Collecting for Thailand April 30, 2008

Some of you know (most don’t) that I am working on going to Thailand sometime in the next 12 months.  Working with an organization called Garden of Hope. You can read about what they do here, but in a nutshell, they rescue women involved in sex work and redeem their story.  Recently, I asked if there was anything that I could send over that would make the ladies smile and help the staff out.  Kelli replied with this email:

Wow! Anything is so appreciated– I know the ladies love nail polish and lotions (as well as chocolate) and trinkets and jewelry as such. As we get prepped for openning the drop in center, we are looking for easy read books in English for both the ladies and the kids … but nothing lame for the ladies : ) … so they don’t feel too silly reading them.

For our team, Mark is a huge fan of plain rice cakes, and our Women’s Outreach Coordinator and I love raw almonds and Orbitz gum– both things that are hard to get ahold of in Thailand. Our other team members– Children’s Outreach Coordinator Faa, and Maiko, a member of our Women’s Outreach Team loves chocolate.

I asked her to explain a little more about the drop-in center, and this is what she said:

Children’s Outreach/ Children’s Drop-In Center: The Garden of Hope’s Children’s Outreach Team builds relationships with the street children and their families, often from Thailand’s many hill tribes, who work selling flowers and trinkets in the Loi Kroh red-light area. Because of our presence in the area over the years, the children come to us for assistance with their problems.  Our Children’s Outreach team is led by Fah, a 25-year-old Ahka woman, who is able to effectively minister to the children in their native language. The goal of the Outreach is to build relationships with the children; to play with them, laugh with them, and love them.

The Garden operates a Center where the children can come and have a place to be kids—where they don’t have to work, but can play games, get help with homework, take classes, share a meal with us. Currently, there is no permanent Christian outreach to these at-risk children and youth in the red-light district.  While many ministries work with tribal children, none has a consistent outreach to the children at the place and during the times in which they are most at risk of sexual exploitation. With the Drop-In Center, we are hoping to fulfill this need. 

 

Women’s Outreach/ Women’s Resource Center: The purpose of The Garden of Hope’s Outreach Program is to build relationships with women working in the sex-industry. We seek to not only bring a sense of genuine love, compassion, and hope, but also better understand how we can meet their needs as they journey towards dignity and healing.  The goal of building relationships can be accomplished in many different ways. Some volunteers visit the same contacts each week, while others meet new women each time. Outreach times can be spent in deep conversation, playing a game of pool, learning about the women’s childhoods, practicing Thai and English, sharing a meal, doing make-up, or just sitting in silence with them as they work.

The Garden of Hope operates a Women’s Resource Center in the Thapae Gate area, which is within walking distance of our Outreach contacts. This Center is a central location with which we can further develop our relationships with the women, meet new contacts, and provide for their unique needs and desires. Events, English classes, spiritual growth opportunities, a trauma resource center, vocational training, and one-on-one’s are housed in a central location. Our ultimate goals for the Center are to be a place offering community, acceptance, and a desire to see holistic growth for each of the women in an environment dedicated to Love, Compassion, and Grace.

 

Keep in mind, Courtney, that we have just opened both the WRC and the CDIC, so many of these things are still coming to fruition. The Center is something we’ve been dreaming, envisioning, planning for for a few years and so to see it come to life is truly exciting. As qualified individuals, funding and whatnot come our way, we are able to expand each program. At this point, we are limited in what we are doing, as we begin to hire some permanent Thai staff and as we explore how we can best serve the women and children.

 

I will be posting soon with a list of specifics, but for now I hope that you might read this and be led to send some things for the ladies and children.  You can either give them to me in person (church, wayfarer, etc.)

or send them to me

Courtney Reichley

504 Ambling Way

Duncan,Sc 29334

I will be making a seperate page for this with a list of things I am sending or anything you would like to.

Thanks in advance.  Ending this post abruptly, as the school called and I have to pick up a sick child.  Yes, David did leave town for 5 days this morning.  Not surprised.

Peace be with you.