Nong Nat An 11-year-old from Trat Province who supports his elderly grandmother alone, Nong Nat waits for a chance to meet his mother and father who left. His mother abandoned him during childhood, and his father started a new family. The only photograph found in a wardrobe reminds Nong Nat that his mother was once here. Looking at the photo feels like seeing his mother’s face again, even though that dream can never come true. "Whenever I miss my mother, I take out a notebook and draw pictures of her."
“Nong Nat,” an 11-year-old farmer from Trat Province, This boy lives only with his grandmother, who is elderly and suffers from chronic conditions including high blood pressure, diabetes, nerve compression in her spine, and a protruding bone at her back. When Nong Nat was younger, he believed his grandmother was his mother until he found a photo of his real parents in a wardrobe. That’s when he learned the truth—that he is their grandson. His parents separated for unknown reasons. He only knows that his mother left his father, leaving behind a letter before never returning.
Every day, Nong Nat endures missing his mother and hopes to meet her again. Sometimes he imagines what she might be like now and draws pictures to look at. His father, after starting a new family, rarely comes back or sends money because he has his own responsibilities. This situation forces Nong Nat and his grandmother to earn their living on their own.
Because his grandmother is getting older and unable to work, Nong Nat has taken it upon himself to earn money to support her. He does jobs such as applying acid fertilizer in rubber plantations, picking chili peppers, and growing vegetables around their home to sell door-to-door, including water spinach, galangal, pumpkin, pea eggplants, and sweet potatoes. He gives all the money he earns to his grandmother for expenses and buying food to sustain their lives. Thanks to his vegetable sales, Nong Nat has developed a determination and dream to become a farmer.
Besides financial difficulties, their living conditions are harsh. They don’t even have a proper bed; they sleep on blankets spread on the floor. Their bathroom lacks a door, and its walls are low and close to collapsing, allowing passersby to see inside when someone is using it. Despite these hardships, Nong Nat keeps fighting. Today, he wishes to earn a new bed so his grandmother can sleep comfortably and to pursue the challenges toward his livelihood and dream career. Additionally, a TV program has surprised him by renovating his bathroom and helping fulfill his wish to speak with his mother and embrace his father again.
“Small but strong, a fighting heart” We celebrate the courage and determination of Nong Nat, who came to the show with nothing but a small fighting heart, striving for his dreams and a new life for his family. Watch “Small but Strong, a Fighting Heart” on Sunday, 28 December at 6:00 p.m. on Thairath TV Channel 32. Follow the show every Sunday.
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