I was asked by a friend the other day to go with him to
visit some children on the other side of the Sukhumvit Road. When I asked
him about these children he said that they were young orphans, abused or
deserted in one way or another by their families and they now live in a safe
house.
Baan
Jing Jai (Sincerity Home) cares for young orphans, abused or deserted in one
way or another by their families.
When we arrived outside the house my first impression was
that it looked much like any other house. As I walked to the gate many small
smiling faces came to greet me, followed by some friendly wagging tails. As
I walked through the yard, I was totally mesmerized by the longest washing
line I’ve ever seen and it was weighed down with a huge assortment of
children’s clothes. The first thing that passed through my mind was that I
wouldn’t want to be responsible for the laundry. Along the side of the
house were several trestle tables pushed together, ready for the children to
sit at and eat.
There are two houses on opposite sides of the road: one
for the boys and one for girls. The age range of the children seems to go
from babies on up. I could see from just looking around that these children
subsist on the barest minimum.
I spoke to one of the helpers and she told me that this
is a small project compared to some of the larger orphanages in the town,
and therefore they do not have the resources that they need to get
sponsorship.
Garry
Hacker, Bobby Peterson, John Katz, Michael Bulley, Rod Betts and Choo were
there on the day I went, and fed the children.
The Philios Project (Formerly Kids Friends Foundation) at
the moment operates under the auspices of the Social Development and Service
Unit (SDSU) of the Church of Christ in Thailand (CCT). Due to a mandate set
by the SDSU, this legal affiliation will soon change. The Philios Project
must become a self-funding, non-profit, non-government organization by the
end of 2002 while it continues to oversee the Pattaya Child Prostitution
Prevention Project.
The Philios Project is equipped to care for children from
5 to 18 years old. Their target group includes but is not limited to
homeless children, child prostitutes, HIV/AIDS positive children, and other
at risk children.
The Pattaya Project began in 1998 as a safe haven for
homeless children and child prostitutes who either migrated from outlying
provinces or ran away from broken homes. They escaped to Pattaya for the
promise of a better life. Sadly, many of these children became innocent
victims in the prostitution industry.
The project provides school tuition and uniform fees for
each child to attend school through to the end of high school. When I
questioned the person in charge she said, “We encourage group activities
and sports that teach positive team skills, such as sportsmanship and
cooperation. We teach the children to love and help one another. We assign
chores around the house that teach peer to peer mentoring and affirm life
skills, such as house cleaning, cooking, and laundry.”
The local Expat Club has taken this group of children
under their wing and do what they can to help and support them. While I was
there I met Garry Hacker, Bobby Peterson, John Katz, Michael Bulley, Rod
Betts and “Choo”. The guys were there to eat with the children and Choo
(everyone’s Thai teacher) was there to cook it. This particular week it
was Mike’s turn to provide it.
Although everyone does what they can these children
really do need some extra help. If you can see your way clear to helping in
any way, whether with cash, clothes, food, sponsorship or volunteer work
please contact: tel. 038 420100 or fax: 038 420021.
