Sunday. Another airport, a new destination. We take off from Dom Munang, the old International airport for Bangkok. Now its domestic flights only. The huge international terminal is deserted. It is eerie.
Sarnelli House and its associated houses at Vienkhuk and St Patricks are home to more than 120 children. Almost all are orphaned by AIDS. About half were born HIV+. A devoted team cares for them under the benign authority of Fr Mike Shea who has been in north east Thailand for more than 40 years.
Since I was last here the place has been transformed by an invasion of bulders and BUPA. The bulders have constructed a new hgouse for teenage girls at Sarnelli - the site where all the children with HIV are housed. They are half way through building a new 'House of Hope', a special home for babies and toddlers. The old one was falling apart, and anyway it was too small. Now a new building for teenage boys is needed. Hint.
BUPA were here for 6 weeks to celebrate their 60th anniversary. 60 volunteers came to work, and had worked before they arrived to raise 60,000 uk. The result is basketball courts, extensive repainting, new bathrooms, new kitchens, and hot water and other amenities of modern life. A transformation.
More tomorrow. Slight technical challenges today. May have found out how to do photos for tomorrow, watch this space.
No comments:
Post a Comment