Ban Mae Maria - Home for HIV Teenagers

Opening Address
By Br. Damien Lunders, SVD
Director Mother of Perpetual Help Centre
And
Mother Mary’s Home

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On behalf of Mother of Perpetual Help Centre and our new Mother Mary’s Home I am pleased to welcome you all and happy that you could attend our opening ceremony today. (January 2010).

We are grateful to Gary and Barbara Grendys in America for their most generous donation which has made this new Home possible. It is their donation alone which has paid for this entire project—a new home for teenagers having to some degree outgrown living in other orphanages. Here at this new home we hope to prepare these youngsters for their future outside of institutional living. It is our intention to help them to integrate into a life in the outside world and to help them prepare for normal and healthy relationships with the normal society. Here at the new home they will have the opportunity to continue their education in a profession which they might wish to choose, or a trade which will help them to find employment in the future.

Here at their new home teenagers will be expected to help look after themselves, cleaning, care for the grounds, gardening—everything which in normal life youngsters are expected to help in normal family living. Living along side with these teenagers will be some of the adults who have gone through our hospice care program. They will offer guidance and companionship throughout their time at Mother Mary’s Home.

BAN MAE MARIA (Mother Mary House)

Ban Mae Maria (Mother Mary House) the new home for HIV teenagers has now become a reality. January 28th 2009, the feast of our St. Josef Freinadametz was the official opening . The opening was well attended with our Bishop George Phimphisan, CSsR officiating along with the new Governor Somsak Suwansujarit of the Province and many other officials from the Health and Education Departments, religious and local guests from the area.

We are extremely grateful to the benefactors, Gary and Barbara Grendys from America who have made this new home possible. The existing children’s home with over 20 HIV children ranging from ages 2 – 16 has been in operation now for 6 years. We are grateful to the Missionary Sisters of Mother Teresa for their help and their care of the children there. It was becoming more and more evident that at one stage it would become necessary to separate the younger children from those becoming teenagers. We realized more and more that teenagers need a different environment and form of training as they near adulthood. The donation making this project possible has truly been “Providential”.

In early 2009 we located an area which would be suitable for the new home, purchased the land and in March the building of three family type homes were started along with a larger common building for eating and recreation, and staff housing. Buildings and overall land development was complete by the end of November 2009 and the first five teenagers began living in their new home along with two adults from the hospice.

Ban Mae Maria is walking distance from a Government Skills Training Center which will be very convenient for those students who wish to pursue further professional training with a trade of their choice after completing primary and high school. The Skills Training Center can offer trades in building, electronics, mechanical or plumbing skills for young men and cooking or sewing for young women.

While living at Ban Mae Maria the teenagers will receive training from staff of Mother of Perpetual Help Center and health personnel from the local hospital on the importance of good nutrition and the importance of continuing their medication seriously. Here at the new home they will be prepared for a future outside of institutional living. It is our intention to help them to integrate into a life in the outside world and to help them prepare for normal and healthy relationships within the normal society. Here at the new home teenagers will be expected to help look after themselves, cleaning, care for the grounds, gardening – everything which in life youngsters are expected to help in normal family living. Living alongside with these teenagers will be some adults having gone through our hospice care program. They now in good health, but no home or family to return to will remain at the new home and will offer guidance and companionship throughout their time at Ban Mae Maria.

