June 1, 1999
We care The good Samaritan A retired Canadian businessman is helping orphaned hilltribe children in the North to have a home, an education and hope for the future Nusara Thaitawat and Subin Khuenkaew 'What's the use of telling you?"snapped the little Akha boy when asked what his name was. The anger in his eyes, voice and gestures, however, did not dissuade his new friends at the Ban Huay Moh orphanage from trying to break the ice. But A-mi, a 14-year-old Akha girl who has been living at the orphanage in Chiang Rai since it opened eight years ago, was confident the sulking boy and his three younger sisters would fit in in no time. "It'll take about two days," she said with a smile. The Akha boy, aged nine, and his sisters, aged six, four, and two had been brought to the orphanage by a minibus driver who had seen them begging by the winding roads of Ban Huay Moh and nearby villages in this Thai-Burmese border district of Mae Fah Luang, Chiang Rai. The minibus driver, an Akha himself, said it broke his heart to see the boy, whose real age is suspected to be only seven, crying in front of passers-by to beg for food, while his sisters held on to each other and waited nearby. "Me and my wife wanted to raise them as our own but they're so aggressive, we don't know how to deal with them," he said, adding that he realised the aggression was more from fear of a loveless world after having been abandoned. Several attempts to talk to them about their parents and their home village did not produce much. After a month at the driver's home, during which he and his wife spent considerable time trying to soothe them and keep them clean-they were given newer clothes and their heads were shaved to get rid of the lice-he decided that the best hope for the four children was the Ban Huay Moh orphanage run by the village church. But Father Atthapol sae Thien and his wife, who run the orphanage, were unsure whether they could afford to feed four more mouths. They were already taking care of 94 boys and girls aged between four and 17, and in the current economic crisis, financial support was hard to come by. "It isn't easy to decide," said Father Atthapol. "If we turn them away, where could they go? But we're not sure we'll get enough funding to take care of them properly."But the minibus driver would not give up and he stayed as long as possible at the church compound where the orphanage was located. The driver was more hopeful than before because of the feeling of joy and excitement expressed by Father Atthapol, his wife, and the children, and even the neighbours. All were busy preparing for a small ceremony to inaugurate a new building at the orphanage which had been sponsored by a retired Canadian businessman who had visited Ban Huay Moh last year as a tourist. Ken Grier, a devout Christian, decided after a single visit to the orphanage to contribute 1.25 million baht to the construction of proper living quarters for the children whom he saw cramped into one hall three to a bed, boys and girls together, and also sharing the same bathroom. "I wanted to give some privacy to the children as they grow into adolescents," he said. Mr Grier's contribution went into the construction of a new dormitory for the girls, their own separate bathroom, a dining hall and kitchen, and renovations of the old dormitory and bathroom for the boys. Father Atthapol started the orphanage eight years ago to house orphans of ethnic minorities. Even though the government has in the past had a number of special programmes for ethnic minorities of the North, most had national security as their primary objective with a pro-West Thailand seeing itself as "the front line state" during the Cold War, as its neighbours-Burma, Laos, Cambodia and further beyond China and Vietnam-all "fell" to communism. Ethnic minorities along the border with Burma were seen as a potential threat to the stability of a pro-United States Bangkok because many were growers of opium poppies. They were also stereotyped as forest destroyers due to their slash and burn farming methods. Ban Huay Moh and nearby villages are home to remnants of the Chinese nationalist soldiers (Kuomingtang) who fled into Burma and Laos after the communist victory in China in 1949. The areas were settled by the Thai government in the 1960s and were mostly off limits to the general public until the 1980s when communism was "contained". In recent years, the beauty and history of the region has been exploited as a tourist attraction. The children at the orphanage come from seven ethnic groups: Akha, Muser, Lisor, Lawa, Hmong, Yao and Chinese Haw. The reasons for their being orphaned differ from case to case, for example, forest fires, shoot-outs over conflicts, HIV/Aids, and poverty-related problems. Because of the remoteness of the orphanage, all the children are taught Thai and Chinese so they can attend the nearest schools. They first attend the Thai Montri Vitya School in the next village, then join the Chinese school at Ban Therd Thai for M-1 to M-3, then back to the Thai language at Ban Huay Phueng to complete secondary education. A-mi, the 14-year-old Akha girl, claims that all the children have kept their mother tongue by speaking with friends from the same ethnic group. This means they can speak three languages. She said they were very proud to be top of their class at school, which has upset some of the local children. "I want to give these children a chance to life," said