What is a Slum?

This is a children's book I worked on while I was in Thailand. It's still a work in progress...

What is a Slum?

A slum is a place where people who are poor live. They don’t have enough money to live in houses like you and I live in.

 Their houses are made from scrap materials, like plywood or sheets of metal. These houses are not very secure and do not provide much protection from the weather.

     Slums are not very clean and have garbage everywhere. They often lack clean drinking water and electricity. In this kind of environment, it is easy for disease to spread.

  There are slums all over the world, especially in extremely poor countries. India, Pakistan, South Africa, Kenya have some of the largest slums in the world.

 These kids live in the slums of Pattaya, a city in Thailand. Kids who live in the slums are the same as kids who live in nice homes in the United States.

  Soda is one of their favorite drinks.

Ice cream makes them smile.

They like to ride bikes.

  They like to play with dogs.

    They like to read.

They like to play games.

They like to color.

           They like to be silly and pretend to play the guitar.

 They like to just be kids. 

    Sometimes the food they eat may be a little different, but that’s okay. Your food is different to them.

 Sometimes they might not get enough food to eat. They may have to wear the same clothes every day.

Sometimes this makes them sad.

If it makes you sad too, there is something you can do about it.

Instead of getting another new toy or a new shirt, you could give that money to an organization that helps the poor.

  There are many organizations that help the poor. World Relief, UNICEF, World Vision, International Justice Mission are just a few. Find one you like and support them.

Tell your family about what you’ve learned in this book and ask your family how you can help the poor. Tell other people about how they can help the poor too.


Your actions can make the world a better place, even if it helps one person. One person matters. You can help change a life.