Pang is the oldest of two children. Her parents divorced long ago. Pang lived with her grandparents. Her father rarely supported her. Her mother worked on the small farm and outside the rice season as a day laborer in Bangkok (making approx. 300 baht/day). When we met Pang, back in 2017, she was in year 2 of secondary school.

Piat's parents are small farmers. When we first met them they had three children all attending school. Piat was the oldest and about to finish her secondary school. Her parents could not afford sending her to higher education. Piat on the other hand wanted to continue her studies at Sangkha Industrial and Community College and obtain a high certificate in Accounting. Fund Isaan supported by Mr. and Mrs.

We met Eun for the first time in 2016. When she was in her fourth year of secondary school in Prasat. Eun had two siblings. One older sister was already studying at university. Her parents, small rice farmers, had to take a loan to pay for her studies. They could not effort a second child going to higher education. Yet Eun was a bright young girl and dreamed of becoming a language teacher.

When we met Nan and her family in 2017 the family was struggling; Father had just passed away and mother was alone with her three children and a disabled grandmother. Mother did her best to take care of the farm (or what was left of it, after her inlaws claimed a large part of it).  Nan was studying in year four of secondary school and dreaming of becoming a nurse.

Max became a Fund Isaan scholarship student in 2017 when he started his higher education in computer science at Rajamangla University. His parents are farmers. His mother was just diagnosed with breast cancer and was undergoing chemo therapy. Max was a good student, member of the students' council and football player in his free time.  Max dreamed of becoming a programmer.

We first met Bow back in 2017. Her mother was living in Bangkok and had mental health issues, unable to support her family. Her father had left his wife when Bow was 3 years old. Bow lived with her grandmother and an uncle, but the house they were living in had been seized by the bank. They had barely enough money to buy food. Sometimes Bow went to school on an empty stomach.

Air became a Fund Isaan scholarship student in 2018. It was foreseen that he would graduate in 2022  with a bachelor degree in Political Science from Ramkhamhaeng University in Bangkok. But Air graduated one year earlier by taking and passing as many credits per academic session as his university allowed.

We met Jane in 2017. Her parents were selling frogs and vegetables on the market. The business was just enough to pay for their daily expenses. They never made a real profit.

If someone knows the impact of the corona pandemic it is Em. Em was a very good student at Prasat Witthayakarn School, where he graduated in March 2020. Eager to interact with foreigners Em decided to study Tourism Management at Mahasarakham University. At that time Tourism was one of the most important sources of income for the Thai Economy.

If anyone knows the meaning of the song: "I never promised you a rose garden, along with the sunshine, there has to be a little rain sometimes", it is Jame.