Easter of hope for street children of Bangkok
Bangkok (AsiaNews) - Saving children from sexual violence, keeping them away from drug traffickers and organized crime, guaranteeing them an education, and encouraging their social and professional integration. This is the mission of Fr. Adriano Pelosin, a priest of the PIME who has been in Thailand for 28 years; in 1998, the priest opened a mission in the slums on the outskirts of Bangkok, dedicated to children and young people who have been orphaned or abandoned by their parents.
The charitable work begun by Fr. Pelosin is characterized by eight foster homes accommodating more than 100 children. The House of the Angels, in particular, is dedicated to children with serious disabilities. Supervision of the foster homes is entrusted to the sisters of charity of Ottowa, assisted by about twenty Thai lay people who take care of the cooking, formation, and education for the young people. The homes are located in the district of Pak Kret about 30 kilometers from Bangkok. Fr. Pelosin, together with volunteers, sisters, and teachers, also provides assistance to 800 children living in situations of difficulty or distress in the slums.
The following are the testimonies of three children staying in the foster homes, gathered by Fr. Pelosin and told in the first person:
My name is Bat. I am always very hungry, because when I was little, my mom often forgot about me, and left me alone at home . . . Then my mom sold me to another woman for twenty thousand Bat (400 euros). When my grandma found out about it, she went to a money lender and asked for a loan of 20,000 Bat, and bought me back. One day, a stranger came to see my grandma, and then also talked with my grandpa, who was sleeping with me. He looked at me with eyes full of affection and concern for me. During the trip, I looked out the window, I wanted to see where we were going. I was good, I didn't cry. After traveling for an hour, we came to a house. There were other children a little older than me. One of them, named Nung, took me by the hand and offered me a toy. I looked at my new friend - I had learned not to trust others easily - and I couldn't help smiling. It had been so long since I had smiled. Now, everything seems different to me, clean, friendly, peaceful, and above all there is enough to eat. I have been at the foster home of Saint Mary for one month, and already I have gained two kilos.
My name is Nung, I'm the one who gave the toy to Bat. I have many toys, but I wouldn't give them to anyone; but Bat seemed so alone and fearful to me that I willingly gave him my favorite teddy bear. Before, I was afraid of everyone and everything, and I always held on to the dress of Miss Samnian, who had raised me since I was four months old. My mom and dad were drug addicts; they put the milk bottle in my mouth but it slipped out and I could not get it back, so I cried until I was out of breath and fell asleep. At three months old, I weighed only one kilo. One day, the social workers of the Saint Martin Center saw how thin and sickly I was, and asked my mom to let me go with them. While the ladies were taking me, my mom turned away and started crying. Little by little, it was like waking up from a long dream, I opened my eyes and saw the light and the smiles of many children. Miss Samnian called me Jesu Noi (Little Jesus) because no one knew my real name, and then they called me Nung, which means "One." Maybe because I was the last, and I must become the first.
I am Gi, and I am almost three years old, but is hard for me to talk. My dad died before I was born, my mom died a few days after I was born. She had a terrible disease. Everyone thought that I had this disease too. When I was in my mother's womb, I was already afraid of dying. At the beginning, I was with my aunt Kek at the foster home of Tuek Deng, then here at Saint Mary. Now I'm doing well, and I'm not afraid of people anymore, I like it a lot when they pick me up. But I still cry when I wake up, I don't know why . . . then it passes and I go to play with Nung and Bat.
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