Latest News From BaanGerda
The Year in Review (part 2 of 2)
Posted by Karl Morsbach on 30th December 2011The Farm
Due to the flooding, some of Baan Gerda’s plans could not be realized this year. We could not begin preparing the farm before the next rainy season. We were discouraged by the fate of so many surrounding farms, where the work of many years was destroyed by the high water. We now plan to grow vegetable and fruit for our own consumption only, and to leave the larger part of the farm for a coconut plantation.
The reasoning for this;
- The coconut tree survives a period of high water without any damage.
- Products from the coconut have benefited from high prices for many years.
- The coconut processing gives the people in Baan Gerda a paid job.
- Storing and sales require less logistical support than a broader production line of fast-perishing foods.
As soon as things return to normal we will investigate this project further.
Extended Families
We wanted to use the October holidays to know how many children will be able to return to their home provinces once they have finished their education. During the long holidays, about 20 children stayed with their extended families. When they came back, about half of them considered a permanent move back to their families in the future.
This encouraged us to invite other known extended families to visit us during the October holidays. We hope that the families will gain a better understanding and acceptance of the children’s past. Unfortunately, we had to postpone this visit in Baan Gerda due to the floods.
A new Phase in Life
Next March, two of our children will leave school and Baan Gerda. 18 year old Naan will study in Bangkok. She is lucky to have contacts with relatives of her deceased parents. She will live with them but we will support her financially. Gor, an 18 year old lad, will return to his relatives in the province and start a technical course.
New Arrival at Baan Gerda
In the next few days we will accept a five year old girl into our care. The mother died of AIDS; the father is still alive but he does not look after the child since he became an alcoholic. The child is HIV infected and in spite of therapy, her condition deteriorated since the death of her mother. People say that the reason for this is lack of love as nobody is looking after her. Meanwhile, her condition is reportedly quite serious.
New Houses
The completion of the new houses to accommodate grown children was delayed due to the flooding. Three houses are nearly ready and the fourth one is still under construction. The surrounding landscape still has to be completed.
Dear Godparents and friends of Baan Gerda; in this year we have much reason to be grateful about. Baan Gerda remained dry during the flooding and the children continue to enjoy good health. Also, the new arrivals during last year are healthy and happy now and fully integrated into Baan Gerda.
We wish all of you a blessed Christmas.
To all of us, a happy and healthy New Year 2012. No matter how high the challenges will be next year – let’s do our best to keep our heads above the water as the Thais are doing in critical times of flooding – chin up and smile !!!
Very sincerely,
Tassanee and Karl Morsbach
The Year in Review (part 1 of 2)
Posted by Karl Morsbach on 23rd December 2011The Great Flood
We needed to wait before writing this report until the floods here in Thailand had receded. However, we are still waiting for this to happen (beginning of December) and this could take weeks, depending on whether or not we trust the messages coming from the authorities.
Fortunately, Baan Gerda and all of the children managed to stay dry. This is astonishing as our village is located in the province of Lopburi, which is next to Ayuttaya where there was and still is considerable damage.
Our house in Bangkok is currently an island with the garden flooded by 40cm and stagnant water now in our living room. If the situation wasn’t so desperate we could laugh at the shrimps which are establishing themselves in our living room.
On the “road” we are witnessing distressed people up to their hips in water, many of whom have been waiting for days to obtain supplies. It’s astonishing how quickly the essential items have vanished from the shelves of the supermarket.
The mass of water in the plains of Thailand have been accumulating for months. The normally dry part of the summer didn’t occur this year. Instead, the rainy season started earlier than normal. For safety reasons the major dams had to release water which aggravated the flooding situation.
The situation became even more critical when the high tides in the Gulf of Thailand met the floodwaters coming down the Chayo Praya River, preventing it from reaching the sea. We, in Bangkok, will only have access to Baan Gerda again when the roads are free from the floods.
Baan Gerda
Much to our relief, Baan Gerda and the nearby town of Nong Maung were spared from the floods. Many people in the surrounding villages have lost everything. The older children in Baan Gerda compiled a list of essential items which they will buy when the water level drops. These items will be distributed by the children by truck or boat to those people affected the most in nearby villages.
