ASIA/THAILAND - "Houses of Hope" for abandoned children

Pathum Thani (Agenzia Fides) - In a letter sent to Agenzia Fides, Father Adriano Pelosin, PIME missionary who has been in Thailand for 36 years talked about the work carried out in the Houses of Hope where abandoned children, those who live in slums and the elderly are assisted.
"Here in Pathum Thani - writes Father Adriano - with the help of two nuns, three lay, and often with several volunteers, we work in four slums: Wat Sake, Lat Lum Kew, Wat Kok, Wat Prai Fa. All the people of these communities are of Buddhist religion. In Wat Sake and in Lat Lum Kew we have rebuilt or repaired 17 homes whiche were damaged by the flood two years ago or abandoned. In Wat Sake, we give breakfast to 163 kindergartners and elementary school pupils every morning. In Lat Lum Kew we give a hot meal to about 30 elderly once a week. We frequently visit the elderly and their children in prison for drug dealing, theft and physical violence. Moreover, in the two communities we read the Word of God along with a dozen people, mostly elderly. Soon we will begin this important activity even in Wat Kok and Wat Prai Fa.
In Wat Sake the Archbishop of Bangkok inaugurated the House of Mercy, a small help center which is located on the property of the nearby Buddhist monastery. The abbot these days is in hospital and is seriously ill. I go and visit him often", added the missionary.
"During the school year we bring the children of the community of Wat Kok, Wat Pray Fa to the church of San Marco for training activities every Saturday. Almost all are without parents and live with a grandfather or a grandmother. In the months of April and October, when school closes, with the help of the teachers of two Catholic schools and high school students we do activities every day. Catholic women of the parish and their children come to prepare food and serve poor children. Currently, eight seminarians from various dioceses of Thailand have been working in the slums to teach children to read". (AP) (Agenzia Fides 10/12/2014)