In the summer of 2014, sisters junior Kenna Klein and freshman Cami Klein walked through Thailand and were overcome with shock and admiration for the magnificent country. It was during this time that both girls realized that Thailand, like many second-world countries, is in need of help; people live in man-made shacks, the streets are packed with vendors struggling to make money and acquire access to clean water and food and shelter is scarce. Armed with this knowledge and the drive to help end the poverty within the country, the sisters began a charity called “Thai Us Together.

“Seeing the way of life of the Thai people was such an eye-opening experience,” said Cami Klein. “Right off the bat it was easy to see that the economic independence of the country and Thai people is weak.”

To battle the poverty that dominates Thailand, the Klein sisters met with “Thai Village,” a program dedicated to teaching the citizens of Thailand how to sew and make crafts. Impressed and inspired by the work of the natives, the sisters decided to sell the goods made by “Thai Village” to raise awareness of the poor living conditions in Thailand.

After making their charity a success, the Kleins visited the Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation (GTAEF), a charity located in Chiang Rai, Thailand.  GTAEF’s main mission is to rescue elephants and support families from around Thailand. The sisters were inspired by the work done by the GTAEF and decided take their work with “Thai Us Together” a step further. The girls concluded that all the money gathered from selling Thai-made crafts would be donated to the GTAEF in order to support the rescue and rehabilitation of the Asian elephant population.

“My travels remind me that I should be grateful every day for the resources here,” said Kenna Klein. “Seeing the poor living conditions of people around the world makes me strive to get out and make a difference.”

With the help of people everywhere, these inspiring girls are changing the world through their actions every day. Be sure to check out the Thai Us Together website and purchase a hand-made craft item to help bring jobs to Thailand and save the Asian Elephant population at thaiustogether.com.