History of Talitha Kum Thailand
Looking back 25 years ago, a religious woman in Thailand found that many young girls had disappeared from a hill village and so decided to investigate the cause. Not long after, the Sister was contacted by government officials to help a group of girls rescued from human trafficking. Discovering trafficking, they were able to rescue one group of girls and return them to their families by paying money to the traffickers, but this action was not sustainable.
Thus, the St. Paul de Chartres Thailand Province built a house to protect the girls from the trafficking circle. They attended nearby public schools until the sisters built a boarding school, for seventh to ninth-graders. The sisters were convinced that education could prevent girls' families from selling them to traffickers and offer alternatives for employment; a strategy that has saved many.
Later on, human trafficking was becoming better understood globally. In 2005, Sr. Bernadette Sagma’s UISG, FMA and teams including IOM organized the first training program workshop on Counter Human Trafficking at the Pastoral Center of Diocesan Bangkok. There were about 12 Women Congregations and one Male Congregation in attendance. At that time, Sr. Françoise Jiranonda, SPC, was the chairperson of The Conference of Women Superior of Thailand and Laos (CMRSWTL).
In 2006, UISG, by utilizing the same teamwork, organized a second seminar in order to follow up on the results of the first seminar at Pastoral Center “Ban Phuwan” Samphan Nakronphathom. CMRSWTL was the local co-organizer and the participants were the same groups as in 2005.
In 2008, three delegates comprising of (1) Sr. Françoise, SPC, (2) Sr. Kanlaya, SHB, and (3) Sr. Anurak, RGS participated in the UISG workshop in Rome.
In 2009, the International Union of Superiors General (UISG) assembly formed Talitha Kum, an international network of religious women against human trafficking.
In 2011, September 17-19, Sr. Folyn Catungal’s APWRATH, OSA, together with Sr. Kanlaya organized a seminar on the topic of “Religious Women and Men of Thailand joining together Against Human Trafficking” at Redemptorist Center, Pattaya, Thailand. At the end of this seminar, all participants agreed to establish a commission to undertake the mission of Countering Human Trafficking. The Commission consisted of Religious Men and Women including Lay volunteers.
Sister Francoise Jiranonda, a Sister of St Paul de Chartre, the first chairperson of Talitha Kum Thailand, organized Thailand’s women’s religious congregations into a successful collaboration in combating human trafficking, as Thailand is a supply, demand and international pathway of both drugs and people trafficking.
The list below shows the elected committee members of Talitha Kum Thailand.
Sr. Françoise Jiranonda, SPC. - Chairperson
Sr. Sutisa Utalun, RGS. - Vice-Chairperson
Sr. Siphim Xavier, OSU. - Secretary
Sr. Voranuch Pranommit, LCCT. - Bursar
Sr. Kanlaya Trisopa, SHB. - Coordinator
Br. Victor Gil Munoz, FSC. - Committee
Sr. Napha Khamseeya, SJA. - Committee
Mrs. Apinya Tajit, NCCS. - Committee
Miss. Jirapat Pilachan, NCCM. - Committee
Miss. Panjamakorn Khumpeejarasporn, - Volunteer
The Committee was officially approved by The Conference of Women Major Superior of Thailand and Laos in December 2011.
In 2012, The Conference of Women Major Superior of Thailand and Laos was forming Talitha Kum Thailand.
February 2012, the first meeting of “Talitha Kum, Thailand,” the new organization which was approved by the Conference of Major Religious Superiors of Women of Thailand and Laos, (CMRSWTL) was held. This group/organization was set up specifically to work concretely on the issue of human trafficking. There are 13 members from many congregations of religious women plus several members of the laity.
In December 2013, the Talitha Kum Asia Conference was organized by UISG Rome in Thailand. Talitha Kum Thailand accepted the policy statement formulated by the conference: “We, Talitha Kum Southeast Asia, AMRAT and ACRATH, a network of consecrated persons against human trafficking, commit ourselves to become messengers of hope and protagonists of change, and dedicate
ourselves to stop the de-humanizing slavery of our sisters, brothers and children; Inspired and encouraged by His Holiness, we continue on the path of service to the poorest and most marginalized of our brothers and sisters, in solidarity and assistance, with Christian compassion, acceptance, understanding and kindness.”
2015-2017 “The Association of Major Superiors Men and Women of Thailand” has accepted Talitha Kum Thailand as one mission belonging to a branch of their Union. Now, 26 Congregations have joined the network.
Talitha Kum Thailand was responsible for Talitha Kum South East/East Asia. Sr. Françoise Jiranonda was Chairperson, after organizing a seminar for members of 11 countries; TKSEA was transferred to Talitha Kum Indonesia.
In June 2018, the Thai government granted an award to Talitha Kum Thailand as the best organization in the country to combat this trafficking curse. Thailand’s government has many policies in place to stop all kinds of trafficking, but is not consistent in implementing them.
For more than 25 years, the Association of Major Religious Superiors in Thailand have been working to end human trafficking in Thailand by providing pastoral care, helping victims of human trafficking and, along with the training, raising awareness of the threat of human trafficking for youths and the general public to prevent victims of human trafficking. Moreover, the religious groups in Thailand have collaborated to instill value and dignity into students and the general public to cultivate morals and ethics, so that they have respect and love for one another and do not see fellow humans as tools for exploitation.
