Hoay Maw

We have been through a period of review of our involvement at Hoay Maw. The opportunities in children's ministry as Powerpack Thailand have developed so that we no longer have time to keep up the same level of involvement at Hoay Maw.

We have been co-working with some Taiwanese supporters for over a year and we met with their team at Hoay Maw this month. The area that Hoay Maw is situated is mainly Chinese speaking and for many of the children, Chinese is their heart language. It was therefore refreshing to see the team being able to communicate freely with the staff and the children alike. The team did some wonderful activities with the children including sewing projects, learning to read music and to play recorders and keyboards, English and How to read and study the Bible.

We are grateful that the Taiwanese team have also raised funds to support Hoay Maw for the coming school year. We have agreed to administer the support on their behalf. We will no longer be directly involved in the management of the home but we will continue to visit for discipleship and enrichment activities with the children.

Ps Joseph is taking over the running of the home again. Our working relationship has been with Paul (Ps Joseph's son) and his wife Rattanaporn.

We have also communicated that we will no longer be actively raising funds on their behalf. Ps Joseph will have the following year to arrange alternative support which we believe he will be able to do primarily focussing on Chinese speaking contacts. We hope that they will also continue to use some of the skills that they have developed in terms of self-sufficiency initiatives. Paul has initiated various projects himself including fish, mushrooms and chickens.

After 5 years, we feel that we have done all that we can to help improve the management and care at the home Our involvement at Hoay Maw has been our primary focus for much of that time. We have learnt much and have experienced extremes of both frustration and joy!

During that time there have been many positive developments including:

• Excellence in management of financial accounting.
• Support for staff.
• Some success in the development of self-sufficiency projects and associated vocational training.
• Improvements in nutrition, health and hygiene.
• Consistent provision of education.
• Improvements in the home environment.
• Enrichment activities including sports, craft, sewing and computer training.
• Input into the children's spiritual development.
• Christmas and Easter celebrations.

As we move forwards into a new season, we would like to express our heartfelt thanks to the organisations and individuals who have had the heart to pray and give for the benefit of the children at Hoay Maw.

Thank you for sharing the journey!

On 23rd Dec we travelled up to Hoay Maw to share Christmas blessings together.

The Jackson family, Nick, Kath, Josie and Ella, were visiting from the UK and joined us for the trip.

The Jacksons are involved in Powerpack UK and Nick had especially been instrumental in helping us with the opportunity for Hoay Maw to be the children's offering focus at Spring Harvest '09. It was therefore very special that they were able to visit for themselves.

It was also very special that Nanny Jill (Jenny's Mum) was able to return to Hoay Maw.

The girls - Nanny, Jenny, Jessica, Kath, Josie and Ella, were driven in a rented van together with Niti and the driver.
The boys - Adrian, Nick, Tom and David, went in our truck.

As is often the case, children from the village came to join in with the children from the home so we had to prepare extra craft materials on the fly.

We had fun doing a Christmas star activity with the children. The older children did a beaded wire Christmas tree as well. The stars were hung in the dining area as decorations.

Nick and the boys led parachute games which went very well until their interpreter (Niti) was taken away to help explain the extra craft. The 7m parachute has been given to us by Powerpack UK and has already proved an asset.

We shared a special meal together with the children. We had brought fizzy drinks, fruit and doughnuts. Josie and Ella weren't too phased by the "chicken heads"!

After dinner we went into the church. We had great fun and games with a nativity run-around and also with Minute-to-Win-it game "On the Nose"!

We shared the Christmas story together as well as worship and prayer. The children still love the Powerpack songs.

A highlight was when a group of older girls, and then younger girls, showed us dances that they had arranged. We felt blessed and honoured.

Thank you to Open Hands for providing new mattresses, pillows and warm jumpers for each of the children.

Thank you to Arun Community Church and other individual supporters for contributions to the blessings in a bag. Each bag had a T-shirt, hygiene gift pack, treats pack, stationery pack and activity book.

We travelled back late after a special day.

On 18th-19th Nov Paul and Rattanaporn (the managers of the home) came down to Chiang Mai in order to attend the "Back To Basics" course held at COC House of Praise. The course was led by Dr Jane and covered basic first aid and medical training specifically for children's homes workers.

The training was based on a very useful book called "Where There is No Doctor". The book has been translated into Thai. By persistent detective work, Dr Jane had been able to find an old copy of the book (which is now out of print). Dr Jane has had some reference copies of the book printed and we have purchased a master copy.

