The Olivers In Thailand

Having completed the recording of personal details of the 88 children living at Hoay Maw up to the Summer, we now have a clearer picture of the overall background.

We were not entirely surprised to find that the majority of the children do have parents and relatives in their home villages.

The breakdown is as follows:

A number of the parents and relatives are either in prison or affected by AIDS. At this stage, we don't know how many. Others are in situations of extreme poverty.

During the Summer, 40 more children were taken on. The details of these children have not yet been recorded but we understand that some of the children are from Burma, have no relatives and no birth certificates or Thai IDs.

In Thailand, if you have a Thai ID you are eligible for a very basic health care scheme whereby you are supposed to able to get treatment for 30 Baht (45p / 90c). Even then you don't always get treatment. Without a Thai ID you have to pay private rates.

Children with Thai ID are eligible for an education in a Thai school. Most of the children at Hoay Maw attend the local Thai school which has recently been rebuilt. The children without Thai ID cannot attend Thai school and are attending the Chinese school that runs in the evenings on the site of the children's home.

Even with Thai ID, health and education services for village, hill-tribe people are often non-existent and without Thai ID you are 'persona non-grata', i.e. 'no identity', 'no rights', 'not welcome here'.

Wan Pen - 'Persona Grata'

Above is Wan Pen helping prepare a meal for us. She has no Thai ID. She received a limited education at the Chinese school. She is not allowed to work. Wan Pen now helps look after the youngest children at Hoay Maw and also as a girls care assistant at the home. She receives 1,000 Baht (£15, $30) per month for her work. In God's eyes Wan Pen is 'Persona Grata' - loved, welcomed, wanted, valued.

One of the children without Thai ID had had an accident. Pastor Joseph took the child to hospital. Because there was no ID, they were told that they could not receive 30 Baht treatment. Joseph explained that the child was registered at the school and was sent back to get papers. He returned with the papers but was still charged 1,500 Baht (£22.50). This was for a minor treatment.

In the villages there is no birth control. People want to have more children work in the fields and to support them in their old age. There is no access to schooling in most of the villages. Young children are a burden on families already trapped in poverty. Sending children to a 'hostel' where they can receive food, shelter and an education is seen as a good option.

There is a dilemma as to whether offering this option is encouraging families to relinquish responsibility for their own children. It's difficult to say.

Changing attitudes on the ground will be a long process (over generations) but in receiving an education and learning vocational skills, it is more likely that these children will have different opportunities and will think differently to their parents.

A ray of hope for the next generation.