This action will have an additional benefit; the villagers are being helped and our children will also gain by having a change of roles. Up until now, they have been the ones benefiting from the kindness of others. Now they are confronted with the misery of others, it is time for them to give back. Members of the German Catholic Society will financially back these efforts.
Living with the Tiger
In our last annual report, we explained about the film “Living with the Tiger”. The film has had more impact than we expected, especially amongst young people. In order to achieve widespread viewings of the film we decided to hold screenings in schools and universities. Each screening is followed by a Q & A session. The link http://bit.ly/tktg3F shows the interest of the students and that our campaign is very much worth the while.
Mike Thomas, who is responsible for the documentary, went to Singapore to show the film at the Singapore International Film Festival. Valuable contacts resulted from that including many introductions to schools and universities.
The outreach campaign is especially important in Singapore because the government does not attach any importance to the subject of AIDS. It is believed that HIV and AIDS sufferers are left to themselves and the government does not offer any support for HIV and AIDS therapy. In the not too distance future, Mike will take up the offer from a company in Hong Kong to show the film to local education institutions.
Organic Farm
Posted by Karl Morsbach on 13th September 2010
One of our priorities is planning for the future careers of our 85 children. We anticipate that many will have problems finding their way because of their HIV status.
For this reason we are about to start an agricultural project for organic farming on a piece of land close to the children’s present home in Baan Gerda. They will learn to grow organic products to be sold in a nearby market or for their own consumption. Most of our children came to us from rural areas, so the new farm can be home for those who prefer life on a farm over living in cities.
The learning process will be supervised by an institution connected to the University of Khon Kaen. They currently have another project near to the university so we took 4 of the older children who had expressed an interest to find out more.
Before walking through the farm there was a lengthy presentation by the people who run the project. The children seemed genuinely interested and were impressed by the simple method of producing own insecticides (by-product of charcoal), fertiliser and diesel oil. Also, they were impressed by the fact that the village is completely self sufficient in terms of food.
As the project develops we will up-date you on our progress.
Watch the DVD!
Posted by Karl Morsbach on 3rd August 2010
When filming first started on Living with the Tiger 3 years ago, our intention was to record the music lessons that Bruce Gaston had started. Now, it has become a significant project and given us the opportunity to deal with the stigma that confronts the children.
Although attitudes are slowly changing, there is much that still needs to be done if they are going to be able to live in society as normal. The film shows the contrasting attitudes that exist and the need for more awareness and education if progress is going to be made. We hope the film will contribute to overcoming these problems and provide a better future for the children.
Now that the film has been completed it will be submitted to festivals with the aim of finding TV distribution. Most importantly, it needs to find an audience that does not know about Baan Gerda and have no connection with HIV.
If you would like to play a part in supporting this venture you can visit the website. By making a small donation, you can get a limited version of the festival DVD which will help fund the promotion and outreach programme. Alternatively, spread the word amongst your friends, groups and online networks who you think might be interested.
Living With The Tiger
Posted by Karl Morsbach on 24th February 2010Since Baan Gerda opened its doors at the end of 2000 the HIV/AIDS situation in Thailand and beyond has changed a lot.
Although modern ARV medicine existed in those days it was out of the reach of most people who were infected due to the exorbitant prices. At that time an HIV diagnosis was synonymous with a death sentence. Public information about the disease lagged behind and was nebulous. The stigma that surrounded the infection made it difficult to live in society.
Today, medicine is available even for those on low incomes but the stigma is still a big problem. This will be a big obstacle for our children when the time comes to look for a profession and place in society. Children need a future without prejudice and society owes them a better understanding for the HIV/AIDS situation as it stands now.
We are sure the upcoming film ‘Living With the Tiger’ will help to raise awareness of these issues and reduce the prejudice aimed at those who are infected. The film follows 3 of the children in Baan Gerda and is told mainly through their perspective. As well as providing an insight into their daily lives it also shows them as they journey home to meet relatives that had once abandoned them. Currently, there are no films that deal with these issues in a positive style and avoid the clichés and sensation often associated with the disease.
