A Grandmother’s Love, A Family Restored: Mya’s Story

Note: This story was developed in collaboration with our partners at Global Child Advocates.

In Mae Sot, Thailand, along the Thailand–Myanmar border, a grandmother walked into a community clinic after making a heart-wrenching decision. She had come to give away her 11-month-old granddaughter, Mya.

Mya’s mother was gone after being arrested for drug involvement. Her grandfather was too ill to work, so Mya’s grandmother was left caring for three children, ages 12, 3, and the baby, completely on her own. She could no longer afford even basic necessities like milk, and she feared she wouldn’t live long enough to raise her granddaughter.

In her mind, surrendering her granddaughter was the only way to ensure the child’s survival. But instead of placing Mya into institutional care, the clinic made a different call.

They reached out to our partner organization, Global Child Advocates, knowing their commitment to strengthening families and protecting children through family care.

A Better Way

Global Child Advocates (GCA) shares The Hope Effect’s conviction that children don’t belong in institutions—they belong in families.

That’s why, in October 2025, we announced our partnership with GCA to expand family-based care in Mae Sot, where thousands of displaced and vulnerable children are at risk of separation, trafficking, and exploitation.

Together, we are working to ensure that even in the most complex situations, children can remain in safe, loving families. Whether through foster care or kinship care, where children are cared for by relatives, more children in Mae Sot have the opportunity to thrive in a family.

When GCA staff met with the grandmother, they saw a family worth fighting for.

They listened to her story. They affirmed her love for her granddaughter and acknowledged her fears and concerns. Through their conversation, they gently helped her see that she didn’t have to do this alone.

The goal wasn’t just to keep Mya out of an institution. It was to surround this family with a circle of trusted support that would last beyond this current crisis.

Rather than removing the child, GCA worked to build that support network, connecting extended relatives, neighbors, and community members who could help share the responsibility of care.

GCA provided immediate essentials like formula and food. But more importantly, they committed to walking alongside the family through ongoing support and regular follow-up visits to ensure long-term sustainability.

Where She Belongs

Because of this intervention, a child who was on the verge of separation is now growing up in her family—where she belongs.

Mya remains with her siblings, known and loved by her grandmother, surrounded by a strengthened network of care.

This is the power of kinship care: not just keeping children out of institutions, but building sustainable support networks and equipping families to care for their children with dignity, stability, and hope.

In places like Mae Sot, where so many families face overwhelming challenges, it can be easy to believe that institutions are the only option. But we know there’s a better way.

When families are supported, they stay together. And when children grow up in families, they have the opportunity to thrive.

Thank you for making this possible. Through your support and generosity, more children are experiencing love, safety, and hope for the future.

Together, we’re changing lives in Mae Sot. Because every child deserves a family.

*The child’s name has been changed to protect her privacy.