for ensuring the basic child rights of survival, protection, development, and participation, using a community-based, collaborative framework between government and non-governmental organizations.

Goal

Provide the range of services based on the principles of the UNCRC (survival and development, non-discrimination, best interest, and participation of children) to improve the quality of life for vulnerable children, youth, women and their families in upper northern Thailand, so that children may enjoy and benefit from the fulfillment of their basic rights of survival, protection, development, and participation with the support of their communities.

Objectives

• To provide life skills education, training, and promotion for children, youth, women, and families based on the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child
• To promote and support community participation in the sustainable development of life skills
• To encourage holistic human resource development through study and research
• To conduct operations in collaboration with other organizations for greater public benefit

Strategies

• Program activities to respond to the needs and unfulfilled rights of children identified by situation analysis in TLSDF project areas
• A community-based approach with emphasis on building the capacity of duty bearers, who have a responsibility to children’s best interest
• Child-centered methodology to learning and applying life skills
• Well-established collaborative networks of community members and community-based social and government organizations
• Cost effective operations and transparent project management
• Reliable program monitoring and evaluation for further improvement