Helping HIV+ women and children project

I went up to the Life Home Project in Koh Sirae a dew days ago to take some toys and games for the kids.

The centre was initiated by a Spanish guy 5 years ago and is situated north of Phuket City in a very pleasant peaceful remote setting at Koh Sirae near the Phuket Dog Training Centre. It%26#39;s a residential shelter for HIV+ women and children affected by HIV who have nowhere else to live because they%26#39;ve been rejected by their families or lost their work and homes because of illness.

The centre provides accomodation and acts as a safe environment where people can come together to share experiences; enjoy various activities and social events.

A Thai woman called Kay showed me round the compound which consists of 7 or 8 buildings with gardens and a small lake in the middle. First was the Day room where children are brought in and looked after while their mothers%26#39; if they still have one goes out to work.

20 women live at the centre and I think Kay said about 10 children. I hadn%26#39;t chosen a good time to go as not many of them were there and some of the children were at school. They have a canteen and library and also a crafts centre where the women are taught to paint and draw. As well as learning new skills it helps to improve the womens%26#39; confidence and self-esteem and overcome their sense of hopelessness about their illness. They sell their products to help raise funds for the project. They have a swimming pool and basketball court in the compound too.

Having seen it and met a few of the residents it%26#39;s certainly a cause worth supporting so I%26#39;m going to try and get a few more things for them. I asked Kay what would be best and she said TOYS. I think they are ok for soft cuddly toys and what they really want and would find useful would be%26gt;%26gt;%26gt;

Educational toys/puzzles/games/building blocks

Kay also pointed out in a catalogue noisy toys like tambourines/drums

I also think it would be good to get some things for the women too like%26gt;%26gt;%26gt;

Toiletries/cosmetics/clothes

Just before I left Kay asked some of the older children there what they wanted and they all agreed on a Table Tennis Table!!...so if anyone knows of one that maybe isn%26#39;t being used any more, let me know.

You can read more about the centre and their work here www.lifehomeproject.org

xxlandofsmilesxx@ gmail.com (joined up)

Helping HIV+ women and children project

Great report Rex

This is the project that the Sunday Fundraisers support.

Regards

Chantal

Helping HIV+ women and children project

You know that is a great idea, who much does a table tennis table and bats and ping pong balls go for in Phuket, surely couldn%26#39;t be very much, few hundred bucks maybe it is something the sunday night event could buy, someone find out what it costs and get back to me

Hi Pennywise - it is a good idea. Am trying to find out how much they are. Once source quoted me around 5000 baht. Will contact a few others to find out. Also as soon as I can I will go and visit some sport shops to check them out.

Regards

Chantal

Re: tabletennis table....pretty much got it sorted. A generous friend of mine wants to pay for it. Actually they are not as expensive as I thought they would be. We can get a decent Butterfly one at Tesco-Lotus for under 4000baht...exact same table on their website is US$599! But there%26#39;s also a chance of getting one free from a resort in Kamala that has one that is hardly used...waiting to hear about that.

Anyway I%26#39;d like to get them some other things too like badminton sets/skipping ropes/fishingrods...

Will probably go to that fundraiser dinner on sunday in Karon.

Can%26#39;t see how to post pics here but have posted a few I took at the home here%26gt;%26gt;%26gt;

…asiawebdirect.com/ubbthreads.php/…Post72566

ok, well good to see the kids will be having a bit off fun very soon.

Maybe some other ideas, of items that would make life a little brighter for them

That is fantastic Rex!

Otherwise re: Sunday%26#39;s Fundraiser you can book via the following link. We need to know numbers as Uncle Eric does not want to get caught short for the catering. Hope to see you there. This week should be great as we have 2 muso%26#39;s doing a gig - Rob and Glenn from The Groove Doctors.

Also the Life Home Project representatives will be there and some of their craft products will be on display.

http://phuketalternativetours.com/dinner.htm

Cheers

Chantal

That%26#39;s right, Rex! It%26#39;s me, Tina! Hopefully we can finally meet on Sunday at the fundraiser.

hi

why is it that farangs always help disadvantaged thai people?

why dont thais do this ?

Andy, Unsure about why Thai%26#39;s don%26#39;t do it ,perhaps it is the same reason that many of us don%26#39;t do it for our own people here in our own country, but I as for tourists I guess it is perhaps a moral compass is aimed at the donation direction when on holiday in a disadvantaged country, I mean whilst I have no doubt at all about this venture, and I am certian it is doing wonderful things, and we intend to support it when we visit in August, I can%26#39;t help but wonder whether the altruism of the many extend to beyond the couple of weeks or so in thailand.

I an not a religious person more a man of science, and whilst open minded about it I would like anyone to show me one example in the history of the world of a single Spiritual or religious person who has been able to prove either logically or empirically the existence of a higher power that has any consciousness or interest in the human race or ability to punish or reward humans for there moral choices or that there is any reason - other than fear - to believe in any version of an afterlife, I do beleive in Karma, do good and you will be rewarded.

Andy, Thais do help their disadvantaged people, it%26#39;s just that they can%26#39;t give as much as we do and that they do it quietly.

We have some Thai people coming to the Fundraiser Dinner today - because it%26#39;s to help the LifeHome Project.

There are Thai people who feed street dogs, who help people that need it, such as babysitting, shopping, cleaning, etc. There are Thai people who buy medicines to give to poor people, etc.