Paul and Rattanaporn were also able to have a copy of the book for reference and use in the children's home.

We were pleased that Paul and Rattanaporn enjoyed the course and felt that the training was relevent and beneficial for the home.

We are grateful to Dr Jane and her team for facilitating this course.

... Update ...

We would like to take the opportunity to give an update of decisions that we have made regarding the Traffic Light Appeal.

The High School Students

In May 2010, five students from the Hoay Maw children's home had the opportunity to progress into high school grades 10-12. In order to this, it would be necessary for them to travel to a village 5km away. As the home had no transport of their own, they requested that we help them obtain a vehicle to take the students to school. We also felt that it would be an asset to the home to have their own vehicle.

In March 2010 we launched the Traffic Light Appeal and began by allocating £2,000 from the Spring Harvest fund.

We were greatly blessed to receive further contributions of £3,000, however, when it came time to proceed with acquiring a vehicle, we felt that we should re-evaluate the situation in the light of overall funding.

The following is a letter that we sent out to every organisation and individual who had contributed to the fund:
Traffic Light Appeal Update Letter

We have received feedback from every contributor permitting us to use their contribution in order to continue to fund the transport of the students to school by other means as well as to help fund the overall education costs of the children at the home.

We are extremely grateful to every supporter and especially appreciate the understanding and flexibility granted to us.

Although we didn't feel confident to proceed with the purchase of a vehicle for Hoay Maw, the Traffic Light Appeal will make a significant contribution to the costs of transport and education for all of the children to be met for the school year ahead.

This is an important investment into the lives of each and every child.

Thank you
(on behalf of the children and staff at Hoay Maw)

On Aug 23rd, having recently returned from our visit to the UK, we made a trip up to Hoay Maw.

Backwashing the filter tank

The rainy season is now in full-swing and there is now too much water! They had undertaken some further plumbing repairs including replacing the pipework between the river to the main tank.

It was proving difficult to grow vegetables as the vegetable garden was water-logged. Only marrows and pumpkins were surviving.

The mushroom farm has been stocked and so we hope for a good crop during this rainy season.

Surveying the land!

We did a brief survey of some land with a view to growing fruit. At present the children eat fruit only on a Wednesday. 1-a-week - in contrast to advice in the West to eat 5-a-day!

The previous cycle of fish have been eaten. We plan to restock the natural pond with catfish fingerlings.
The cost is 3,500 baht (£70) for 2,000 fingerlings. The cost of feeding the fish is 300B (£6) per month.
This is a good value way of enabling the children to have regular protein.

The egg farm is continuing to provide eggs. We are going to explore the possibility of raising ducks for eggs, chickens for meat and of using home-made food for the chickens.

The High School Students

We are looking for a suitable second-hand vehicle to purchase for the home. This will enable the high school children to be transported to school. This is the first time that we have had students attending high school. This is a wonderful opportunity for them and we are very thankful for the Taiwanese partners who have supported this.

The students take a box of rice to school for lunch. They have asked whether it would be possible to support for the 5 students to be able to buy a small meal to go with the rice so that they will and be able to stay on for after school activities. This will cost about 20B per meal X5 students = 100B (£2) per day. There is also a small cost associated with attending the activities. We would like to provide 2,500 baht (£50) per month to enable this. Money raised by an event at Peterborough Lighthouse church will be used initially.

We are delighted that Paul and Rattanaporn have taken initiative in training and mentoring the older children. The older children in turn use their new skills to encourage and develop the younger children in their small "family" groups.

We are actively seeking a further staff member to be able to support Paul and Rattanaporn with the general care and in particular to be able to be involved in ongoing discipleship of the children. The Chinese Church in Calgary have agreed to support this.

Paul and Rattanaporn are reviewing and adapting procedures relating to guardianship of the children. This is to provide greater control over the coming and going of children from the home and to protect against child trafficking which is a very real issue.

A roofing company has visited Hoay Maw and has taken the measurements in preparation for replacing the roof on the gorls dorm. The old roof was asbestos based and was regularly subject to damage by hail. The new roof will be safer, stronger and more attractive. It will also be far better insulated and therefore the room will be more comfortable for the children in both the hot and cold seasons. We are grateful to an Australian business man who has been a long term supporter of Hoay Maw who has arranged this.

We are very proud of our students at Hoay Maw.

We are also extremely grateful for supporters who have enabled these children to attend school.

In Thailand, school is not free!

• It is Thai law that children wear a school uniform.
• There is a registration fee once or twice a year.
• The children need to pay for stationery items such as exercise books and pencils.
• The high school children need to travel to another village.

