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[ Introducing Ban Rom Sai ] The global AIDS crisis is having a devastating impact on communities around the world. To date AIDS has laid to waste over 30 million lives and an additional 40 million people are infected with HIV. Its impact on the people of Thailand is particularly daunting. Of the population of 65 million, mistaken official estimates put the number of HIG positive Thais at 1.5 million, but in reality the figure is much higher. Every year over 7,000 HIV positive Thai women give birth and 30% of their babies are born with the virus. The typical child born with HIV in Thailand will be orphaned by the age of two and can expect to die by the age of five. The consequences of poverty and insufficient medical care in Thailand make their time on earth very brief.
It is in reaction to this tragic reality that Giorgio Armani Corp. Japan, initiated the establishment of a home for HIV positive orphans in Chiang Mai, Thailand. In November of 1999 “Kids Earth Home Thailand” was opened with an enrollment of 30 children aged between two and eleven years. In July 2001, having evolved to a more financially independent level, the home was re-established and renamed BAN ROM SAI, which in English means “Home under the Bodhi Tree”.
The children who come to our home become a part of a great extended family. The Ban Rom Sai complex in which the children live, play, and work is their village, their hometown. Here they will find security, love, and peace of mind. It is a place where they can learn, grow, and prosper into compassionate and confidant individuals. It is a place where they will always belong.
Most of these children have endured unimaginably traumatic experiences. But they all have dreams. It is our aim to help them make their dreams come true. At Ban Rom Sai we are dedicated to raising the children in an environment of unconditional love. To do this we must not only give them all our support but we must keep them healthy. It is to this end that we strive, everyday, to improve their quality of life and respond to their unique physical, psychological, and material needs. We provide three nutritionally balanced meals a day, and consider this “good medicine”. We encourage daily exercise and participation in sport to build up strength and endurance. We bathe the children three times daily and have them brush their teeth after every meal. We are also prepared to respond quickly to medical problems as they arise.
Our other major emphasis is education. Apart from the education they receive at school, the children participate in a variety of learning experiences within our home with guidance from specialists in various creative fields. We also have a strong arts and crafts production scheme which effectively generates substantial funds towards the operation of our home. The cultivation of vegetables in our organic garden is another important educational experience. The children are also constantly learning valuable life lessons from the ceaseless sharing and interaction with the staff and amongst themselves. We also actively educate visitors about the facts regarding HIV/AIDS.
One day these beautiful children will grow into young women and men. They will go into society and be confronted with the many stigmas and prejudices connected with being HIV positive. It is our hope that every child will be equipped with the skills to live and thrive independently in society and have the confidence and strength to rise above the challenges and obstacles that confront them. Until each child is ready to leave our home the child is guaranteed a place where he or she is welcome and secure. It is through our work and your generous support that these and many more orphans with HIV can love and grow in peace at “Home under the Bodhi tree”.
[ "The Big Family" ] At Ban Rom Sai it has always been our goal to create not just an orphanage but a "Big Family" where children can live amongst themselves and not be bound by adult systems and processes. The children of Ban Rom Sai are continually encouraged to discuss and make decisions with our staff regarding such things as the creation and maintenance of our grounds, daily health checks, and balanced diets.
We are gaining ground in the battle against the HIV virus to prolong the lives of our children everyday. In our first three years we lost 10 children to AIDS. However with the support of many people like you and the new anti-HIV treatments we have been able to suppress the HIV virus so that since October 2002 we have not lost a single child to AIDS. Today our 30 children are living very happy and healthy lives!
There are 30 children at our Center. They all possess distinct and beautiful characteristics and an abundance of potential. It is our goal that all of our children will grow up to be understanding and sympathetic adults with various skills able to make a living for themselves. This is why at Ban Rom Sai, in addition to school studies, we encourage our children to participate in as many activities as possible: painting pictures, creating ceramic art, taking photos, learning traditional dances, dying and weaving, sewing, aikido, swimming, computers, etc. These are just a part of the various activities that are being conducted by the Thai and Japanese volunteers at Ban Rom Sai. The children of Ban Rom Sai are thus growing up and using these experiences and skills in creative ways for today and tomorrow.
When the facility was first established we were forced to withdraw our children from a Chiang Mai elementary school because they were infected with the HIV virus. Six years ago it would have been unimaginable to see children from the nearby villages playing with the children of Ban Rom Sai. But today local children wait eagerly to play with the children of Ban Rom Sai. Now we feel the day will soon arrive when the children of Ban Rom Sai will be permitted again to attend the village elementary school. With the growth and understanding of the local children we believe that the efforts of Ban Rom Sai are helping to gradually change the attitudes of our local society.
Although we may be able to help the children of Ban Rom Sai live with HIV/AIDS we cannot change the fact that they are orphans. Moreover, unless a cure is developed to eliminate the HIV virus these children will have to continue taking anti-HIV drugs. They will also face serious issues such as falling in love, having sex with someone they love, having their own children, etc. But these challenges will only help them to become stronger individuals, and we hope that we can help the children tackle each hurdle one day at a time.
It is our goal to manage Ban Rom Sai as independently as possible so that we do not have to rely so heavily on all of your generous contributions. It is important for the children of Ban Rom Sai to see their "parents" working hard so that they realize that in order to survive financially they must work, earn, contribute, save, and invest money.
In order to become more financially independent Ban Rom Sai, since the third year, has invested in and developed a plant dying, weaving cloth, and needlework business. We also started cultivating organic cotton in conjunction with the Kaleng village which we harvested for the first time in 2004.
With the support of the Kaleng village we had the children harvest rice for the first time this year. Starting next year the children will aid in the process of planting rice. Some of the Ban Rom Sai children may want to become farmers in the future. Some may want to be involved in the textiles, dying, and weaving industry or some may want to become computer programmers. As long as they can suppress the HIV virus from becoming AIDS the children have unlimited possibilities for their future.
Although we are also just beginning to understand the complexity of HIV/AIDS we are working hard to enlighten and strengthen the children's minds and attitudes. The only advanced country where the number of HIV-positive people is increasing is Japan. We hope that the Japanese will take this situation more seriously and realize that people must be accountable for their own actions. We also hope that they will have a better understanding of the HIV/AIDS disease. It is part of our awareness program that we are producing and selling "Miss Condom"; a condom that can be easily purchased by women that comes with a hand-made teddy bear and message from Ban Rom Sai.
The children of Ban Rom Sai are living bright and exciting lives. Even if there are no actual blood relationships between them they are living as a part of a warm and loving "family".
We sincerely believe that the children will appreciate all the people that have supported and helped them throughout their lives and that they will become adults who will give back to their society.
Although Ban Rom Sai is working towards becoming financially independent it is still far from becoming a reality. In order to keep the children healthy and AIDS-free, we desperately need your continued support. We hope that you will pray for the health and happiness of the children of Ban Rom Sai, and support them in any shape or form. Thank you for your continued contributions.
Miwa Natori Director of Ban Rom Sai |
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