“Great oaks from little acorns grow.”
The Roots
The founders of Home and Life are originally from Chiang Mai, in the north of Thailand. They were so moved by the impact of the 2004 tsunami, that they made the decision to give up their jobs and come to help in the of the hardest hit, but forgotten areas – Thai Muang, which is near Khoa Lak resort town on the Andaman coast.
They sold their homes and used this money to buy the land where Home and Life is now situated.
They now work with a wonderful staff, who are all devoted to the wellbeing of the children . This is reflected in the children’s general happiness and health.
"Big brothers" and mentors
Loving "Dad"
One child’s story
Jaidee* is from a very poor nearby village and her parent’s only source of income was fishing using the boat they owned. The tsunami destroyed everything her family owned, including their house and boat, and taking away their livelihood. Although they were able to find another boat, they were not able to rebuild their lives and they became even poorer. She was no longer able to attend school , instead having to stay at home to help her parents.
Being invited to live at Home and Life meant the opportunity for Jaidee to return to her education. This will be life-changing for her!
*Name has been changed for privacy reasons.
Our Story – early days…
When we arrived at the orphanage, we were welcomed with open arms. Children immediately approached us, introducing themselves in English and saying “Nice to meet you.”
Not long after we arrived, we were given our Home and Life nicknames. We had arrived on the day before Khao Phansa – or Buddhist Lent, during which all of the monks return to the temples for three months of study and meditation. The day we arrived was called Khao Arsar, so Jared became P’ (big brother) Arasar and I became P’ (big sister) Phansa.
Our first task was at the local temple. It was the beginning of Buddhist Lent, and we spent the morning helping the children to clean the grounds of the temple. Every twig and leaf had to be swept up – we were a little worried what we might find underneath some of the bigger leaves, but thank goodness, we didn’t come across any nasties!
All hands on deck!
The local temple - spic and span!
Although we didn’t participate in any of that day’s ceremonies, Jared and I were able to return to the temple the next day with offerings for the monks, and were extremely privileged to be given a special water blessing and a wristband for ‘good luck’.
The monk's blessing
Another visit that really struck a chord during the first days was to Khao Lak – one of the resort towns hardest hit by the tsunami. We stopped to view a police boat that had been carried a total of 3km (from 1km offshore to 2km inland)! It seemed so incongruous sitting in the grassy field. They have left the boat there as a memorial – and a very fitting one it is.
The tsunami washed this police boat 2km inland
Stay tuned for more adventures…
Home and Life is a charitable organisation, so any help you could possibly give is so appreciated. You can find out more on how to donate by going to their website www.homelifethailand.com.