Every year in education enables the children to continue in a safe environment and contributes to a better future.
Education in Thailand (Wikipedia)

We hope you enjoy the photos of our students below. You will see their regular school uniforms. On Fridays, students wear simple village or hill-tribe clothes in order to remember their ethnic identity. P.E. and scouts uniforms enable the children to participate in activities alongside others in the community.

Kinder-Garden Children

We have 3 students in Kinder-Garden (age 5-6yrs):

School Uniform

Village Day

P.E. Uniform

Elementary Children

We have 32 students in Elementary School:

School Uniform

Village Day

Scouts

Middle-School Children

We have 16 students in Middle School:

School Uniform

Village Day

Scouts

High-School Students

We have 5 students in High School:

School Uniform

Village Day

Thank You!

The Traffic Light Appeal contributed to school transport as well as other education costs.

Links International have contributed to the cost of school uniforms through Links Christmas Gifts.

Taiwanese supporters including the Lei Hu Church in Taiwan and a Chinese Church in Calgary have contributed to the cost of students attending high school this year. This is the first time that 5 students have been able to continue into high school education (c.f. UK year 11-13, USA grade 10-12, Thai mor-3-6).

Other contributions towards education costs have been made by Powerpack and also through the Spring Harvest children's offering focus as well as individual supporters.

Guardian n.

A person lawfully invested with the power, and charged with the obligation, of taking care of and managing the property and rights of a person who, because of age, understanding, or self-control, is considered incapable of administering his or her own affairs.

As mentioned following our last visit, we have been concerned about the legal transfer of guardianship of children coming to and leaving from the children's home.

We have been able to obtain and study a copy of the Thai Child Protection Act (2003). We have also had the opportunity to consult with contacts from our church who are involved in the management of children's homes in Thailand.

In Thailand, life and expectations are very different for children of poor families than for children in the West.

Might you assume that a parent or carer would be committed to enabling a child to obtain the best possible education?

Here, the majority of children from poor families finish school by the age of about 14 (or younger) in order to help earn money to support the wider family. That is if they were fortunate enough to attend school in the first place and even though the Thai law states that children should remain in education until 18.

One girl is aged about 16. Her Mother died when she was a baby. Her Father remarried and the new couple didn't want to keep the baby. She was sent to Grandmother who tried to raise her and teach her in the home as best she could. When Grandmother couldn't cope, the girl came to Hoay Maw. Because she didn't get the chance to attend school until later, she has only completed Elementary education. Now that she is old enough to be "useful", her Father has sent a relative to take her back so that she can work. We didn't have a chance to say goodbye. She used to call us "Mother" and "Father". We were sad that we had no way to get in touch. Would we ever see her again? We decided to pray for her and prayed that if possible, we would meet again.

We were delighted when one day, she spotted us and came running up to us in a shopping centre food court where she was then working. We shared tears of joy. She is now doing well in a new job but her Father tried to persuade her boss to give him an advance of her wage (for gambling). This is despite the fact that she is already giving a significant portion of her wages to him for the support of the family. The Father does not want her to live in his home and so she has to support herself as well. We are thankful for the mercy that the girl's boss is protective of her and that the boss's husband is a policeman who has also offered support. When we travel to Hoay Maw, we are able to visit where she is working and so try to keep in touch to encourage her and pray for her. Meeting at the shopping centre. We gave a copy of the Thai Powerpack CD. The next time she said she had enjoyed it and that it made her want to dance!

Another girl was due to commence High School last month. She has no parents but the people who bought her to Hoay Maw many years ago recently reappeared and asked to take her out. They "persuaded" her to stay with them. She said on the phone that she wanted to get a job and not return to Hoay Maw.

It is a huge temptation for young people when they see their peers begin to earn money and buy nicer clothes they want to do the same.

We were dismayed when we heard that this girl is now in Pattaya. If you know Thailand then you can probably work out what that means. We pray now that if possible we can get in touch again.

This is why we want to take all measures possible to try and secure the legal guardianship over the children.

On this visit we were able to have very useful talks with Ps Joseph and Paul and Rattanaporn who were all grateful to be able to become better informed of the law regarding the protection of children. We emphasized that the law is not designed to be a burden but rather to protect children and to empower the rightful guardian to fulfil their responsibility to care and protect.

We have the opportunity to obtain policy documents in Thai and English from our local contacts.

We aim to help Paul and Rattanaporn put these policies in place for the benefit of the children.

