Introduction

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 a population of 65 million, mistaken official estimates put the number of HIV positive Thais at 1.5 million, but in reality the figure is much, 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. We encourage daily exercise and participation in sports 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 second 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 department 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 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 feels 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”.

Miwa Natori

Director of Ban Rom Sai