คำกล่าวรายงานของ ผู้อำนวยการ บ้านนิจจานุเคราะห์
บราเดอร์เดเมียน ลันเดอร์ส
“บ้านนิจจานุเคราะห์ได้สร้างบ้านใหม่สำหรับเยาวชนและแล้วเสร็จเป็นที่เรียบร้อย และได้รับผู้ติดเชื้อ HIV เข้าในบ้านหลังใหม่นี้จำนวน 4 คน เป็นผู้ใหญ่ 2 คนและเยาวชนอีก 2 คน ซึ่งในจำนวนผู้ป่วยทั้งหมดนี้ทุกคนยังแข็งแรงดี พร้อมกับมีเจ้าหน้าที่ประจำ 1 คน บ้านหลังใหม่นี้ตั้งอยู่ใกล้กับศูนย์พัฒนาฝีมือแรงงานจังหวัดหนองบัวลำภู
ขอขอบคุณเป็นพิเศษไปยังนายแกรี เกรนดี้และนางบาร์บาร่า เกรนดี้ สองสามีภรรยาชาวอเมริกาในความมีน้ำใจดีที่ได้บริจาคทุนทรัพย์ในการดำเนินโครงการซึ่งเป็นจำนวนเงินที่มากสำหรับโครงการนี้ทั้งการก่อสร้างต่างๆและการซื้อที่ดิน บ้านนิจจานุเคราะห์หวังว่าบ้านหลังใหม่นี้จะช่วยเตรียมเยาวชนที่ย้ายจากบ้านเด็กคุณแม่เทเรซาหรือสถานสงเคราะห์อื่นๆ ให้มีอนาคตที่ดีเมื่อเขาเหล่านั้นก้าวออกไปสู่สังคม
เป้าหมายที่สำคัญของเราคือ ช่วยพัฒนาเยาวชนเหล่านั้นให้สามารถปรับตัวและดำเนินชีวิตประจำวันอย่างปกติเหมือนคนทั่วไปในสังคม และที่บ้านหลังใหม่เรามีแผนกิจกรรมที่จัดให้พวกเขามีโอกาสได้รับการศึกษาที่ดีทั้งด้านวิชาการและด้านอาชีพต่างๆที่ตัวเขาเหล่านั้นถนัดและมีความสนใจซึ่งจะเป็นสิ่งที่ช่วยเขาในการประกอบอาชีพเพื่อเลี้ยงตัวเองได้ นอกจากนี้แล้วเยาวชนต้องมีส่วนรับผิดชอบและดูแลรักษาสถานที่ เช่น การทำความสะอาดบ้านและบริเวณศูนย์ ทำงานสวน หรือเกือบทุกๆอย่างที่สมาชิกทุกคนที่อยู่เหมือนครอบครัวเดียวกันในบ้านหลังนี้ต้องช่วยกันรับผิดชอบและดูแลรักษา ซึ่งเจ้าหน้าที่และผู้ใหญ่ที่พักอยู่กับเยาวชนที่บ้านแม่มารีย์จะช่วยในการสนับสนุนเยาวชนโดยการให้คำแนะนำด้วยความรักและหวังดีตลอดระยะเวลาที่อยู่ที่นี่”

บทภาวนาเสกบ้านแม่มารีย์
ข้าแต่พระคริสตเจ้า พระองค์ตรัสสั่งอัครสาวกว่า “ ท่านเข้าไปในบ้านใด ก็จงสวดขอสันติสุขแก่บ้านนั้น ”ข้าพเจ้าวอนขอให้ศูนย์นี้ มีบรรยากาศแห่งความสุข ความสงบเรียบร้อย เพื่อใช้อบรมบรรดาเยาวชน ให้เป็นคนดี มีศิลธรรมและคุณภาพชีวิต ขอพระองค์ทรงคุ้มครองผู้ที่อาศัยในสถานที่นี้ทุกคน
โปรดให้พวกเขา มีความปลอดภัยจากอันตรายทั้งปวง ให้ผู้อบรมเปี่ยมด้วยพระคุณแห่งความรู้ ความปรีชา ความยำเกรงพระองค์ และให้ผู้รับการอบรมในสถานที่นี้เปี่ยมด้วยพระพร
เขาจะได้เข้าใจสิ่งต่าง ๆ จดจำคำแนะนำ นำเอาไปปฏิบัติอบรมนิสัยให้เป็นคนดี มีความศักดิ์สิทธ์เพื่อเชิดชูพระเกียรติของพระองค์ เหตุฉะนี้ ข้าพเจ้าทั้งหลายวิงวอนขอพระองค์อวยพร และเสกบ้านเยาวชนแห่งนี้ให้ศักดิ์สิทธ์ไป และขอให้เทพสวรรค์คอยปกปักษ์รักษาบ้านและผู้อาศัยทุกคน

Aids Hospice and Intensive Care

Since our hospice care program opened for adults in late 2005 over 130 persons have been cared for, some for short periods, others prolonged. Of the 130 persons about 45 have died—many of them at the hospice, others in their homes after leaving the hospice. Many have also recovered well enough and have found small jobs—these are few and far in between. We have found that a great number of them returning home have been rejected, uncared for, do not eat properly nor take their medication properly; thus, die within a short time. Because of this we have started a new program for those who have no home or place to return to—our program being the start of a self help program where some of them now live on our farm. On the farm they can now plant vegetables as a source of their own food, help with the care of the fruit trees, help with raising fish in the ponds and now raising ducks. We can see a tremendous difference in their attitude and outlook on life. They are happy, they feel fulfilled and are filled with hope. Not all will be able to live on the farm in the limited accommodation; however, because of a very generous benefactor a new Center is under construction for this purpose as well as teenagers. At the new Center they will be expected to work in the same way as partial self support. At the new Center part of the development will be also to plant fruit trees, raise fish, ducks, chickens and whatever they are interested in doing to help themselves.

Patients have been sent to our hospice not only from the Nong Bua Lamphu Province, but from many other Provinces as well, especially from the Northeastern Provinces. Other religious have sent patients to us for care, local hospitals from other Provinces as well, especially cases where they have been rejected by family and friends. Some of these cases come in very late stages so for many of these there is no hope. It is very rewarding to see some of our patients who have been with us for many months, coming in very bad condition and to see how they have improved both physically and mentally.

