The Tsunami Children Foundation (TCF) is a United States non-profit organization, exempt from federal income taxes, that is established to offer psychological, educational, and community services to communities impacted by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and other similar catastrophic events.
Mission statement
The Tsunami Children Foundation was founded in Los Angeles, California by a dedicated group of Thai-American activists who were determined to make a difference for the survivors of the 2004 tsunami in Khao Lak, Thailand. TCF was established by chef Tommy Tang, attorney Rosalyn Patamankanthin and Dr. Sunya Ratjatawan immediately after the event.
The first official fundraiser was Meals for Miracles which yielded a small amount of seed money. Members of TCF began the process of planning a long term action plan in order to focus on extended recovery plans. With the steady guidance of the board, TCF was incorporated and recognized as a 501(c)(3) non-profit using the Federal government’s fast track program for tsunami related non-profits. Sometime during this process, English Professor David Hideo Maruyama would also join the team in order to work on documentation and potential grant opportunities.
After several fact finding missions, it was determined that there was a particular need for psychological services and the need to set up therapy programs was especially evident, and subsequently the direction of TCF was set. Dr. Ratjatawan gave up his lucrative practice in the United States, and moved back to his ancestral home of Thailand in order to directly oversee the counseling programs that he had envisioned for the center. After several trips by Ms. Patamankanthin, Tang, Ms. Tuk Chow of Asian Pacific American Healthcare Venture, an office was established in the Khao Lak area, and opened for business by September 2005. The foundation officially opened its office in the impact zone on September 15, 2005, and it has been in steady operation since that date. The spirit of the program is to first to heal the people, to educate and then to empower the people by providing them the skills and information to further their socio-economic opportunities and the economic progress of Khao Lak itself.
Relationships have been established between the local government, provincial government and local entities like the Wat Kommenekite School (Khuk Khak School to the locals), Yaowawit and other NGOs. After about a year of operation, TCF has been continually reevaluating the way it offers services and consistently attempting to find more efficient ways of delivering services and financial support to the area.
As of September 2012, it appears that the website is no longer available online and unclear if TCF is still actively engaging in its mission statement.