‘3L’- Such a simple name charged with something so important.
Our world is filled with discarded children in despair, forced into tragic lives for their very existence. It is our mission that they Learn how priceless and cherished they are; That they Laugh in joy and fellowship despite the decay that surrounds them; That they fear no risk of Love given or received.
To Learn, Laugh, Love. 3L is a product of our shared experiences to illuminate a bright path for those in darkness.
The founders of the 3L Foundation came to each other from very different paths, but each have found joy and an unconditional dedication to a specific mission: to contribute to the rescue and healing of children in Pattaya, Thailand who have been abused and discarded. While our path will no doubt lead us to future projects, our initial goals are to attend to the children at the Child Protection and Development Center in Pattaya.
In the fall of 2008, Ashley Syms, Pam Proto and Matt Cline met at the Pattaya Orphanage where they were spending time with the orphans. Matt, a fine art photographer from Ohio, was there to photograph the children for a book of pictures of the children in their every day lives. Ashley and Pam, on their third trip to Pattaya since 2007, had found immeasurable happiness in devoting their time to the kids at the Orphanage.
It was on this trip that the director of the orphanage, Radchada Chomjinda, aka Khun Toy, introduced Matt to a very loosely formed project that was in desperate need of help. What Matt encountered changed his life.
The Child Protection and Development Center, supported by the Human Help Network Thailand, consisted then of about two dozen boys and girls living on a campus of safe but rudimentary refuge of simple structures, dirt floors, and no running water. The kids ranged in age from the very young to teenagers. All had stories of horrific abuse. Children there had suffered exposure to drug trafficking by parents and relatives, sexual slavery, victims themselves of human trafficking, some sold into the sex trade by their own parents…the dark particulars go on and on.
Matt took several pictures there and was deeply moved by the plight of these kids who responded so easily to kindness and fellowship. He was asked by the project’s organizers if he would or could help. The answer was a resounding “Yes.” But the task was overwhelming. So much needed to happen and a long way needed to be traveled.
Returning home, Matt kept in contact with Pam and Ashley in Colorado. While their time together had been short, Matt knew that Pam and Ashley would jump at an opportunity to help these children. It was on their next trip to Pattaya that Pam and Ashley’s lives were also changed. A seed was planted and took root; its destiny could no longer be reversed. Pam and Ashley approached Matt about forming an organization not only with the practical resources and facilities needed for day to day life, but to provide them with the greatest treasure possible; their heart’s commitment.
That they Learn how priceless and cherished they are;
That they Laugh in joy and fellowship despite the decay that surrounds them;
That they fear no risk of Love, given or received.
There is so much more to life than the practical. Beauty, love, and joy are not luxuries of life. They are essential to life. For those deprived of kindness, hope and beauty, the collective effort of Ashley, Pam and Matt is the creation of the 3L Foundation. It is a vehicle to achieve and provide for those who are now powerless to do so. We invite you along in our journey and to be a part of this amazing effort.