Newsletter 2 2013

Another busy year has come and a lmost gone, so we look forward to another good year. As in past years s taf f f rom the Cen-ter have been busy look ing af ter pat ients at V i l la Mar ie Hospice, teenagers at Ban Mae Mar ie, the Aids Educat ion program wi th the youth in schools and so many oth-er act iv i t ies which keep the Center run-n ing.

Wi th the a ids ant iv i ra l medicat ions being avai lab le to those l iv ing wi th a ids, the number of deaths has decreased over the years. Now people can l ive a normal and pro longed l i fe—prov ided they take care of themselves proper ly and take the i r medica-t ions as prescr ibed. Whi le at V i l la Mar ie there is no problem for them tak ing these medicat ions, but many once leav ing the hospice fee l wel l and th ink they don’ t have to take these medic ines— that is a prob-lem!

In 2013 as a resul t o f people not tak ing these medicat ions an increas ing number of people have d ied. Two in par t icu lar were sad cases as they were too young to d ie. Both young men had spent t ime at Ban Mae Mar ie, both only 19 years o ld. Other pat ients at the hospice are long term cases as they have no where to go, no home to return to and no one who is in ter -ested to look af ter them. In rea l i ty , they wi l l be wi th us for l i fe . Some of them wi l l need to have fu l l t ime care at the hosp ice, others who are ab le to look af ter them-selves for the most par t we have renovated some of the bui ld ings on our farm as a home for them, here they can look a f ter themselves.

Mother of Perpetual Help Center

Thailand

Newsletter No. 2 December 2013

We here at

Mother of Per-

petual Help

Center wish you

and all your

loved ones a

very Merry

Christmas and a

Blessed New

Year

Villa Marie Hospice

Teenagers at Ban Mae Marie are doing well. Four of them who have been waiting to take special train-ing at the local government vocational school have begun their studies—two with training to repair air conditioners and two learning computer science. One of the fellows who had completed his studies in repairing air conditioners has gone through his prac-tical work experience and now working full time in a neighboring Province. He returns every three months to collect his medications at the hospital here. One of the girls has been studying office and computer management at the technical school and is doing well—her course is for two years. Others continue at the local schools.

Mother of Perpetual Help Center will go into its 11th year giving aids education and awareness to the youth in schools. Nong Bua Lamphu Province has six districts, the Center has done 20 schools each year in one of the six districts. This year the Center began a new program to train teachers in all schools so that youth in these schools will eventually get aids education regularly rather than waiting for staff from the Center being available only every six years. Once teachers have been trained, they will assist staff from the Center in their school in giving aids education to their own students.

Training kits being prepared by Br. Damien and Br. Bernd for distribution for each school with books and needed items for teachers to give aids education with their students. Teachers have shown a keen interest to learn more about aids to help them in their schools. The teachers from the district of Non Sang will go through the training program in 2014, at the same time these schools will have a two day follow-up program assisted by their teachers.

Children

The Center continues with distributions of school clothing and materials to children of HIV and poor families throughout the Province. These distribu-tions are made possible through the help of fund-ing agencies. The leaders from each of the six HIV groups are familiar with the most needy chil-dren and give details to MPHC. The number of children receiving assistance continues to remain at around 400.

Mother of Perpetual Help Center and Ban Mae Marie

can always use extra support for their many activities.

If you would like to help donations can be sent to:

Divine Word Missionaries

Mission Office—1835 Waukegan Road

Techny, Illinois 60082

www.svdmissions.org (on-line)

www.aidshelpthailandia.com

“Thank you” to all who have so generously supported

our endeavors through prayer and other donations.

Ban Mae Marie

Aids Education Awareness