Matamata CWL supports women and children displaced by war

The Matamata CWL recently hosted a meeting of a Combined Churches group at which the guest speaker was Kirsten Curragh, who had been to visit The Children of the Forest Foundation. The CWL in Matamata has financially supported the foundation for at least five years. In 2022, donations from the CWL meant that a washing centre could be set up there.

Ms Curragh, who went to Matamata College, is a sister of the foundation’s manager, Mark Curragh.

The foundation provides protection to women and children displaced by war in the region. Ms Curragh shared information about its two main programmes: a medical clinic and a schools programme.

A truck from the foundation brings sick and needy people to the medical clinic each day. It is estimated that service saves 40 lives a year. The clinic is run by Mr Curragh’s wife, who faces many medical and other challenges each day.

The school programme, which has been running for 20 years, started with 150 children and now has 400 pupils from preschool to teens. They have an opportunity to learn Thai as well as English, enabling a university education, which means they can go from being classified as a “stateless” person to a Thai citizen. This makes them eligible for what is considered the ultimate – a Thai ID card.

Since the programme began, 7000 children have passed through the classrooms.

The foundation also runs an outreach programme that sees trucks going into the wider community each morning to visit families in need and those with disabilities, providing food and medical care.

Ms Curragh’s presentation, and the photos she shared, demonstrated the happiness and resilience of the mothers and children, despite the trauma they have experienced.

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Social Justice Catholic Women’s League (By Clare Gallagher/Kete Korero)