The story is guided by their preparations for a series of performances in an opera that took place in Bangkok and the countryside.
Full details and a trailer can be found on the film’s website - www.livingwiththetiger.com/
To find out how to get involved go to - www.indiegogo.com/Living-with-the-Tiger
Khon Kaen Concert
Posted by Karl Morsbach on 29th December 2009
The recent concert in the province of Khon Kaen was a huge success, with our children performing excerpts from Bruce Gaston’s opera ‘A Boy and a Tiger’
The event attracted thousands of people from local villages and communities near to the site at Bua Ngern.
We started planning the event several months ago and our main aim was very clear; many of our children originated from this rural and poor part of Thailand and we wanted people to see that they are fit, healthy and very capable. The show now includes a number of non-infected children from schools in Bangkok, and it sends an important message that they can perform alongside our children.
We were fortunate to receive extensive cooperation from the district council in the area, who assisted with many of the arrangements and promotion of the event. It was organised as an ‘HIV awareness day’ with the focus on education and promoting the idea of infected people living in their own communities. We hope that one day some of our children will be able to return to live with their families.
We have plenty of photos from the weekend which you can see here
The concert also features as the finale to the film ‘Chivit Mai’, which has been following the children’s lives over the past three years. It is scheduled for release later next year.
The Year in Review (part 2 of 2)
Posted by Karl Morsbach on 15th December 2009Talents and Education
With the help and assessment of teachers, foster parents, Baan Gerda management and the children themselves, we are establishing profiles of our older children which will facilitate their choice of profession. We are especially interested in the assessment of the school teachers who know that we attach great importance to their judgement. We will have to live with the fact that some of the children have no ambition to finish school successfully.
Choice of Profession
The provincial capital Lopburi is 80 km from Baan Gerda and can be reached by bus. The more gifted children will be able to attend the university in that city whilst they continue to live in BG.
Other children need to receive a vocational training. There are suitable training centers run by the government. BMW have also offered us ten apprenticeship places in their assembling works.
We are in contact with an institution run by the University of Khon Kaen which is teaching organic farming. One branch of this institution is in the vicinity of Baan Gerda and accessible by bus connection. There is a vast educational program offered by this institution. We will come back to this issue in a separate letter.
We now have now a rough guideline how the professional future of our children might look.
Midnight Run
The annual Midnight Run, organized by the Amari Watergate Hotel, took place in the streets of Bangkok in October. The target was to run 6 or 12 km on the humid hot streets in the shortest possible time. 5000 runners from all over the country had registered for the run.
The kids of Baan Gerda were also courageous enough to participate. 30 of them not only started the race, but finished it in remarkably fast times. They were proud to be presented with medals for their achievement.
What growing children should know
Our oldest children are growing up and reaching a ‘critical age’. As a part of a sexual education program, there are teams of professional teachers consisting of psychologists and social workers to give the children guidelines in relevant matters. In this program, special importance is attached to the extra responsibility due to their HIV situation. One day they will be members of the society outside of Baan Gerda and they need to be prepared to follow special rules.
Our Vision
When the time is right we want our children to return their communities. It is the place where many years ago they were forced to leave, when HIV/AIDS was the source of horror At the time, villagers did not know anything about AIDS other than it was incurable and certainly fatal.
New medicine and educational campaigns turned the situation around. Still, we are afraid that there will be always be a stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS. It is therefore important that the children receive an excellent education and are well prepared to become a valuable member of society.
Often we are asked at what age the children will leave the protection of Baan Gerda. Almost all of them do not know any other home than Baan Gerda so it will continue to be the place of retreat when there is the need for it. We will do everything in our power to ensure that they will be able to stand on their own two feet and brave the imponderables of future life.
The Year in Review (part 1 of 2)
Posted by Karl Morsbach on 1st December 2009In a recent article, The Spiegel said that “the economical downturn had made the world poorer but not more prudent”. There is hardly any silver lining at the end of the horizon when the banking industry is ready to fall back into old bad habits. Just the same could be said about the world recovering from the worst times of the HIV/AIDS crisis. Did the world become more prudent and did it learn? As soon as there was news of better medical therapies, risky behaviours became apparent once again and infection rates started to increase in many cities.
