December 1, 1998
WE CARE Mending the fabric of their lives Aids widows are struggling to make ends meet while dealing with social discrimination Nilubol Pornpitagpan Urai Fonchan, a member of the Ban Huay Sai Ruam Jai women's sewing collective, sells the group's products at the Sunday market Chiang Mai's San Kamphaeng district. Urai Fonchan, 31, never expected her marriage would be so short. Her husband, a craftsman at a jewelry shop, loved drinking and visiting brothels. He refused to curtail his lascivious habits even after getting married. After three years together, the Chiang Mai couple decided to have a baby in 1993. Mrs Urai asked her husband to have a blood test. The result turned her world upside down: her husband was HIV positive. She then had a blood test herself. The result was also devastating. "I was numb from the news. I'd never felt so terribly depressed and desperate in my life before. I felt I had been robbed of everything in my life. It seemed there was no way out for me," Mrs Urai recalled. As she tried to cope with this unforeseen family crisis, her husband did not cooperate. She could not turn to him for consolation or even consultation. He was so upset that he turned to drinking more heavily than ever. He even frequented the brothels more often, to get his revenge, he said. "I couldn't turn to my husband for consolation. I asked him to stop so that we could talk and tackle the problem together but it proved fruitless," said Mrs Urai, her voice shaking. "I needed his consolation but he didn't care." Her husband died two years later. As a widow with an elderly mother to take care of, Mrs Urai tried to pull herself together enough to earn a living. She worked at a factory sewing bags. But when word spread about her illness, her colleagues turned on her. After a while she quit her job. "I couldn't stand their daily derogatory remarks," she said. But hope appeared when Mrs Urai learned of Ban Huay Sai Ruam Jai, a house where a group of HIV-positive women work together to produce products made from cotton. Here, she was able to use her sewing skills to earn an income, albeit small. Ban Huay Sai Ruam Jai started in 1993 and is owned by Surapi Panchote who, like Mrs Urai, is an Aids widow and is HIV positive, and also has one daughter to take care. The project, which received initial funding from the Keua Darun Foundation, now has six members who are all widows and all have HIV. On their six sewing machines they produce bags, backpacks, pencil cases, cushion covers, school uniforms, children's clothes and purses. Working with women who share the same problems makes Mrs Urai feel happier because she now someone to talk to. "We understand each other. We can give advice or encouragement when we feel sad," she said. The group is open to new members, whether they are HIV-positive or not. "We welcome women who are like us. Housewives who don't have HIV are also welcome if they wish to learn how to sew and earn some income," says Mrs Urai. At present, the group sells their products at the Sunday market near the village of Ban Huay Sai in San Kamphaeng district. They hope to expand their outlets in the future. With market limitations, each member can earn around 100 baht per day only. Wages are paid according to the number of pieces they sew. "We want to produce more if we can find more markets for our products. We are also willing to produce special requests or designs," Mrs Urai said. Their products are quite cheap, with embroidered cotton cushion covers priced at 70 baht and girls' dresses with lovely pattern less than 100 baht. Visitors are welcome at Ban Huay Sai Ruam Jai and the group is interested in hearing new ideas. "We welcome any person who would like to see our work," said Mrs Urai. Info for donations: Contact persons: Mrs Surapi Panchote or Mrs Urai Fonchan Address: Ban Huay Sai Ruam Jai, 58, Moo 6, Ban Doi Siew, Huay Sai, San Kamphaeng, Chiang Mai 50130 Telephone: Call the neighbour's house at (053) 88-1023 and ask them to get someone from Ban Huay Sai Ruam Jai to answer the phone. If you cannot contact them directly, send your cheque payable to Post Publishing Public Company Limited (For Ban Huay Sai Ruam Jai). Send it to Mrs Kusuma Mintakhin, Editorial Manager, 136 Na Ranong Road, Klong Toey, Bangkok 10110. Please also include your name and address with your cheque so we can send you a receipt.		Classifieds Jobs Property Entertainment Investment Education Travel Sales Learn English Weekly Database Horizons NiteOwl Student Weekly Real Time Special We Care Street Art Back Issues Last Month Archive Company Servcies Subscriptions Advertising Annual Report
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