The Kids

Sometimes, the kids' stories break my heart. I can't speak with most of them directly, but Root and Bebe (another staff member, a relative of Rasa's) have told me about their backgrounds and also translate for me on occasion.

In short, the kids have tragic histories. About half had their lives destroyed by the tsunami (some of the parents didn't make it; those that did still lost everything), and the other half come from families broken by abandonment, drugs, or grinding poverty. Some of the kids have been abused, and many have stunted growth because they didn't get enough to eat when they were children. I'm told that some of the kids, when they arrived here, were astonished to find that they got three meals a day for free, and they didn't need to scrounge through hotel or restaurant garbage cans for leftovers.

At Home & Life, although some of the kids undoubtedly don't want to be here and miss their families, they have caring adults around, good food, and they go to school regularly. These efforts are paying off -- the kids are happy most of the time, they love to play, and they get along with each other. Sure, they bicker at times, and they can be irritable and demanding, but no the whole, I've found them to be incredibly conscientious and helpful

The little guy below, for example, was my helper during Painting Day. We had some grueling work to do -- I stood on a tall, rickety ladder for hours washing dirt off walls with a brush, and Aum -- without being asked -- clambered up the other side of the ladder, the one without real steps, and held the hose for me while I vainly tried to scrub off years' worth of grime. He did this for an entire afternoon without complaint.

(Note: some of you may ask why I let a little kid put himself in a clearly dangerous situation where if he slipped, he would have fallen hard to the concrete floor below.It's a good question -- one I'm still sorta asking myself.)


I'm still an outsider and more than a little ignorant about Thai culture, but to me, Home & Life genuinely feels like a big family. There's a sense of community here that Root and Rasa have carefully cultivated here over the past five years, and it shows in the kids' level of comfort with each other as well as the adults. Whenever they can, they go out and have low-cost fun. Here are the kids filling up the back of the truck: it's Sunday, and we've just come back from a trip to the local waterfall.



Root and Rasa used to have solid, well-paying jobs (as an engineer and a government employee, respectively), but they've given them up to do this instead. Moreover, the 3-4 other staff members are working without pay as well; or at least, much less than they would make in other jobs.

For example, take Bebe, the volunteer coordinator and all-around troubleshooter. He's Rasa's nephew once removed, is only 20 years old (see the photo above, far right) and I've found, is something of a genius. Bebe speaks 5 languages, learns at a tremendous rate, and could easily be working for the tourist industry, but hey, he's here, and the kids adore him. He's like a big brother to the lot of them.

You can tell that I'm impressed with these people. They're smart, dedicated, and passionate about making this a real home for their kids. I'm glad to be part of their work, however briefly.

btj