Bangkok
More than 12 million inhabitants make up the bustling capitol city of Bangkok. Desperately poor men and women from the northeast flock here in search of jobs and better lives for themselves and their families. The stark reality of overcrowded slums and limited jobs makes life incredibly difficult for these migrants. Siam-Care emphasizes attention on the children living in such vicious environments.
Mukdahan
Siam-Care developed its second center in Mukdahan during 1991 because multiple cases in Bangkok originated from this deprived area in Thailand. The focus of Mukdahan’s work became educating likely migrants on the dangers of HIV/AIDS, reducing migration, and preparing communities to care for the ill who desired to return home.
The province of Mukdahan offers little opportunity for work, as it is tremendously rural. Because Mukdahan borders Laos, there is also an influx of immigration across the Mekong River. Approximately 300,000 people populate Mukdahan, but heavy migration has generated a prevalence of high-risk behavior. Siam-Care pioneered its high school curriculum and youth handbook in this region. Because this work was so well received by the government and local community, it has expanded to neighboring provinces.
Phang Nga
A fatal tsunami devastated six of Thailand’s southern coastal provinces the day after Christmas in 2004. Approximately 490 villages along the Andaman Coast and Islands were affected, and of the 1.9 million residents, one third were children. An estimated 50,000 of these children lost everything they knew and loved, including family members.
In the immediate aftermath, redevelopment work focused on rebuilding homes, lives, and businesses. The needs of children were consequently overlooked, so in May 2005, Siam-Care opened an office on the Phang Nga coast in partnership with World Concern. It quickly established routine home visits to children and their families. As this approach was uniquely practiced by Siam-Care, its work rapidly expanded to reach over 300 families affected by the tsunami. Siam-Care’s work in Phang Nga incorporates both family development and child trauma counseling for tsunami victims, as well as support for those affected by HIV/AIDS.
Siam-Care also trains teachers along the Laos and Cambodian borders on sex education, life-skills, and HIV/AIDS.
