28 members of Talitha Kum gathered in Bangkok from June 24-29 to participate in the 6th edition of the Talitha Kum Leadership Training Course.

By Sr Bernadette Reis, fsp – Bangkok 

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Talitha Kum Thailand hosted the residence portion of the 6th Leadership Training Course. It took place from June 24-29 at the Baan Phu Wan pastoral training center near Bangkok. 28 participants include Sisters and partners currently active with Talitha Kum in Thailand, Indonesia, Bangladesh, India, Timor-Leste, the Philippines, Myanmar, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Fiji, Cameroon, Togo, South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Kenya, Mozambique, Tanzania, Uganda, Lebanon, Canada, Peru. 

As in the past, the training program was organized by Talitha Kum International, in collaboration with Tangaza University, Nairobi and the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross, Rome. Each year, the course is updated and designed to respond to the network’s current needs. 

Tools for leadership

Prior to arriving in Bangkok, participants attended a 6-month online introductory training. The residency program in Thailand further developed this content and focused on Talitha Kum’s spirituality, synodality, specific aspects of leadership development, communication skills, and integrative leadership. 

Participants expanded their knowledge of the human trafficking context in Asia through the interventions of the Director of the Thai Division of Anti-Trafficking in Persons, representatives of ASEAN-Australian Counter Trafficking Program, and the UN International Organization for Migration, Jesuit Refugee Service, Stella Maris, and Caritas Thailand. All emphasized the dramatic changes taking place in human trafficking, with the growing impact of digital technology and artificial intelligence, and Southeast Asia becoming a major hub for online scam centers — necessitating the need to change traditional response strategies.

Talitha Kum Thailand presented an innovative educational model they have developed in the Catholic school system with the help of Youth Ambassadors. This methodology was developed under the guidance of Sr. Marie-Agnes Suwanna Buasap, SPC, who participated in the 1st Leadership Training course in Rome in 2018. Rather than being a stand-alone course, this curriculum is designed to be integrated into every subject in an age-appropriate way. 

“The initiatives the sisters are leading here in Thailand – where students and educators identify as ‘Talitha Kum kids’ and ‘Talitha Kum teachers’ – serve as a brilliant pilot model we hope to replicate across Asia and worldwide.” said Sr. Abby Avelino, International Coordinator of Talitha Kum, highlighting the crucial role of education as a tool for prevention.

Schools that have implemented the curriculum were awarded the Exemplary Educational Institution Award from the Minister of Social Development and Human Security on June 5, 2026. In addition, Leadership Training participants visited a center run by the Good Shepherd Sisters in Bangkok which ministers to various types of vulnerable persons, including survivors of human trafficking. 

Participants speak

Jenny, a Youth Ambassador from Lebanon, shared that she learned that a good leader must first take care of themselves. “Personal growth, discipline, and reflection are not selfish, but necessary. When we become stronger, more patient and more grounded individuals, we are better equipped to serve and support those around us in a meaningful way.”

Sr. Kenia, a Daughter of Jesus serving in Mozambique, “learned about the richness of complementarity. Together,” she said, “we are a great living network that gives life.” She concluded saying that she feels proud to be a part of the Talitha Kum network.

Talitha Kum is indebted to the support of the International Union of Superiors General (UISG) who is firmly dedicated to promoting the formation of leaders. The Hilton Foundation has been very generous in providing the resources necessary to bring participants from all over the world together to benefit from this training.