WATER

On Thurs 6th May we travelled up to Hoay Maw together with our Thai co-worker Niti. We also took our English good friend Simon who has expertise in rural water issues.

Adrian and Simon spent the day working on continued improvements in the plumbing.

They serviced the 2nd original water filter to improve the domestic water supply. They made further repairs on pipework and repaired or replaced all of the taps in the teaching area.

It was still dry season and there was a shortage of water supply to the home as well as to the village and surrounding region. We considered that we might make a pump available for them to pump water from the stream below the village to fill up plastic bins/tanks in the back of a pick-up truck and drive the water up to the home.

Even in the housing village where we live in Chiang Mai, the water supply was cut for about a week. Because we have 3 large storage tanks, we were able to keep going by being very careful to minimise our water usage. Measures included going down to the school pool (they have their own well) to shower in the evenings and flushing only when absolutely necessary! Other friends who had smaller tanks ran out of water. They had to go out to eat and shower, etc. and eventually paid for a water tanker to deliver a load of water to refill their tank.

Eventually the water supply was restored and then a few days after that the rainy season began.

Now, thankfully Hoay Maw has a little more water though still not yet enough.

EDUCATION

Meanwhile, Niti and Jenny spent time with Paul and Rattanaporn.

Our aim was to find out the requirements of registration fees, school uniforms and supplies needed for the new school year (commencing mid-May).

We were able to do this and are so thankful for donations from Taiwanese supporters in Taiwan and Calgary and also funds for school uniforms from Links Gifts .

It is part of our vision to enable the children to have the opportunity of an education which is a key to a better future.

GUARDIANSHIP

As we talked, some issues of serious concern arose.. As expected, quite a few children had graduated from school and had left the home. But more children than expected had left. Some of the children had been taken back by their relatives and will be required to work thus being denied the opportunity to complete or further their education.

Two older girls had been taken, not by their parents (they are true orphans) but by the family who originally brought them to the home.

We realised that the authority of Paul and Rattanaporn in terms of "legal guardianship" of the children is not clear. We need to research and gain tighter control of this area.

Meeting the new girls

Getting to know you

Also of concern was that Ps. Joseph had accepted 17 new children from a distant province. The children are true orphans. They were very friendly and good-natured and had a strong faith. It was a blessing to fellowship with them, but a concern that they have been moved so far from their ethnic community.

We plan to investigate this further and to directly address the area of control of coming and going of children to the home.

WORSHIP

in the evening we met with the children in the Church. We had a time of worship using the Powerpack CD. Simon told the story of David and Goliath getting the children involved in drama and Adrian in the role of Goliath.

We finished by praying for each of the children.

On Apr 10th, Adrian, Snorre and Anders went up to Hoay Maw to install the new water filter tank.

New tools

Filter tank

Filtration supplies

Money for this has been provided by Sue and Chris Moss's small group at Arun Community Church and a further generous donation has been made by a senior Taiwanese lady in Calgary (Richard's Mother).

The guys set off early at 5am to make the most of the day. It was hot work!

Clean up!

Inspection

Helping Hands

• Installed the new filter tank with activated carbon to provide safe drinking water
• Replaced old pipework
• Cleaned out large concrete settling tank
• Modified the piping within the settling tank using a "snorkel" effect to lower the inlet and raise the outlet
• Installed pre-filter module inline before settling tank to filter out major silt from the mountain water
• Serviced one of the old water filter tanks to provide clean domestic water for washing dishes, clothes and for bathrooms, etc

Pre-filter

Inlet distributor

Activated carbon

There is some further piping to be replaced and some further plumbing repair sto undertaken which Adrian will do next time.

It was great for the guys to be able to work together with Paul and the older boys who were enthusiastic and practical.

Many hands!

New pipework

Teamwork

It is a huge blessing to be able to ensure clean and safe water for the children. We are very grateful to those who have provided resources to enable this to happen.

Kitchen tap

Testing!

Further repairs needed

It is still an issue that in the dry season, there is inadequate water supply not only for the home but for the village and whole surrounding region.

The local council does not seem inclined to do anything about it.

Meanwhile, work remaining, which we hope to complete within a few weeks:

• Serviced second old water filter tank
• Modify/fix existing pipework so that all site water is filtered
• Replace/repair existing kitchen/washroom/bathroom water taps
• Any other plumbing repairs/servicing that need doing.

So, anybody fancy a plumbing trip? 5am start... unfortunately we cannot pay the $200/hour that American plumbers get, or the £75/hour in the UK...but you will get free drinks (water).