Aids is affecting young men and women in so many different ways. Many come with tuberculosis; thus, have to go through a long course of TB medications before they are able to get onto the aids antiviral medications. Others the disease affects their eye sight, their speech, hearing and overall their physical being.

We are fortunate in that the government is giving the aids antiviral medicines free to those inflicted with aids. These medications have made a tremendous difference in the life of so many. I remember in our early years here when we still were only working out of the office doing visitations and still had no facility to care for people—I remember in a period of 2 years having 60 of our HIV group dying. It was as if an entirely new group appeared and it was not long after this that the antiviral medicines became available through the government.

We are fortunate as well to have a very good staff; though, they are not fully fledged nurses, some of them have hospital work experience. We are not far from the local government hospital and take patients for check up and appointments frequently—almost every week someone has an appointment. Our patients have care 24 hours a day.

Since we have our own SVD parish priest and since the Center and Church are close together, he has been appointed as chaplain to our patients and visits them regularly to give any pastoral care and spiritual needs they might have even though they are all Buddhist.

The Province here is as earlier mentioned one of the poorest of the 76 Provinces financially, we cannot expect to receive financial help; however, from time to time individuals and some of the local businesses bring food and other goods to help our patients and the children—this help is much appreciated though not frequent.

Above one of the patients from Udon Thani who came for care, blind as the result of aids, the young woman in the wheel chair spent several months at the hospice and taken almost weekly to a large hospital in Khon Kaen Province (over 100 kilometers drive) for eye injections to treat her eye sight—she died some months later. In the center one of the first patients in the hospice, also died. On the right two patients doing handicrafts as physical therapy. The young women recovered very well and has returned to her family and young man still with us now more than one year has improved greatly and helping daily with gardening chores at the Center—he will be one of the persons to go to the new Center once completed.

Our Intensive Care Unit with an additional two beds has been very helpful for more critical patients and allows as well patients coming with tuberculosis to be separated from the others. The ICU has been made possible through the help of the San Bernardino Diocese in California and the Lynch Family Foundation in America as well. It was a simple conversion of a small sala where the patients used to eat their meals into the room that it is now with an extension of toilet shower facilities for wheel chair accessibility. The ICU has been named “Villa Marie” in honor of a very dear benefactor in America.

Children's Home - Sisters of Charity of Mother Teresa

In May of 2004 three Missionary Sisters of Charity came to meet with Bishop George and to have a look at the work in Nong Bua Lamphu—Sister Giti, Sister Anima and Sister Madonna. During their visit the Sisters could see that there was a good possibility for them to take on the work of the children’s home here in connection with Mother of Perpetual Help Center. The first Sisters to arrive for this work were Sister Elinita, Sister Philberta and Sister Arlete, Sister Anima arrived one month later and took over the leadership of their community. Until the Sister’s house and the home for children was completed the Sisters lived in a rented house in Khiang Doi village within the city where the Brothers also were living in rented accommodation. When Sister Elinita was recalled to Hong Kong, Sr. Jacqueline, a newly professed came to take her place and in 2006 when Sister Anima was transferred to Taiwan, Sr. Helga replaced her as superior of the community, Sister Arlete was later transferred to Cambodia and Sister Gabriella took her place—in 2009 a new recruit, Sister Clarissa took Sister Jacquelines place as she went on for further studies and religious renewal.

In March of 2004 the children's home was opened with two young boys as the first occupants. Within a short time other children were received , now numbering 21 whom 2 are girls and the rest boys from ages 7 thru 16. In the beginning connected with the children’s home was also the hospice for adults. It was decided that it would be better to separate the children from the adults so sometime in 2005 the adults were moved over to an area of Mother of Perpetual Help Center which then became the hospice care unit and the adults patients to be taken care of by the Center staff. It worked out well since there were two rooms available to accommodate up to 8 adults, each room with 4 beds and which enabled the separation of male and female patients. In the seven years since the children’s home has been opened only three children have died. The others are looking very healthy as a result of the aids antivirals received through the government hospitals. All children have the opportunity of attending the local schools, so each day the Sisters driver drives the children to about 4 different schools in the area. Initially there were some problems of discrimination and fear connected with aids children attending the schools, both by teachers and students—that problem has been resolved and now there is no problem other than normal child behavior from time to time.

The six rai of land on which the children’s home and Sisters house is situated was barren land with no road access until the bridge could be built and the land filled. Some parts of the land needed fill up to 5 meters, while the land itself was not so expensive, the preparation of the land to enable construction was costly—first the bridge, then the land fill. Accommodation was built for volunteers and the house for the parish priest and later the “Sala” a large open building as multipurpose for use by the children, use for parish activities and larger Center activities. Once the new priests house was built near the church, the volunteers house and the former priests house was turned over completely to the children’s home, while the Sala will remain for use as well by the Church and Center.