Father Atthapol. He said he made up his mind to start the orphanage eight years ago after seeing homeless children on his trips to various villages. "The road was really bad in those days and the children would help push my car up the hills in exchange for some coins. When I said I didn't have any, they said cigarettes were OK. "I couldn't accept the situation, I don't want to see history repeat itself over and over again in these hills with abandoned boys growing up into criminals and girls into prostitutes because they were not given a chance," he said. "Now that the political situation has stabilised in the area, we have to focus on the children and their development into good citizens," he said. Father Atthapol believes that children from the various ethnic groups growing up together will help strengthen unity and their identity as Thais. The good Samaritan, Mr Grier, 48, made his fortune in the construction business in the US and Canada. He said there were no conditions attached to his contribution to the orphanage. "I've been blessed and I want to share with the less fortunate," he said. "Whether they become missionaries, doctors, or teachers, it's for God to decide."Mr Grier is also involved in other orphanages in Chiang Mai, Mexico and China. He's also involved in a project to send gifts to Cambodian children "My job's easy," said Mr Grier of his contribution to the Ban Huay Moh orphanage. "The tough job is with Father Atthapol who lives with the children."According to A-mi and other orphans interviewed by Outlook, Father Atthapol, his wife and his three unmarried children are all involved full time at the orphanage. They live in their own separate house just five minutes from the church, with Father Atthapol's eldest son, 19, living at the orphanage with the children in case they need something at night. "Father and Mother are with us every day," said the children. "Father is strict but he has his own ways to comfort us when we feel lonely. He makes us laugh and think of a better future." A-mi said, adding that he was also quick to notice when someone does not smile. Father Atthapol, himself a member of the Lawa ethnic group who only recently received his official documents as a Thai citizen, has come up with a system whereby older children take care of the younger ones and duties are divided among them. A-mi for example will take care of the small girls at night, if they need to use the bathroom and are afraid to go alone in the dark. She also supervises eating and bath times. Older children also work as a team to cook the two meals they have per day. "I remember my first year with Father and Mother," recalled A-mi. "We had nothing, the first building didn't have doors, grass was growing under our beds of bamboo, roofs were leaking, we didn't have pillows, just two old blankets, one which served as both the sheet and blanket and the other we folded into a pillow. It was really tough. The first group of 18 orphans quickly grew to 24 within the first year in 1992 and now, the total is 94, potentially 98 with the four Akhan children. Father Atthapol said his faith in God and his philosophy of running the orphanage as a home will ensure help. In the first year, the orphanage received funds from a German national who also visited the village as a tourist. A news report by a Taiwanese journalist also resulted in a donation of 500,000 baht from readers which Father Atthapol decided to put into the construction of the first dormitory. A Bangkok-based, Chinese-language newspaper also began contributing 15,000 baht monthly, which it increased to 30,000 baht last year. The orphanage also receives occasional donations from members of the public. Needless to say, the funds are not enough to feed, clothes and educate 94 children. Father Atthapol and his wife work very hard to keep them healthy as there are no funds for medical attention-the practice is self-cure, or in serious cases, they would ask for personal donations on a case by case basis. A-mi said she still remembers the many times when the money ran out and Father Atthapol and his wife sold their pigs and cows and other belongings even the gold he had given her as engagement presents to feed the children. "We've been counting on the generosity of the people to give these children a chance to life," said Father Atthapol. "We have a new building, a strong roof over our heads, now we can concentrate on the children's education." Info for donations: Name of Project: Ban Huay Moh Orphanage Contact person: Father Atthapol Sae Thien Address: c/o Ban Huay Moh Church, Ban Huay Moh, Mae Fa Luang district, Chiang Rai. Tel/Fax: None, because the orphanage is located in a remote area. * If you cannot contact the orphanage directly, send your cheque or money order payable to Post Publishing Public Company Limited (For Ban Huay Moh). Send it to Mrs Kusuma Mintakhin, Editorial Manager, 136 Na Ranong Road, off Sunthorn Kosa, Klong Toey, Bangkok 10110. Her telephone number is 240-3700 ext 3224-5. Please also include your name and address with your cheque so we can send you a receipt.		Current Issues in Thailand Bangkok Post Year-end Economic Review AutoWeb Classifieds Jobs Property Entertainment Investment Education Travel Sales Learn English Weekly Database Horizons Motoring NiteOwl Real Time Student Weekly Special We Care Street Art Back Issues Company Services Subscriptions Advertising Annual Report
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