Suky and the Social Worker went to do a Home Visit recently and discovered that this family lives next door to Taksin and Chaniwat Patpang, would you believe?
They are desperately poor, as you can see, and because Mum (Dad too, if not hired by local demolition squads) salvages what she can from trash to resell, the place is always surrounded by 'junk'. What is it they say "One man's junk is another man's treasure"?
When there's not much 'treasure', Mum tries to earn money by making and selling umbrellas.
They also bag charcoal, so they (and the place) always look grimy. I find myself wondering if they will have any medical problems like coal miners used to do, with pneumoconiosis (or however you spell it) or something similar? It's a dreadful way to live, and the inside of this pitiful dwelling would bring tears to your eyes. Mum (who is somewhat 'slow') also has a younger child to care for in this unhealthy environment.
Even if we were able there's little that can be done to improve their home, as a road is scheduled to be built directly in their path, and at that stage they will have to move, of course. However, with the rainy season just starting if they don't catch pneumonia, I'd be surprised. Let's hope the ground is high enough that they don't get flooded.
At least now that Theera is going to school we know he's getting breakfast and lunch for free.
They pay 2,000 B per month for the land, utilities cost 300 B and other living costs are estimated at 1,500 B. They try to give Theera 20 B a day for snacks and a day's food is estimated at 100 B for this family of four.
Income rarely meets expenditure, no matter how hard they try.
Registered Charity No. 1104335
100 Years From Today
It will not matter how big your bank account was, the sort of house you lived in, or the kind of car you drove. But the world may be a little better because your help touched the life of one child.
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