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Struggling to survive

COVID has impacted many lives. Many people have lost their income and are struggling to survive. This is the story of one of these families.

We’d like to introduce you to Par, a 54-year-old father of two sons, born in 2006 and 2008. Par had his life well organized and was without worries. Until his wife moved out and COVID changed his life completely. Now he is struggling to survive. This is his story.

Par and sons live in Phang Nga province, in the south of Thailand. They live in a simply shack, with little comfort, but it is all they can afford. Par’s wife, also the mother of his sons, moved away to another province a few years ago, to look after her sick mother. There is very little contact between them and she doesn’t support her husband and sons financially. This never was a problem, as Par was working as a driver in the tourist industry. But then the COVID-crisis struck, and Par lost all his work.

Struggling to make ends meet

Par quickly started looking for other work, as he is the only one with an income in his family. The only job he could find, was working as a day laborer in construction. Often there is not enough work for him, and it is very challenging for him physically, as he is still suffering from the consequences of a serious traffic accident years ago. He can’t really carry heavy materials and neither can he climb onto things. And then a few weeks ago, things got even worse.

No work after a fall

While working, he fell down and injured his back. He had a lot of pain and spent some time in the hospital. Due to his age, recovery will take a while, and thus this family has zero income at the moment. Which makes Par worry a lot, as how is he going to buy food and keep his children in school? When Siam-Care heard about Par and his sons, we have directly found a donor to support the education of his children. We have also started handing out food, such as rice, oil, and other basic necessities. Par is very thankful for our support, but he is a proud man and would rather look after his family himself. 

Wait until COVID-crisis is over

The only hope Par now has, is that Thailand opens up again for tourists as soon as possible, so he can start working as a driver again. And Par is not the only one. Siam-Care has been working in southern Thailand for almost 20 years, and this is perhaps the most challenging time. Many people go without a job and an income, and there is practically no government support. We need your help in looking after families such as Par’s. Will you stand with them in these challenging times? Thank you for your support!

 

 

 

Phangnga