Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Surat Thani (Agenzia Fides) - With the help of the Church, participation of Catholic NGOs, and support from local Catholic communities, the people of southern Thailand are trying to arise from their condition of poverty and misery, which has increased since the devastation of the tsunami in 2004. The area in particular is part of the Diocese of Surat Thani, in the Melaka peninsula, where development projects sponsored by the local Church and NGOs like AVSI, in collaboration with the Apostolic Nunciature in Thailand, have begun and continue to be carried out at the service of the people there.
The Diocese of Surat Thani is formed by 6 provinces in the southeastern region of Thailand. Since 2005, AVSI has been carrying out projects at the service of the people who were devastated by the tsunami that struck the country in December 2004, leaving them without homes and without basic materials. In the wake of the disaster, the local Church organized aid campaigns for the people affected by the sea-quake, placing themselves in contact with the various congregations present in the country (see Fides 3/1/2005). In addition to the 400 km of coastline that was heavily struck, other provinces in Thailand were also affected: Ranong, Phang-Nga, Phuket, Krabi, Trang, and Satun, leaving a grand total of over 100,000 people-half of them being children- without homes and suffering the consequences of the event.
The main activities of the AVSI in Thailand are centered in an area between Takua Pa and Phuket, and in Krabi, where the Diocese of Surat Thani has organized emergency aid campaigns, creating centers for medical assistance. The directors of the centers are the parish priests, and in the rural areas, religious sisters are the caretakers.
One of the projects provides assistance to families in Takua Pa, as well as educational and recreational activities for children. In this area, there is no drinking water or sewage system, and the houses are made of metal sheets and wood. The campaigns being carried out seek to provide a better living opportunity and improved health conditions to the people living in the area: the project’s goal is to offer a psychological support for children, providing them with a place to find a positive and hopeful perspective on their lives. Among the objectives are: to instill in the children a greater love for study; enable children to learn a series of activities that they can later carry out in their free time; help parents and citizens of the town learn basic hygiene maintenance; allow the whole area to improve their standard of living. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 7/4/2008 righe 32, parole 429)
