Holistic Care for 450 HIV Positive Thai Families

With Siam-Care we support around 200 underprivileged children and their families. Em (an assumed name) is one of them. This is her story. 

Em (2011) is a 12-year-old girl who lives with her grandmother (1963), father (1990), sister (2012) and brother (2016) in the poor and dry northeastern Thailand. The mother of the 3 kids has suddenly left, leaving father alone with the children now. He struggles to survive financially, also because his mother is ill.

Unfortunately, mothers leaving all of a sudden, is a common problem in Thailand. Many of the children in our program have to deal with parents who are still alive, but completely out of the picture. Since mother left, she has shown zero involvement and there has been no contact with her children at all. And thus father is the only one making an income, while in the meantime he has to take care of his sick grandmother and 3 children. Grandma is suffering from diabetes, kidney disease and hepatitis C and cannot work. In addition to the education of his 3 children, father also has to cover grandma's medical costs. He works as a day laborer and earns 300 baht a day only on days when he has work. The family is struggling immensely and father is very concerned.

Shy, quiet girl
Em herself is a quiet girl who would like to work in healthcare in the future. Only with the help of Siam-Care can she can go to school. She enjoys reading and her favorite subject is mathematics.

Support someone like Em
Thanks to support from people like you, children like Em can go to school. We already have a sponsor for her, but there are many children who are still on the waiting list. Will you make a difference for a child in need?

In 2022, we supported 167 children in pursuing their education. All of them face difficulties in their young lives. Leo (an assumed name), is one of them. He is a 14-year-old boy, who has no parents, and was unwanted by his family. We found him a safe and loving home, and ensure he stays in school. This is his touching story.

When Leo’s father learned that his wife was pregnant, he left right away and has never been in touch with his son ever since. Unfortunately, it is a common response in Thailand for fathers to disappear without taking any responsibly. Leo’s mother had to raise her son all by herself and struggled to make ends meet. When Leo was only nine years old, mother died because of HIV and cancer, after being sick for several years. Leaving Leo an orphan, with no one wanting to look after him.

Unwanted by relatives
Leo’s aunt reluctantly invited Leo to come and live with her family. It was clear from the start that she did not want to look after Leo, also because she didn’t have the financial means to take care of yet another child. Leo felt unwanted, and aunt didn’t hide that she was frustrated with the situation. There was a lot of tension, and Siam-care staff often had to visit to talk to auntie. At one point, the situation got out of hand, and Leo had to leave.

A true angel
Suddenly, Leo was all alone, being only 13 years old. Thankfully, we found someone in our network who was willing to let Leo live with her. She is a true angel, named auntie Nui. Our staff is a member of the same church, and when auntie Nui heard of Leo’s situation, she opened her house for him right away. Leo now lives in a Christian community, with other children who were unwanted, like himself. Auntie Nui even looks after the children of her ex-husband, who aren’t her own. She has a big heart and much love to give to children unloved by others. 

A better future
Siam-Care covers all educational costs, ensuring Leo can finish his studies and look after himself financially in the future. Auntie Nui works hard to pay for rent and food, working several jobs. She feels God has called her to look after orphans, and he provides their needs. With the help of Leo’s sponsor (through Siam-Care), the family manages to make ends meet. It is not an ideal situation, but we are thankful that Leo ended up with people who care about him and want the best for him. This was all made possible, with the support of Siam-Care’s donors.