Thus, the St. Paul de Chartres Thailand Province built a house to protect the girls from the trafficking circle. They attended nearby public schools until the sisters built a boarding school, for seventh to ninth-graders. The sisters were convinced that education could prevent girls' families from selling them to traffickers and offer alternatives for employment; a strategy that has saved many.
Later on, human trafficking was becoming better understood globally. In 2005, Sr. Bernadette Sagma’s UISG, FMA and teams including IOM organized the first training program workshop on Counter Human Trafficking at the Pastoral Center of Diocesan Bangkok. There were about 12 Women Congregations and one Male Congregation in attendance. At that time, Sr. Françoise Jiranonda, SPC, was the chairperson of The Conference of Women Superior of Thailand and Laos (CMRSWTL).
In 2006, UISG, by utilizing the same teamwork, organized a second seminar in order to follow up on the results of the first seminar at Pastoral Center “Ban Phuwan” Samphan Nakronphathom. CMRSWTL was the local co-organizer and the participants were the same groups as in 2005.
In 2008, three delegates comprising of (1) Sr. Françoise, SPC, (2) Sr. Kanlaya, SHB, and (3) Sr. Anurak, RGS participated in the UISG workshop in Rome.
In 2009, the International Union of Superiors General (UISG) assembly formed Talitha Kum, an international network of religious women against human trafficking.
In 2011, September 17-19, Sr. Folyn Catungal’s APWRATH, OSA, together with Sr. Kanlaya organized a seminar on the topic of “Religious Women and Men of Thailand joining together Against Human Trafficking” at Redemptorist Center, Pattaya, Thailand. At the end of this seminar, all participants agreed to establish a commission to undertake the mission of Countering Human Trafficking. The Commission consisted of Religious Men and Women including Lay volunteers.
Sister Francoise Jiranonda, a Sister of St Paul de Chartre, the first chairperson of Talitha Kum Thailand, organized Thailand’s women’s religious congregations into a successful collaboration in combating human trafficking, as Thailand is a supply, demand and international pathway of both drugs and people trafficking.
The list below shows the elected committee members of Talitha Kum Thailand.
Sr. Françoise Jiranonda, SPC. - Chairperson
Sr. Sutisa Utalun, RGS. - Vice-Chairperson
Sr. Siphim Xavier, OSU. - Secretary
Sr. Voranuch Pranommit, LCCT. - Bursar
Sr. Kanlaya Trisopa, SHB. - Coordinator
Br. Victor Gil Munoz, FSC. - Committee
Sr. Napha Khamseeya, SJA. - Committee
Mrs. Apinya Tajit, NCCS. - Committee
Miss. Jirapat Pilachan, NCCM. - Committee
Miss. Panjamakorn Khumpeejarasporn, - Volunteer
The Committee was officially approved by The Conference of Women Major Superior of Thailand and Laos in December 2011.
In 2012, The Conference of Women Major Superior of Thailand and Laos was forming Talitha Kum Thailand.
February 2012, the first meeting of “Talitha Kum, Thailand,” the new organization which was approved by the Conference of Major Religious Superiors of Women of Thailand and Laos, (CMRSWTL) was held. This group/organization was set up specifically to work concretely on the issue of human trafficking. There are 13 members from many congregations of religious women plus several members of the laity.
In December 2013, the Talitha Kum Asia Conference was organized by UISG Rome in Thailand. Talitha Kum Thailand accepted the policy statement formulated by the conference: “We, Talitha Kum Southeast Asia, AMRAT and ACRATH, a network of consecrated persons against human trafficking, commit ourselves to become messengers of hope and protagonists of change, and dedicate
ourselves to stop the de-humanizing slavery of our sisters, brothers and children; Inspired and encouraged by His Holiness, we continue on the path of service to the poorest and most marginalized of our brothers and sisters, in solidarity and assistance, with Christian compassion, acceptance, understanding and kindness.”
2015-2017 “The Association of Major Superiors Men and Women of Thailand” has accepted Talitha Kum Thailand as one mission belonging to a branch of their Union. Now, 26 Congregations have joined the network.
Talitha Kum Thailand was responsible for Talitha Kum South East/East Asia. Sr. Françoise Jiranonda was Chairperson, after organizing a seminar for members of 11 countries; TKSEA was transferred to Talitha Kum Indonesia.
In June 2018, the Thai government granted an award to Talitha Kum Thailand as the best organization in the country to combat this trafficking curse. Thailand’s government has many policies in place to stop all kinds of trafficking, but is not consistent in implementing them.
For more than 25 years, the Association of Major Religious Superiors in Thailand have been working to end human trafficking in Thailand by providing pastoral care, helping victims of human trafficking and, along with the training, raising awareness of the threat of human trafficking for youths and the general public to prevent victims of human trafficking. Moreover, the religious groups in Thailand have collaborated to instill value and dignity into students and the general public to cultivate morals and ethics, so that they have respect and love for one another and do not see fellow humans as tools for exploitation.