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Annual Report
Bangkok, December 2006
Once again, another year has flown by. It is as if only yesterday we were writing last year’s report to update you about all the changes. Last year, we reported of the children’s health as stable, allowing them to lead normal lives. We also wrote about 15 new children who came to us at the end of 2005. A year has passed by and the new inhabitants are now sufficiently strong to participate in daily village life and to go to either kindergarten or school.
Dokdek
Dokdek, unfortunately, is an exception and to this date, he is our cause for concern. His compromised lung is still calling for added attention from the HIV-pediatrician, our village clinic, and all others in the BaanGerda. The doctors cannot yet say if Dokdek will be able to lead a normal life. Whatever his future may be, today he laughs and plays a lot, loves to be cheeky and always plays up to his adopted parents. In short, he is enjoying his childhood. We also reported of Baby Dawan, whose HIV status at that time was still unclear. Today we know that Dawan is HIV-infected. He tolerates his ARV medicine without problems and is thriving with the love, care and doting that comes with being the smallest member of the village.
The old houses were improved by a one room extension, so that all living houses in BaanGerda now meet the requirements of teenage children. The houses are now designed in a way that can accommodate two boys or girls sharing one room. In addition, the bathrooms have been altered to provide a greater sense of privacy. Today there are only a few teenagers in BaanGerda, but this will change all too quickly in the next few years. We will have plenty of them who do not want to go bed at 8 o’clock with their little brothers and sisters. For them, they now have the possibility of retreating to their rooms or to the new Activity House.
The new Activity House is making an invaluable contribution to all in the village. Already, after just a short time, the new facilities have become part of day-to-day life. Through the support of an Australian parish, we now have a complete sewing and carpentry workshop. The parents are at last learning a profession. Experienced teachers from Bangkok visit regularly to train them and in turn, they are working six hours per day when the kids are at school. For the small children, there is an extra area in the corner of the workshop where they can be supervised, so that the parents can work with no worries or major interruptions.
The purpose of this facility:
- The workshops will familiarize the children with a possible later profession.
- The improved self-esteem that the development of these useful skills brings to the parents will have a wonderful effect on the upbringing of the children.
- BaanGerda very soon will begin small production of marketable handicrafts. The proceeds will improve the income of the parents and will also contribute to the daily expenses of BaanGerda.
The Music, Computer and Reading areas are situated on the upper floor of the activity house. Once a week the older children have music lessons; some of the children have opted for classical Thai instruments, others for Western music. The music section offers many possibilities including, unfortunately, that of bringing old-fashioned folks to their knees with deafening Pop music.
The computer room opposite the music area has nine PC units which were donated by a German company in Thailand. They were replenishing their stock with newer versions and we were fortunate enough to get the very good cast-offs. We intend to have two internet connections so that we can enhance contacts with schools and wider communities, which are still in the seminal stages.
The reading area still has to be accepted by most of the children. For the time being, children will have their English lessons there. Lis, a student from England, is volunteering in BaanGerda and has, through boundless imagination, developed methods to teach the children English, without speaking a word of Thai herself. We hope that Lis will be long with us.
Future Developments
- The reading corner now is located in the new activity house and the old facilities are to be put to good use by a new family. Very soon we will have ten more children and two new adults.
- Nutritional specialists from Mahidol University in Bangkok spent several days gathering data on BaanGerda’s daily menu, and the eating tendencies of the children. Now we know that we have to improve the diet of the children. As a rule, HIV infected children are less-developed than other children of a comparable age and their dietary requirements must be richer in nutrition to compensate. Next year we will, under the supervision of the university, change the menu and eating habits of the children. At the same time we will observe the physical development over a long period of time.
The fact that we have kept detailed health and growth histories for each child since coming to BaanGerda means that we will be in a good position to compare the effects of improved nutrition on development. We will complete a study which should benefit other organizations in how to deal with this so far neglected aspect of bringing up HIV children. Very soon, more than 80 children and 25 adults will live at BaanGerda. It is only logical that we should undertake studies like this and consequently improve the care of HIV-infected children beyond BaanGerda.
When the last house becomes occupied, BaanGerda will have an extended period of maintenance and consolidation, during which time we will not accept any more children. Exceptions of this rule will be extreme emergencies knocking at our doors. We must not expose BaanGerda to an unworkable size when it is our aim to make it an organization for AIDS orphans, which is fit enough in all aspects to stand as a model for other organizations.
From everybody at BaanGerda, the little ones and the big ones, we want to say a huge “Thank you” from the heart, for not tiring in your generosity and support. Imagine, what BaanGerda would be without you!
Karl & Tassanee