Posted by Ginge on 5th December 2008
It is hard to believe how fast our children are growing up. It has become apparent that quite a large number of our inhabitants do not want to be treated as children anymore, and are well in to adolescence. We have long been aware that the issues of social responsibility and sex education would need to be handled with care and sensitivity. The Baan Gerda team discussed this at length and thought we had better get some expert advice.
Thailand is fortunate to have a strong network of NGOs which deal with many of the aspects affecting people with HIV. Our doctor was able to refer us to a group specialising in HIV youth, particularly dealing with stigma, education and social problems. They were willing to embark on a programme of what they euphemistically refer to as ‘life skills’. It was recommended that we took the children out of their normal environment and take part in 3 day workshop. About 25 of our young ladies and gentlemen took part in an experience which was quite an eye-opener for the staff.
Of course the basics were covered, birds, bees and so on, but what was surprising was how our young people responded to the activities relating to HIV. When asked the question “is it ok for people with HIV to have babies?” we were proud to hear the girl’s group respond with “it is fine as long as they have the means to care for the child”. We try and instil a sense of responsibility into our children and it is rewarding to observe them respond so maturely.
By then end of the weekend we were confident that most of them had a good understanding not only of their social responsibilities, but the various routes of HIV infection, the different types of contraception and the risks of mother to child transmission of HIV. We will augment this programme with others in the following months.
May 21st, 2010 at 5:25 am
Great blog article.Much thanks again. Really Great.