The older boys help plow the rice fields with a manual tractor.
Sarnelli House is located in a jungle village in Nong Khai, Thailand, the northernmost of the Isan provinces. Villagers here live in humble shacks and farm and fish for a living.
On my way from the airport to Sarnelli House, the first place I was taken to when I entered the village was a rice field, where I saw the boys from St. Patrick’s orphanage plow the soil in preparation for the rain. There the Sarnelli staff worker, Pooky, made a statement that I felt encompassed the conditions I was about to enter into…she points, “Look, we are so happy to have upgraded to a manual tractor.”
I was stunned, given the fact that I just got off a plane from a place where machines run themselves. But for a place that typically uses a water-ox and rake to plow the fields, a manual tractor is exciting indeed.
AIDS is a merciless disease. As Sarnelli House accounts:
"Many of the AIDS victims were banished from their villages. Their families and long-time neighbors and friends wanted nothing to do with them. They were forced to leave their homes and live in hovels in the jungle. Often husbands die before the wives, leaving them with no way to support themselves and their children. When employers find out they have AIDS they lose their jobs. They are too weak to work their regular field or factory jobs anyway. As the parents died, the question was who would care for the children left behind. The families, even grandparents, want nothing to do with the children, no matter if they have the HIV virus or not. Just being the child of an AIDS parent is enough reason for people to turn their backs and leave them to fend for themselves, regardless of how small they might be."
Because of these unforgiving conditions, Sarnelli House was created as a haven for abandoned children with HIV/AIDS. Dedicated for over 11 years to the ailing young, Sarnelli House currently houses more than 160 children, providing them with the nutrition, education and love that they deserve.
The best part of my experience was getting to spend time with the children and witnessing their transformation through a new life at Sarnelli House.
I absolutely fell in love with the kids here -- they are so vivacious and always have a smile on their face. It is the cutest when they are missing teeth. Despite their illness, they don't care, because they are having fun.
During my first few days volunteering, the kids were still on summer break, so they took me out to play. We ran around the yard, hid behind cardboard frames, shook mangos off the trees and smelled "fart" leaves.
As a special treat, we had a pizza party for the children on their last day of summer break. The children danced and then enjoyed their favorite topping, corn and Canadian bacon. For dessert, the kids lined up in front of the ice cream man that scooped tiny cones of coconut ice cream from a great tin can.
Another amazing aspect of volunteering was that I got to personally spend time with my sponsored child, Yard. It’s been over four years since I last saw her, and what a blessing it was to see what a beautiful young lady she has grown to be.
After I dropped the children off at school, I loved to ride around on my squeaky yellow bike, exploring the village, taking photos of the way people live and chatting with the locals. People here are so nice and everyone always has a story to share.
One of my favorite encounters was when a staff worker, Da, took me out to the village to deliver some extra sweet corn that we had. The folks in the home we visited were so grateful that in exchange they gave us 3 sticks filled with roasted frogs – which to them was their most valued source of protein.
Dinner and bedtime for the kids.
During my last day at Sarnelli House, I got the privilege to go with Father Shea to learn about the Outreach Programs which brings relief to folks with AIDS in a distant village.
Overall, volunteering at Sarnelli this summer was definitely a blessed and unforgettable experience. I am so thankful for all that the children and wonderful people I encountered taught me on this trip, of which I would like to share with you my top three:
The first lesson I learned was about joy and gratefulness. These children have gone through so much suffering at an extremely young age and can easily feel sorry for themselves, get mad or give up because of their illness or situation, but instead, they choose to be happy. They choose to be joyful for what they do have, and they choose to have FUN!
Secondly, I learned that one of the greatest gifts you can give a child is the opportunity to learn and to receive an education so that they can create a better future for themselves.
Lastly, I learned about love and accountability. Even through these harsh conditions, God has shown his love and mercy at Sarnelli House. During my time with the children, what I realized was that all they really craved for is love and compassion – something I believe we often take for granted. Accountability comes into play due to the growing number of children at Sarnelli -- oftentimes they need to be accountable for each other. The older children look after the young and the younger kids look up to them with respect. A wonderful example of this is about Joi, whose best friend is Tadum, a child that is blind. One of their favorite pastimes is to watch TV together, as Joi sits with her friend and explains what she is watching. What beautiful love between the children! I truly believe that this is reflective of the nurture and care that the children receive at Sarnelli, as it overflows into the affection that they have for one another.
To the children at Sarnelli House, Father Shea and all of the loving staff – THANK YOU for this wonderful experience!
