Fon is a girl from Thailand who lives with her family in a crowded neighborhood of Bangkok. She helps her grandmother sell flower garlands to support their family financially. Fon enjoys making the garlands but struggles with missing school to help with sales. Her teacher is understanding of her situation. The story highlights Fon's perseverance in continuing her education despite difficulties.

1. A Tapori Mini-Book
A girl from Thailand

3. A Tapori Minibook
FON
The true story of a girl from Thailand

5. Fon is a little girl who lives in Thailand, a
country in Southeast Asia. Her name means
“rain” in Thai language.
Fon's house is in a very crowded area. All
the houses of the place are built close together,
made of wooden planks, scrap metal and other
second-hand material.
The families from Fon's neighborhood
have left their province with hopes to find a
better life in Bangkok. Many of them work now
as street vendors. They sell sweet potatoes,
peanuts, fruit, corn, flavored drinks...
Fon's grandmother makes and sells
beautiful flower garlands with jasmine and red
roses.
1

6. Fon likes watching her grandmother's
fingers work.
First, she threads a string through a big
steel needle.
Then she skillfully pushes the flowers onto
the string in a decorative way.
Finally, she ties the ends of the string
together, making a lovely wreath of flowers.
2

7. One day Fon gathered the courage to ask
her grandmother:
- “Can I make and sell flower garlands,
too, so our family has a little bit more money?”
Grandmother told her that she might prick
her finger with the needle!
But Fon kept asking until her grandmother
agreed to let her try.
3

8. Early every morning, hundreds of street
vendors rush to the market. Fon's grandmother
is among them: she goes to the flower market
to buy fresh jasmine, roses, and other flowers.
Then, she spends all day at home stringing the
flowers, while Fon is at school.
Fon has returned
from school:
the Tuk Tuk*
driver takes them to
the other side of the
river where
restaurants line
the street.
*A Tuk Tuk is a kind of motorized tricycle
with seats for passengers, used like a taxi.
4

9. A string loops over Fon's neck to support
the tray she is holdings in front of her with the
flower garlands nicely displayed. Fon goes from
one table to the next:
- “Would you like some flowers? Each
garland only costs ten baht*!”
* The baht is the money of Thailand.
10 baht is equal to about 30 cents in US money.
5

10. Fon asks her grandmother:
- “What happens when a family can't sell
all their garlands and doesn't have enough
money to buy flowers for the next day?”
- “Then, we have to borrow money from
our neighbors. This is how we support each
other here.”
6

11. During the rainy season, Fon's
grandmother worries. On rainy days it is often
past midnight before she and Fon are able to
sell their last few flower garlands.
After days like that, it is difficult to wake up
early enough the next morning to go to school!
Missing school makes Fon want to cry away the
rain!
7

12. When Fon returns to class, her teacher
asks her:
- “Why did you stop coming to school?
Where did you go?”
Fon is sad and nervous, but she explains
how she helps her family and the difficulties she
faces when it rains.
Fon's teacher
does not send her
home. She
suggests Fon stay
after school to
catch up on her
lessons and
arranges another
time for her to take
the test.
- “My teacher is so nice!” Fon says to herself.
8

13. After a long week, Sunday is a day off, and
Fon sees other kids running by, excited. The
Tapori Street Library volunteers have arrived in
the neighborhood, and the kids are eager to
read, do some art work, and share with others
what they know. Fon often attends the Street
Library, she loves to read books!
But today, Fon sits by herself in a corner.
One of the Street Library volunteers sees her
and says:
- “What's wrong, Fon? Be happy! Today is
a holiday! It's Loy Kratong!”
9

14. - “I really like going to school”, Fon tells
him. “My teacher is nice, and I'm one of the
best in my class. But since I miss a lot of days, I
might have to repeat the school year.”
The volunteer comforts her:
- “Don't worry. The rainy season is over
now. I'm sure your teacher will be happy that
you won't miss school as often. And you will be
happy too!”
Then he suggests:
- “Fon, go over to help explain to the
younger kids what the Loy Kratong festival is!”
10

15. Fon runs back to the group of kids
gathered at the Street Library. She begins:
- “The Loy Kratong festival is an ancient
tradition in Thailand...”
Another girl continues:
- “Every November all of us kids and
parents get together to make a Kratong*. We
do it to thank the river and the people who keep
it clean, so that each of us can drink, wash
ourselves, and clean what's dirty.”
*A Kratong is a floating flower decoration that Thai people put
on the river. They believe that by doing so their wishes come
true.
11

16. After the excitement of the Loy Kratong
festival, life returns to its daily routine. Fon
continues to sell garlands with her grandmother
and keeps up with school.
But then one day, Fon's grandmother gets
hit by a car! She has to spend several weeks in
hospital. Fon and her grandfather visit her every
day.
-“Fon, my little one” says the grandmother,
“you know, I won't be able to make garlands
anymore like before.”
12

17. Fon takes on more responsibilities in the
family and is proud of it.
At the end of the school year, Fon is
happy:
- “The teacher let me go on to the next
grade even though I missed a lot of days. But I
don't know if I'll be able to keep up when I get
into the higher grades!
I am very happy to be able to study and to
help my family. I want to go as far as I can in
school so that my family won't have such a hard
life anymore.”

18. ACTIVITY PAGE:
Book-making Campaign “About YOU!”
Share about you: → Create YOUR Book!
Directions for your book:
→ Think about Fon's life and think about your life:
With whom do you like to learn? Why?
→ Write about the skills of this person, how this
person makes you happy to learn
→ Describe one moment when you are very happy
learning with friends or loved ones, your favorite
activity, recipe, magic trick, handicraft...
→ Use regular size paper (A4) like this booklet
and fold it in the middle.
→ Be creative! Use writing, drawings, songs,
collages, paint, whatever you want. Bind your
book with colorful string, or make it like a
concertina.
Have FUN!
→ Put your name, age and address on the last page.
Mail your booklet to Tapori: Chemin Galiffe 5,
CH- 1201 GENEVA
OR : ATD - TAPORI Thailand
84/1 Soi Kingplu
Sathorn 11
10120 BANGKOK
THAILAND
Check out the Tapori website www.tapori.org
for news of the book-making campaign.

19. ATD Fourth World Thailand wishes to
express their gratitude to Fon, her parents,
friends and neighbors, to M. Naruepon
SATTAYEPORN and M. Raivin
SYNRAVEEPONG who all contributed
graciously to the writing, drawings and final
layout of this Tapori Minibook.
©2011 Tapori – ATD Fourth World Thailand

20. What is a Tapori minibook ?
Tapori minibooks are true stories of children and their family
from all around the world. It is the first time that a story from
Thailand enters in the “Children of Courage” series edited
by Tapori.
What is Tapori ?
A worldwide network of children from different backgrounds
whose motto is “We want all the children to have the same
chances”. It is lead by ATD Fourth World International.
Join as a Tapori member:
Tapori Minibook “The True Story of Fon” invites children to
share their questions, insights, and hopes for a better world
by contributing the campaign “About us” booklet making
project at the international level.
To know more:
visit Tapori website: www.tapori.org