Wheel2Wheel

Life Changing: Baan Gerda Visit, April 17, 2011

IMG_0899What an incredible experience it was to visit Baan Gerda, a community for children infected with HIV in Lop Buri province, Thailand. I am so glad I went, and really happy my two young daughters shared this unique experience.


On Sunday, April 17, we travelled to Baan Gerda and joined up with the Wheel2Wheel team for the day: Morgan (whom we last saw on March 1st on the starting line in Hong Kong), his sister Chae, his daughter Aria, my husband Alan (riding with Morgan for this phase of the journey), and the crew from Siren films shooting the episode.


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Alan had encouraged me to make the trip with our daughters (Angelie, 5, and Ameline, 1). He was very inspired by his first visit there on behalf of Wheel2Wheel in January. I remember his description was, “It was amazing. I expected to see children sick or dying; I saw a group of kids full of energy, life and laughter. Baan Gerda really is a place where children come to live”. We watched many videos and photos of his visit, with our daughters, explaining to them what Baan Gerda was about. But I remember getting emotional watching the beautiful faces of these kids, as I couldn’t shake off the underlying sadness at the thought of their condition: orphans with HIV-AIDS.


IMG_0670So it wasn’t until I got the chance to visit in person, I was finally able to understand Alan’s observations.

The children I met at Baan Gerda are so lively, fun, smart, warm – normal, healthy, playful and mischievous kids. It was touching to see our daughters playing together with them. Some Baan Gerda kids were fascinated by Ameline and loved carrying her around, tickling her to make her laugh, playing with her. It was amazing to see her warming up instantaneously to these new friends.

Angelie learned to climb a rather high and tricky wooden jungle gym built around a tree in the playground, encouraged by her Baan Gerda friends!


It just felt so natural. For Angelie and Ameline, it was just a wonderful and memorable playdate in a beautiful setting, in the middle of nature, with over 80 new friends. This is in complete contrast to the life experiences of these children who have been rejected by their communities, perhaps fearful of the risks of transmission of the virus.


IMG_0787It was touching to see the Baan Gerda kids looking out for each other. The youngest of the crew is just 2yrs old and had a very difficult start in life (but now, if you didn’t know, you just couldn’t tell that he is infected by HIV). At all times during the day, you could see that one of the other kids had an eye on him; a loving, supportive community, and a tightly knit family.


But this is by design. Baan Gerda is unique in raising their children in a home environment, with foster parents and family units. It is within these family units that children receive their medical support, upbringing, education and discipline. It is deeply inspiring to see the amazing community and family that Karl Morsbach and his wife Tassannee have built over the years.


It is incredible to see the profound effect of their work on the lives of these children. Taking them from poor health – sometimes near death – and over years restoring their health and rebuilding their lives. From losing one or two of their parents to the disease, and suffering themselves, to having a rich childhood experience, receiving an education, growing in strength and agility, and learning skills in art, dance, or music – the turnaround in their young lives is amazing.


IMG_0821Other highlights of our visit included watching the Baan Gerda children actively participate in the Wheel2Wheel episode filming, either as interviewees or as production assistants! They also prepared a music and dance show for the end of the day to bid farewell to a group of student volunteers from Germany (as well as the W2W team).


And perhaps the highlight of the day for the children was when Morgan and Alan offered joy rides on the expedition motorbikes. You could see the pure excitement on their faces as they revved the engines and sped around grounds.


Now, the reality is not as rosy as a joyful day visit playing with the kids.


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Firstly, there is still a stigma – borne of ignorance – that affects children and adults infected by HIV. As Morgan said after his experience of the visit, “Wheel2Wheel is about raising awareness and it’s clear to me that our greatest impact for Baan Gerda is to help them spread the word that these are normal, vibrant children. What they need is not pity, but a fair chance in life.”


Secondly, Baan Gerda needs continuous and stable financial support. Raising children is a lifelong commitment. Baan Gerda does not seek to expand their capacity just to rack up impressive numbers. They provide a depth of support and a quality of life that is truly priceless and clearly effective. Running a community with more than 80 children who need homes, clothing, education, food, and most important the medication best suited for them, is an expensive undertaking. It costs EUR 130 or USD 170 a month for each child, but this funding needs to be continued over their dependent lifetime. They need more donors to sponsor children and help provide living expenses.


Finally, they are seeking money to build 4 more houses and a farm. Most of this development is planned towards catering for older children who are now reaching adulthood and need more independence as well as the chance to learn a professional skill and earn a livelihood. As the current anti-retroviral medicines are enabling people to live a full lifetime, Baan Gerda’s needs have evolved to be able to meet the needs of their growing family.


IMG_1175On reflection, I honestly found my visit with my daughters to be a life-changing experience. It has helped me better understand the HIV issue – not only in Thailand but globally; it has helped focus my charitable giving into causes I feel deeply about and in this case an organisation that is both effective and inspiring in their work; it is a defining experience for my daughters with whom I was able to share the day, learn about a very complex problem in a hands on way, that we will be able to recall in years to come; and it inspired me deeply to see how Karl’s determination was really changing the world – or at least enriching the lives of these fortunate kids.


If this account in someway strikes a chord, I encourage you to investigate making a visit to Baan Gerda, and for those who have the means and interest, to make a donation to support this wonderful organization.

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