Mae Sariang / Thailand

Support for orphans in northern Thailand

: In many cases, grandparents take up responsibility for the children whose parents have died of AIDS.

Children who lost one or both parents due to HIV/AIDS are especially affected by poverty and suffer from poor health. Their living conditions are rendered very difficult by the mere facts of being orphans, stigmatisation by their social environment, or by lack of money for food or school uniforms.

There are an estimated 300.000 AIDS-Orphans in Thailand, with numbers continuously on the rise. In most cases, grandparents take up responsibility for the children. More and more elderly people are subjected to physical, mental, and financial hardship because they support their ailing children and grandchildren.

Situation

Goals

Measures

Project data & Contact

Malteser International has been actively involved in Thailands north since 1993 already. Since 2002, the relief agency supports HIV/AIDS self-help groups. On the one hand, orphans are supported with grants; on the other hand, income possibilities of affected families are enhanced by revolving funds.

Currently, two self-help groups are being supported: the Salaween-group from Mae Sariang and the Dok Rak-group from Mae La Noi in Mae Hong Son province.

Improvement of the orphans living conditions who lost one or both parents due to HIV/AIDS.
Improvement of the income situation of people affected by HIV/AIDS

Support of 124 Children by Grants - 94 children of the Salawin-support group and 30 children of the Dok Rak-support group are currently sponsored by grants. They are granted subsidies for food, transport costs to school, school uniforms, and books, which enable them to continue attending school. The money is administered by local HIV-self-help groups which ensure that the funds are being attributed to children in need, only.Malteser International staff advises and supervises the support groups in Mae Sariang.
Establishments of Funds for Income Support - People suffering from HIV/AIDS or their relatives have access to funds for income-generating activities. These funds are administered by self-help groups.The credits are being paid back after an income has successfully been generated to enable other members of the support groups to benefit from the funds.Furthermore, funds can be used for trainings of family members suffering from HIV/AIDS to support the income generation by acquiring new skills, i.e. the production of paper flowers or the fixing of bikes.

Project data
Duration:	since June 2002
Financing:	Private Donations
Cost:	approx. 35.000 Euro/Year
Partner:	Salawin Group, Dok Rak Group (HIV/AIDS-support groups)

Contact
Malteser:	Cordula Wasser
	0 221-9822-187
	info(at)malteser-international.org