In General
Baan Gerda has existed now for 10 years. If we are asked to classify this time in different phases then it would be something like this:
Phase 1 - the time of struggle to survive
Phase 2 - the time of growing and thriving
Phase 3 - re-integration into ‘normal’ society
Phase 1 is under control and partly history. It happens only rarely that our children have to be treated in hospital. They are now almost as strong as non-infected children. The analysis of their blood reflects normal immune values.
The Boy Nui
Still, there are children who are who are a source of grave concern. When Nui was brought to Baan Gerda he was already in the advanced stages of AIDS. There was little hope that he would survive. We became more optimistic when his body started to tolerate the aggressive ARV (anti retro viral) medicine and he was able to walk a little without the support of his new brothers and sisters. Nui died suddenly and unexpectedly when everybody in Baan Gerda was having dinner in the main Kinderstern hall.
In recent years, death has been a rare visitor in Baan Gerda and the loss of Nui was hard for us to accept. We told the other kids that the cause of Nui’s death was not HIV related and they should not worry that something similar could happen to them. He would most likely still be living if treatment had been administered earlier.
The baby Tavid
Tavid’s situation was similarly desperate when he joined the Baan Gerda community. His mother had fled from Myanmar to a small boarder village after her husband had died of AIDS. She crossed the border illegally with her three year old daughter and her new born son, Tavid. He was sick with AIDS already when he was born. Not being a Thai citizen he was not entitled to proper treatment.
He eventually arrived in Baan Gerda and was transferred to the ICU of a Bangkok hospital. After staying in the hospital for 2 months, Tavid was then strong enough to be integrated into life in Baan Gerda. For many months however, the weight of Tavid was scarcely more than that of a newly born baby. Now he has put on much weight and he is becoming a ‘normal’ baby. When we get official permission for his mother to travel, she will come to Baan Gerda and the family can be re-united again.
Première of “A Boy and a Tiger”
Posted by Karl Morsbach on 7th November 2009
It was nearly three years ago that composer Bruce Gaston first started teaching music to the children of Baan Gerda. Who would have predicted that they would end up playing the largest theatre in the country?
‘A boy and a Tiger’ the opera composed by Gaston, will be premièred at the Thailand Cultural Center on 28th and 29th November. Tickets are available from thaiticketmajor.com
The show now includes several children from international schools in Bangkok and The Mercy Center in Khlong Toey. Local skateboarders perform tricks on specially designed ramps that have been incorporated into the elaborate set design.
An independently produced film will be released next year chronicling their journey since the first music lessons, as well as their lives in Baan Gerda.
The children will also be travelling to Khon Kaen for a special performance on December 11th. In contrast to the bright lights of Bangkok, this show will be held in the middle of the countryside in one of the poorest areas of Thailand.
Are you a photographer? We would love to have some well-taken pictures of the shows in both Khon Kaen and Bangkok. Let us know if you can help! (contact us)
Children Prepare to Take Part in Midnight Run
Posted by Karl Morsbach on 1st October 2008There is a big difference when you look upon Bangkok’s city streets at night from the perspective of a thirsty runner rather than sitting in an air conditioned car…
What started as an activity initiated by a group of enthusiastic runners has developed into a serious sports challenge. For many years now, the management of Amari Watergate Hotel in Bangkok have organised the annual ‘Midnight Run’ along the streets of the city centre. In the beginning, the number of people participating was a humble handful of enthusiasts. However, the tradition soon developed and last year as many as 3000 started the race and almost an equal number managed to complete it. Participants can choose between distances of six and twelve km.
This year the race is on October 11th and the organizers are expecting more than 4000 runners.
BMW Thailand is the main sponsor of the event and many other companies take the opportunity to show their commitment and help make the event possible. Numerous attractive prices are donated for a tombola after the race.
