HIV Awareness raising in prisons and communities

Ning is a single parent in her 30’s.  She is HIV positive and also an ex prisoner.  Ning lives in a small slum area in downtown Bangkok, in a one room ‘house’ with her mother and her 10 year old daughter, Fern.  When Fern was about to start school, Ning was working as a cleaner and did not have enough money for the school costs.  Her mother was working and contributing to the family income but only earned a very small wage, so even the combined income of mother and grandmother was insufficient for them to live on and pay the school costs. It was an easy step for Ning to start dealing in drugs to get the money she needed to support the family.  It wasn’t long before she was caught and sentenced to six years in prison, which left grandmother and daughter with no money at all, except for the grandmother’s small wage.  Siam-Care met Ning in prison while doing our prison work.  We visited the grandmother and Fern and gave Fern an education scholarship so she could attend school.  She is now attending the local primary school and is in grade 4 and doing OK.  We visited Ning while she was in prison and arranged for her daughter to visit too.  Ning attended counseling sessions in the prison and she became an active member of our women’s prison group.  Then, after serving only 4 years of her sentence, she was released recently; early for good behavior.  Now she is back home with her mother and daughter and works as part of Siam-Care’s craft group, which gives her a regular income.  Fern is still receiving an education scholarship so these days the family have a much better life and can look forward positively to the future. 
Watch part of Siam-Care’s work in prison and craft group by clicking on the link below to U Tube.

Links:

• prison visit
• Ning and the craft group