Two Siblings

This is Vilachai and Meedtae. They are siblings. When we met them they lived with their mother and their three others siblings ages 4-12 years old. Their father was gone and no one knew where he went. When we spoke to the mother she asked us to take care of all her kids. She did not have a job and all her time was spent on finding food for her five children. They live in a bamboo house and their floor is made from mud. They have a simple toilet outside of the house but no shower and no furnitures. And unlike most of the people they don’t have a motorcycle to be able to go places.

The school is located 4 km away from home and the children had to walk the winding mountain paths to be able to get there. We could offer room for the 6 year old girl Meedtae and the 8 year old boy Vilachai. Just like their siblings they only spoke Akha and were under-stimulated and underfed.

It's always exciting to observe the children when they first arrive to the Huadoi home. Like all the other kids Meedtae and Vilachai missed home a lot and shed many tears over being so far away from the rest of their family.

Looking back now it is amazing to see the change that has taken place in both of them. Since they came to Huadoi they have truly blossomed! Meedtae eats for two and they are both very happy here. They spoke broken Thai and weren’t at all familiar with the cultural “codes” and so on, but they learned fast. They took Thai classes and were assigned personal mentors among the older kids to help them learn and adapt to their new life.

Today they have clean clothes and shower every day. Their new life has begun and they have the best opportunities to a good education in a safe environment. Our wish is for them to grow up to be good people and that they one day might be able to be a strength to their families.