Christmas Activities Mother of Perpetual Help Center and St. Michael's Church Nong Bua Lamphu Thailand

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

Staff from Mother of Perpetual Help Center prepared small gifts as a token of thanks for help received during the year from various departments in the city. Here Santa Claus (Mr. Boonklang) and other staff members head out just a day before Christmas to deliver these gifts to nurses and doctors at the local government hospital, the Tesaban and Social Welfare departments.
Here at the Social Welfare Department we greet the new Director and other staff members.

The Social Welfare Department is responsible for signing documents for us foreign volunteers before sending the documents to the Immigration Department.

Here at the Tesaban which is the City Municipal Offices responsible for City management of roads and also responsible for distribution of monthly monies to the elderly in villages as well as handicapped persons and aids infected persons. They can receive a monthly stipend of 500 Baht (approximately $15), a small amount but helpful to the poor.
Our youth at Ban Mae Marie can also receive this stipend - each have set up accounts and these funds are set aside for the future once they leave to set out on their own.

Nest and final stop to the Nong Bua Lamphu General Hospital to deliver our small gifts in appreciation for the work of the doctors and nurses in caring for patients from our hospice when hospitalization is required.

Christmas Crib in St. Michael the Archangel Church.

Christmas festivities began at our Sala which is used for parish activities, larger activities of the Center and used for play by the children of Mother Teresa's children home. A Christmas pagent was produced by youth from the parish along with youth from Ban Mae Marie and children from Mother Teresa's children's home.

Friday evening before Christmas staff from Mother of Perpetual Help Center enjoyed their annual Christmas party along with family members and teenagers from Ban Mae Marie.

All had a good time with music, singing and dancing. Patients from our hospice joined in as well in the karaoke singing and even some with dancing.

Gifts were distributed to everyone as well as the annual Christmas bonus to staff members.

During the year a new Foundation had been formed - members from the parish and government persons who had helped in getting the approval of the Foundation also attended our Christmas party.

Teenagers from Ban Mae Marie joining in the Karaoke singing.

Hospice patients enjoyed the evenings festivities and joined in well.

Evening festivities began in the early evening. This time of the year gets dark very early - usually by 6:30 in the evening it is already very dark.

Mr. Yo from Ban Mae Marie prepares a roasted pig for the ocassion.

Fr. Anthony along with youth from the parish and youth from Ban Mae Marie took a visit to Bp. George (retired) and Bishop Joseph in Udon Thani to give their Christmas greetings.

This year again they visited the Capuching Cloistered Sisters in Udon Thani. At each place they sang Christmas carols.

WORLD AIDS DAY - December 1, 2011

Early morning staff from Mother of Perpetual Help Center gathered at a central location in Nong Bua Lamphu city preparing for the arrival of students and teachers from 12 different schools from the Non Sang District - these schools in 2011 have gone through the Aids Education and Awareness Program. Each school sent 12 student representatives with 1 or 2 of the teachers. Workers from the Health Department, Education Department, Sub Health Centers and other government officials also joined in the parade through the city.

This years theme was "Getting to Zero", "Zero New HIV Infections", "Zero Discrimination" and "Zero Aids Related Deaths".


Youth from Ban Mae Marie, healthier patients from our hospice, volunteers and other interested persons from the city joined in the mornings activities and the parade through the city.

Once everyone was present baloons were sent off into the aid with loud fireworks to begin the event. The baloons were meant to end up somewhere where no one new; however, as the fireworks went off the explosions brought the baloons down in the same area "mai pen rai" as is commonly heard.

All participants received a t-shirt to remember the occasion with the new SVD Foundation logo in the front of the shirt.

It took some time before all schools arrived. All lined up patiently and waited for the parade to begin.

Nong Bua Lamphu is not a small city, but also not a large city so marching through the main areas only took about 1 hour with police escort and loud Isaan music to attract attention. December 1st is also the founding day for Nong Bua Lamphu becoming a Province 18 years ago. There were other activities going on in the city for this purpose as well as preparation for the Kings Birthday which is celebrated on December the 5th. Mother of Perpetual Help Center has been the only organization promoting World Aids Day activities over the past few years.

Evaluation of Aids Education and Awareness Program

Mid November 2011 Staff from Mother of Perpetual Help Center, Volunteers during our Aids Education and Awareness Program, members from the Health and Education Departments and other city officials gathered at the Center to discuss and to see what "Impact" our program in the schools throughout the Province has been. Our Aids Education and Awareness program with the youth in schools has been active in at least 20 schools each year over the past 9 years. Each year the Center concentrated on the schools in one District so that now all schools have gone through the program - some of the Districts now on the 2nd round. The schools involved have been Junior High students. Represented at this evaluation meeting included teachers and students from 20 schools in the Non Sang District.

It was clear through the discussions and input from teachers and students that this program has had a positive impact on those students who have gone through the program. It was clear also that it is necessary to continue with the program in other Districts in order to make further impact on those students who have not yet had the opportunity to participate in the program.

Nurses working in area Sub-Health Centers and the Province Health Department shared their experience of past co-operation with Mother of Perpetual Help Center with awareness programs in local villages and are interested in continuing this co-operation in the future as they feel it is still very important to reach not only the youth but adults in villages as well. The government while helping much with the aids antiviral medications for aids infected persons no longer have the same aids awareness programs in the Province, so it is important that our Center continue with the same level of education and awareness.

Mother of Perpetual Help Center is currently working on a new program to give training also to teachers in the schools so that they too can work along with their students and work in co-operation with staff members from the Center while promoting education and awareness during camps and follow-up work in the schools. The Center can only do so much each year so that if teachers can also be trainers they can have an impact on their students during the times when the Center cannot be available.