English Language Ministry

The English language ministry began already in early 2000 when Br. James started to teach English to interested students in the neighborhood and not long after was asked to teach at the local government school, Nong Bua Pittyakan. As well as substituting for Thai English teachers he helped English teachers with their further studies. All schools in the area are happy to have a true English speaker to help them. When Br. Ron arrived in January of 2002 he also became involved with teaching many classes in the same school on a voluntary basis. For a period of time as well Ron spent some time teaching English at one of the local Buddhist temples to the novice monks there. Contact with local students and teachers has been a good witness value as a result.

Mission Vision and Statement of Goals - Divine Word Thailand District

Fr. Tim Norton, SVD (Provincial Australia Province), Fr. Truc Phan, SVD (Vietnam), Fr. Anthony Duc Le, SVD (America), Br. Ron Fratzke, SVD (America), Br. Bernd Ruffing, SVD (Germany), Br. Damien Lunders, SVD (America

Following the example of the Divine Word, our mission in Thailand is to incarnate ourselves into the lives of the Thai people and thereby be of true missionary service to them.

Just as Christ the Word Incarnate, was born and grew up within a specific culture before he revealed His Fathers plan, so we, an international community through openness and respect for the local culture are committed to immerse ourselves into the lives of the people of Thailand, so we may grow in our understanding in order to serve them.

In union with the Divine Word and expressing our SVD charism, we grow and co-operate with the local church, seeking peripheral and neglected areas of Thai Society which the Church has not been able to reach out where the gospel has not been preached sufficiently. Our work will include special care for the poor, the promotion of justice and peace and dialogue with other faiths.

Through this work and through our witnessing as a prayerful international missionary-religious community, we support the Catholic Church in Thailand and its endeavor to understand and accomplish its local mission and to develop a wider vision of its universal calling.

Self-Help Occupations

Mother of Perpetual Help Center is in its 5th year to help HIV families get started in self help projects. In particular, the cattle project has been very successful.

The original project began to help 5 families in each of the HIV groups with two cattle each—a mother and a calf. After one year the family was to give back to the project half of the cost of the original purchase and in turn the returned funds would be used to help other families within their groups. After the first year the Center was happy to receive a 90% return; thus, being able to continue the program and with a further grant from an interested funding agency even more families have been able to participate in the project.

To ensure that the program could continue each family receiving cattle signed contracts stating that after one year they would return half of this cost. These contracts have been taken seriously and so the project continues with success. Periodically visitations to the families are made and pictures taken in order to give reports to those agencies and persons who have been so generous to support this endeavor.

This self help project has given now over 80 families hope and a means of taking care of themselves. It is difficult for young men and women inflicted with aids to find work in the cities, in their villages there is little to do. Giving families a kick start with two cattle, both female gives them an opportunity of expanding their herd as well as a sense of hope. Initially other small self help projects were done at the same time—raising fish or chickens, but both of these have not been so successful.

WORLD AIDS DAY

Every year on December 1st all the schools that have taken part in the Aids Education and Awareness program during the year gather at Mother of Perpetual Help Center for World Aids Day activities. Each of the 20/25 schools send student and teacher representatives to the Center for sports, art, singing and questions and answer competition regarding what they have learned about aids. Children from the children’s home and members from the various HIV groups attend as well and join in the activities.



When our Bishop is free he attends the event as do heads of the Public Health and Social Welfare Departments.

Awards are distributed to the winners of the different competitions. Art competition made up of drawings which show how much students understand about aids—the questions and answers competition about aids gives a clear indication of how much the students understand about aids and the dangers connected with the disease. The Center now has the only WAD activities in the City

Education and Awareness Program for Aids Prevention Among the Youth

Mother of Perpetual Help Center’s program to give education and awareness to the youth in schools has been going on now into its 8th year. Starting out on a small scale as mentioned in the villages has developed into an important and essential activity of the Center with the hope that in the future the continued spread of aids will begin to decrease. The Center has now covered all Junior High School students in all 6 Districts—each year with 20 to 25 schools participating in the program. The Center is now beginning with a second round with an entirely new generation of students. The program is an intensive one which begins with a 3 day camp where student and teacher representatives from all of the 20/25 schools participate and are given training about aids and its dangers. After the camp those participating help staff from the Center in a two day follow-up program at each of their schools to give the rest of the student bodies the same education and awareness. During the camp and during the follow-up program students participate in small and large group activities in sports, small group and large group discussions. This program has been well accepted by the schools, by the Education Department as well as Health Department and other government agencies, including the Social Welfare Department. Follow-up in each of the schools takes a lot of time, but is well worth the efforts being made. At each of the schools a further 100 to 200 students go through the program so that at the end of the year 3 to 4,000 students go through the program. It is still too early to know the full impact of these efforts, but indications from teachers and other officials give a positive response to this project. Government programs are less involved.