Missions ¢ By Team Puhada / Photos courtesy of the Methodist Missions Society (MMS)
Ccommunities rafting P
uhada began by the grace of God—it has never been about our human abilities.
Conceptualised in 2008 as a means for Thai women to earn a much-needed income for their families in Chiang Mai, Puhada supports mainly single mothers who face difficulties in making ends meet. These women struggle to find work that pays a decent wage and at the same time allows them to take care of their children and household needs. In fact, many of them earn well below the minimum wage set by the Thai government—a paltry 320 baht (roughly SGD14) per day. Beyond encouraging and praying for these women in need, the primary aim of Puhada was to help them out practically by finding jobs for them. Initially, several jobs were found and recommended to these ladies, but not many were suitable because of the women’s family circumstances. Another possibility would have been to buy food for them or give them some money, but that was unsustainable in the long run. Yet, the burden that God had placed in our hearts was too great to ignore.
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Hence, we thought that if they could be provided with a job, they would be able to earn their own income and take care of their families in a more sustainable manner. In return, they would also be able to bless others. Having learned to sew at a young age, many of these women were already skilled in the art of embroidery and stitching. They were delighted to be able to put their talents to good use at Puhada. By the grace of God, He has continued to pave the way for Puhada on both the production front and the customers’ end, enabling us to offer high-quality products based on our customers’ needs. We thank God for all our customers, and brothers and sisters in Christ, for supporting Puhada since the very beginning. It humbles us to know how God multiplies the little that we have for His people and His ministries, and all we have to do is to continue to be faithful with the little that we have. May God continue to encourage us to spur one another on to love and good deeds. “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.” (Prov 17:17)
