Well-known child welfare activist Nualnoi “Kru Noi” Timkul on Sunday announced she had shut down her financially troubled children’s charity home, ending 35 years of helping the poor in tears.
Ms Nualnoi decided to shut down Baan Khru Noi home for poor children for good after she amassed a debt of about 800,000 baht with loan sharks to try to cover the shelter’s expenses of about 200,000 baht per month. Besides financial problems, the 73-year-old cited her health and age as obstacles to running her charity home that looked after 64 children and teens, eight of whom are handicapped, although she was helped by seven staff.
In an emotional farewell ceremony, Ms Nualnoi addressed the children and their parents to officially close the shelter. The children then sang a farewell song and each took turns to give her a flower and bid an emotional farewell. The session brought Ms Nualnoi, most children and parents to tears.
Photo by Thanarak Khunton
Ms Nualnoi told the media she would sell the 117-square-wah charity home for nine million baht to settle the debt and buy a little house to live in with her husband. “All my children have graduated so I don’t have to worry about them,” she said.
She admitted her poor financial management skills were to blame for the accumulated debt which had forced her to declare a shutdown of the home twice in 2010 and last year. She denied an allegation that she used donations for her own personal purposes and challenged those accusing her to present proof and file a complaint with police.
The farewell ceremony was attended by Social Development and Human Security Minister Adul Sangsingkeo and deputy police chief Pol Gen Pongsapat Pongcharoen.
Pol Gen Adul said he and ministry officials came to give moral support to Ms Nualnoi and the children. The officials would assess the impact of Baan Khru Noi’s closure and determine each child’s needs to plan both short-term and long-term assistance, especially in respect of their education. Pol Gen Adul gave handouts worth between 1,000 and 3,000 baht to the families of the affected children as initial aid.
The minister has instructed Pol Gen Pongsapat to help mediate talks between Ms Nualnoi and eight loan sharks.
Pol Gen Pongsapat said he would find out how much principal and interest were due to the loan sharks by Ms Nualnoi and negotiate with them to compound the debts. He stressed that state funds would not be used to help settle Ms Nualnoi’s debts.
Pol Gen Pongsapat previously helped to negotiate a debt repayment for the activist last year and in 2010 and raised funds from public donations to alleviate her problem.
Ms Nualnoi turned her private house on Bangkok’s Soi Rat Burana 26 into Baan Khru Noi home for under-privileged children and orphans in 1980. The facility ran on public donations but the funds could not cover monthly expenses in recent years due to high operating costs, according to Ms Nualnoi.
Photo by Thanarak Khunton
Photo by Thanarak Khunton