Advertisement
Published: November 24th 2007
Edit Blog Post
In my time here I have met many like-minded people…..from Europe, Australia, even South Africa. All these people with tiny ideas that something they do one day might help someone out a little in some other part of the world.
One couple comes regularly on the weekends. They live part of the year in a beautiful complex in Phuket. On Saturdays they come by to say hi, always dropping off a load of fresh veggies and fruit. Another woman lives in Britain but has donated tens of thousands to the Tsunami relief since the wave hit here. We are working on a water project here that will add filters and holding tanks to the existing contaminated system. Through her I found out about a smaller orphanage…only a year old, about 40 minutes from the village.
The orphanage is called Home and Life, and it is founded by a Thai gentleman and a teacher from Chiang Mai.
I first got wind of this Orphanage from the Tsunami Volunteer Centre (TVC) in Khao Lak. They were building a washroom and shower area for the girls there. The Orphanage has 18 children currently, mostly boys and the roster of teachers
Girls House
This is essentially a double length house accessible from either end. is currently at nine. Only two of the staff live with the children however, the director “Root” and the teacher from Chiang Mai, a woman.
My first impression of the Orphanage site was surprise. I guess I have been spoiled into assuming that every orphanage has some level of infrastructure similar to what Ban Tharn Namchai has achieved. While Ban Tharn Namchai has a two story building able to house 20 children (despite the fact that we have 47 children as of today), a double set of boys and girls bathrooms (with at least two showers, faucets, and sinks each) and these inside the buiding. The Home and Life Orphanage has four buildings currently. All of them single story, brick or cinderblock and recently they upgraded to clay roof tiles rather than the thatch they have had for the last year.
The land is leased for 30 years and the organization in Chiang Mai provides the 7000 baht a month to lease it. There is a hope to purchase the land in the future for a total of 37,000 baht. Funds will hopefully come from sponsorship, but that won’t happen for some time.
The buildings are no
Boys House
A smaller version of the girl's house more than three meters by five meters each and house all of the children plus two staff members. There is NO privacy. Root sleeps with the older boys and the girls are crowded into one building together.
I am surprised, as I always am, at the level of comfort people have with each other here. This is their life and they are happy to have a roof that doesn’t leak and a swift moving river meters from the buildings in which to bathe in.
I spent some time with the children and staff at Home and Life. They are significantly behind BTN in infrastructure and at the very least I can post information about them and help to raise the awareness.
They don’t have many sponsors, but part of this may be due to their “newness”. They have had a number of volunteers work with them through the TVC, but ongoing financial support is another issue. While the projects such as new toilets can be financed and undertaken by groups such as the TVC, it’s the daily needs that as always, need to be supported. I spoke to Root about his goals in the short term. Initially
he said he is looking for a sponsor to provide rice regularly. Meat is purchased when there are funds to do so and some vegetables are provided monthly from the local temple, where Root says he takes the children to pray once a month. Most of the children that is; unlike Ban Tharn Namchai, not all of the children are Buddhist. In fact, I was really surprised to find out that two of the children are Christians! A further two children are Muslim, which occasionally throws a loop in the menu choices here.
Marrin wanted to provide necklaces with the crucifix on them for the children who are Christians. The kids have no parents and are from poor families. Both lost parents in the Tsunami and have lived in a collection of social welfare homes and prior to that in various neighbors homes until Root accepted them here when they “opened their doors” a year ago.
With Root’s permission I sent the children crosses on leather thongs. They are simple silver ones with the Thai script for “Saviour” on the back. Root emailed me and told me that the older boy (the oldest at the orphanage actually, 17
years) got teary when he received it. Root also said the boy had never had one before. In a country where amulets are so important, I realize the importance.
Another project that Root is planning once the building are secure from snakes and bugs (they live on the edge of the jungle and between the jungle and the river) and the kitchen properly equipped; is to build a gathering place in the centre of the compound. Currently the five buildings consist of an office space that is crowded with one computer, food supplies that cannot be left outdoors, the children’s personal effects (there is no room in the dorms) and the children’s files. The total space is about 6 meters square. The two buildings that house the “showers” are about 2 meters square. One is operational and the other is being completed by the TVC group. In addition to an open air “kitchen” that is little more than a hut with shelves, the two “dorm rooms” complete the compound. The dorms are small brick one storey buildings with windows that are simply a hole in the side with screen tacked over top. These were sponsored by the Asian Pacific
Some of the Crew
This is at the end of a long day of travel to deliver supplies to the Home...I am SOOOOOO tired. American Society. Initially these buildings were intended as “classrooms”, but the need for a place to sleep was more important.
Advertisement
Tot: 0.27s; Tpl: 0.016s; cc: 8; qc: 52; dbt: 0.0881s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.2mb
Heidi
non-member comment
Home and Life
I just recently returned from doing a service project at Home and Life. I went with a group from Salt Lake City, Utah, America. I loved it there! I know Son, Nun, Nam, Lang, Pupay, Supai, and many more of the kids staying there. I would have you know that there have been many improvements made since you posted this blog. There is too much to explain now so research it a bit to see the changes.