As in previous years, proceeds from the event will go to help HIV-infected children in a royal project and also to BaanGerda. Last year, a few of our children attended the preparation for the midnight event and it left a lasting impression. This year they want to actively participate and insist that the Midnight Run is not only for adults.
For many months they have been preparing under the watchful eye of BaanGerda staff. They can’t wait to go to Bangkok on October 11th. Take a look at the video to see their unusual training methods…
Profile of Kaew
Posted by Karl Morsbach on 4th January 2008Kaew has been part of the BaanGerda team since 2002 and is responsible for functions, activities and general P.R. She is well-known in Thailand due to her online diaries that chronicle her experiences of living with HIV. She has also published a series of five ‘AIDS-Diaries’ that have become best sellers.
Six years ago, after graduating with a masters degree in psychology, Kaew secured a good job with a large Thai company. It is normal practice in Thailand for new employees to undergo a short medical and HIV test before they can start work. The result was to change her life. The blood test showed that she was HIV positive.
“I didn’t think that I’m in a risk group about HIV because I have only one boyfriend and we have a plan to marry in the next year. My first reaction was to be very sad, afraid and I cried a lot. I didn’t know about HIV/AIDS. I know like many Thai people that AIDS is no way to be cured and it’s a disease that only bad person will get. And everybody is afraid of people who are infected. So I called to the company and lied to them that I got another job, and I lied to my family that I found a company which will send me to work in inland province.”
Within three months her boyfriend was dead. She was afraid to talk about her problems with family and friends because of the stigma and prejudice associated with the disease. Instead, she began writing about her fears and experiences on the internet and soon developed a large readership that sent messages and offered their moral support. Today, her website is a well established institution especially for younger people. For a little annual fee they can register as a member of the website. As a matter of fact, they are regular visitors to BaanGerda and assist with the organisation and sponsorship of many of the activities that you read about on our website.
How did you become involved with BaanGerda?
“At first I start like someone who goes to visit the kids, give some useful things and go home. But then I go every month and invite my friends in my website to come together. We made many activities for the kids, then I became one of staff at BaanGerda.”
How has your life been affected in terms of the stigma of being HIV positive?
“It has affected my life in many ways because in Thailand we still have a bad attitude with people who are HIV infected and there is still a wrong understanding for HIV/AIDS infected people. I have a graduate master degree but I can’t find a good job because in big company they force you to test HIV before you can start work there. And many people are still afraid to stay near those who are infected. Many people still think that somebody HIV-infected must be a bad person.”
Have you noticed any change in people’s attitude here in Thailand?
“I think there is a change in attitude about HIV in Thailand, but it’s a little change and maybe it’s not a real change. You often are told that ‘you can stay together with HIV people’ but in the real life there are still blood tests to isolate people who are infected. But now it is better than in the past because the government provides ARV medicine. It improves the quality of life and helps people to take care of themselves.”
How a Dying Mother Helped Define Our Community
Posted by Karl Morsbach on 10th December 2007Suphranee Lekgratok was a 39 year old woman from Pitsanalok who came to BaanGerda looking for a job as housemother. Her husband had died and she was HIV-infected. Unfortunately, she became very sick shortly after she arrived and was diagnosed with tuberculosis and meningitis. By this time she had no parental role yet.
Under guidance from the doctor, we isolated her in our clinic and then attempted to give her the necessary treatment. Her condition deteriorated rapidly and her prognosis was very poor. We had no past experience with dying adults in BaanGerda, and my wife and I assumed that our staff and house parents would expect us to send her to the close-by AIDS hospice.
Since this woman had opted to choose BaanGerda as her new home we thought it appropriate to let her stay with us for whatever time she had left. How could we persuade our families and staff to allow this woman to remain in their village? We were worried that they would not agree so we called for a meeting to deal with this urgent matter. What happened in this meeting convinced us that the special spirit of the village was understood and shared. Before we could voice our concern, the staff and parents pleaded with us “please do not send her away. We want to take care of her”
Isn’t it beautiful when you feel understood in this way? Suphranee finally found a family that she could be part of. When she died a few days later, she was not alone.
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