April Newsletter published today

For our news and details of our next Contraception and Sexual Health  study day (2/7/2012), please follow this link to our latest newsletter
http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Contraception-Education-News-April-2012.html?soid=1102122234407&aid=-Sbs4MAeqr0
We'd love to receive your comments and feedback too
Barbara

Siam Care, Thailand 2012

How is it that anyone can feel and experience so much in such a short space of time? Eleven days ago I was tumbling over in a cold wet car park in Tesco, and quite sore and shakily flew away to Thailand a few hours later, very conscious of the significance of open wounds in this very different environment, where you don't even drink the water, and definitely wouldn't clean wounds with it! I have looked after those wounds, and after a week began to notice proper healing, breathing a sigh of relief. In the background I worried. Thankfully knees, elbows and hands are all back on the road to health, and I have carefully avoided any contact with blood and body fluids. And every other aspect of travel health that needs attention in Thailand - ice, ice cream, street vendors, swimming, snakes, Mosquitos, and painfully remembered by one of our party - jellyfish!

Emotions have run high every time I come here, and this was no exception. Bangkok airport, noise, bustle, traffic, pollution, bartering, choosing well, risking the spice. Then meeting people in the hotel who live just a stones throw away, but with whom we only share this supercharged emotional roller coaster in Thailand for a couple of weeks every 2 years - yet feeling closer than close because of the extreme highs and lows we all share. When we reflected we realised we had tragically lost three lovely people who had in the past spoken, sponsored, joined us, just been part of this totally unique experience. Walter and Kathy in 2008 and then Dr Ann who cowrote the Diary of a Teenage Health Freak. We also soon also realised that the party is not a well bunch, with several of us enduring long term ill health like complications from diabetes, sub dural haematomas, cancers and more.

Next the feeling of being in the lap of luxury for the conference, like we have never felt before. Then what follows is an obsession with perfecting my conference presentation. It dominated all my thoughts until it was over, as always continuous self doubt and relentless ruthless changes to my presentation whether necessary or not. Then the conference with its utterly compelling presentations from others, personally calling me to action against trafficking, towards prison health and to spread the word about the impact child sponsorship has on the futures of the families Siamcare works with. The goodbyes started early, at the conference in fact, with The very courageous Adrienne and Siam Care families from Bangkok, and yin and yang - we were off again travelling northwards to Mukdahan in 2 stages, flight and ostentatious doesn't quite describe the coach journey! Twenty six of us, all excited by the prospect of meeting our sponsor children again. What joy.

Mukdahan, on the other hand, is another world, a much poorer place, so unused to tourists that we are a real novelty and talking point, often we'd catch people laughing at our awkwardness and attempts to say the odd Thai word. Unlike Bangkok, the hotel was basic, but quite adequate. Staff were excited when we arrived, and explained all the rules. It was like an old fashioned guest house, no choices for breakfast but a very hearty Vietnamese style breakfast with a lot of toast. Mukdahan gave us all the opportunities in the world to be Thai too. Noodles cooked by us at the table and roasting barbeques at each table. And then the children started to arrive, how they'd grown, how well they are doing, how right Siam Care's child protection policy is, how successful the programme is in getting girls to university rather than working in the cities in bars. Listening to the aspirations of the girls is so encouraging.

Some of the families have recently experienced the loss of mums, dads, grandads, and others, and are also trying to make sense and regroup in their new bereaved situations. Siam Care staff know exactly what to do and say, and the children adore them. The activities that followed with the children were fast paced, so very active! And the evenings invariably involved performances, dancing singing and .....erm.....karaoke! Yes!

In 2002 I never foresaw what was going to happen, and how our lives would change and how we would become a part of the lives of June, Jame, Mai, Em and Biew, three very beautiful young women and two very beautiful young men, aged now from 9 to 16. I would encourage anyone who can to enter the Siam Care child sponsorship programme. But it's not all about giving, there is so much joy coming our way as this totally unique programme which enables sponsors to visit, to work with and alongside the families, and to hear regularly how the sponsoring (up to £25 p month per child depending on age) really makes a difference. The children have made us beautiful scarves, one of the mums has crocheted me a shawl and the drawings are gorgeous. Part of the programme involves a micro enterprise of craft activities, like beadwork, coasters, embroidery, shoulder bags, binding note pads. Every little bit helping to raise a little more for education and some home comforts.

This has been my 6th visit, and my 5th conference - the theme of East meets West has run through each conference and I have been able to participate fully in each, meeting so many like-minded people, I have seen the work of Siam Care each time, I have taken part in sex education in schools in Bangkok, Mukdahan and over the bridge in Savannaket in Laos. It has all been enriching, unbelievable at the time and now totally unforgettable. This study tour had an added arm to Khao Lak, where the activities with the children were a little bit more about adrenaline and found us with them in inflatable rafts in a fast flowing river, on the back of an elephant and also Quad biking, you couldn't make it up!

I have to thank Siam Care for enriching my life and opening my eyes, and introducing me to so many beautiful people.  I will never forget, and will definitely be back!  I wish everyone well who has been suffering ill health - but I also feel grateful that the ageing aspect has been highlighted, and that it is very important to invite younger people to take part in Siam Care's sponsorship programmes - children and families.  It's a long term commitment that doesn't stop until the children have finished education, and so it is ideal for people in their teens, twenties thirties forties and fifties, people whose children have grown up, or people with young children or no children - everyone canl become sponsors and really make a difference.  The unique thing about Siam Care is that not only do you know you are making a difference but you can meet the people you support, see them, become their friend and really feel part of it.

Everyone who takes part in my yoga classes is already supporting Siam Care, if you would like to know more please ask.  You can also visit http://www.siamcare.org