AIDS projects in Thailand - The House of Grace - Sing Buri

Our first week in Thailand was visiting two amazing projects connected with Gareth's work (ACET aids education). We visited The house of Grace in Chanthaburi and a schools education project in Sing Buri. We stayed with two amazing missionaries called Alan and Maelynn who are both over 70 and have been working in Thailand for over 40 years. 

The House of Grace

We first went to the HIV orphanage on a Friday morning, as the children and young people where heading off to school. 

The House of Grace looks after children who's parents have died from HIV and no family members can/will look after them. Some of the children are infected with HIV and some are siblings of infected. The house of Grace provides a safe loving place for them to grow up.  

 
We had a good look round the purpose built buildings and meet some of the children to young to go to school. Michelle had great fun playing hide and sneak. 

Lego (Duplo) is appreciated in every country 

The House of Grace grows mushrooms in a purpose built shed. They sell them in town. This days crop was 10 kg

On the Saturday we made friends with this group of residents and they even let Gareth see their bedroom, much tidier then the boys :)

   

They had great fun digging up and moving some trees around the garden

This group shot was taken by one of the girls who borrowed the camera and was happily going around taking loads of pictures. They all eat together in dinning room and regularly receive donations from the local community of food and cooking essentials.

Sing Buri School Education 

We had the chance to go with the team of HIV educators into a local school. This was a great experince to see how they teach the topic Gareth teaches in England. We had loads of fun and so did the students.

They did lots of similar exercise to what we do in the UK, group work and listening (they are very well behaved)

They also played some games we could never get away with! Like the one below where they get into team and then sit in a circle and link arms. Then another team of young people has to rush forward and try to pull them apart and drag their captured class mates across the floor to their team! looked great fun but not sure if I will be allowed to play it in the UK

 

     

  
Also flour in the face. Which we have played in youth clubs but would never get away with in schools!!

The school based work the team is also doing youth work in the town. Building up the work so the young people have positive adult role models. 

It was great to meet a team working on the same issue as Gareth but in a completely different country.