To most people, rubbish dumpsites are among the least pleasant of places to live. Unfortunately for some, they have no choice but to call it their home.
To lend a helping hand to the underprivileged who live, literally, in mountains of trash, the Foundation of Slum Child Care is trying its best to give these children a chance of a better life.
The Foundation of Slum Child Care is supported by the Royal Patronage of Her Royal Highness Princess Galyani Vadhana. There are four child care centres which are operated under the foundation — Baan Hang Kwam Wang in On Nut rubbish camp; Baan Som Wai in Klong Toey; Baan Sri-Nagarindra in Nong Khaem rubbish dump and Baan Sua Yai in Pracha Uthit. These four communities take care of children aged from three months to five years old.
The foundation aims to improve the underprivileged children’s quality of life through providing them with loving care that fulfils the incomplete parts of their childhood. This year through its collaborative project with Big C, 500 kids from the four communities will be offered food and education.
According to the head of Baan Hang Kwam Wang, Prannawat Puttang, each community is allocated with its own monthly budget so that they can spend it on life necessities.
“Every Monday, we go out and buy fresh food — something essential that we still lack. We also buy some nappies and other daily necessities,” she explained. Baan Hang Kwam Wang is built near a dumpsite in the On Nut rubbish camp.
Despite support, these children’s lives still aren’t as privileged as the rest of society, Prannawat added.
Pai, Su and Phutta at their home in On Nut dump.
“Even with sponsorship, we still struggle every day. Sometimes there are 30 kids [at Baan Hang Kwam Wang]. But because some children are dumped by their parents through police arrests, the number can jump up to 50. And because the land [where Baan Hang Kwam Wang is located] is not owned by us, we can be kicked out any time.”
Prannawat went on to describe the bad living conditions that the young children face.
“Undoubtedly, some of the children have health issues especially in their respiratory system. This childcare centre is actually considered as a living heaven for these children. They can nap on a sleeping mat with a pillow and have five decent meals each day. When they head home, they have to face their reality. It is quite heartbreaking to witness them using an unsafe dumpster site as their playground.”
Orachon Phosing, another volunteer who helps take care of the children at the On Nut rubbish dump, said the area is, for most children, their favourite playground.
“I once saw a girl digging into the garbage site to find something to play with. When she found a piece of jelly, she washed it and kept it. I told her to throw it away and that it’s just a piece of jelly. The girl refused. And I was blown away by how happy and accomplished she must have felt after finding the jelly.”
Some of the villagers living in the On Nut dump are migrants. Pai is one of them. The 25-year-old is a father of two who works as a rubbish collector from midnight until 7am for 300 baht a day. This amount, he said, is just enough to pay the electricity bill. Pai is married to Su who is a 21-year-old housewife. They live in a small cottage made out of broken bits of wood and copper they collected from the waste.
Both Pai and Su feel grateful for the assistance given them by the Foundation.
“The staff members from the Foundation have watched over us ever since I was pregnant. Now one of my kids, Phutta, is going to join the childcare centre soon,” Su said.
“Apart from taking care of young children, we also take care of pregnant mothers,” Orachon noted. “Doctors from Bangkok Hospital come in to give a regular check-up to these villagers. We take care of these children so their parents can go to work to earn money. We also train them to use birth control techniques correctly, but it doesn’t seem to be working too well at the moment.”
Voradej Krityakiarana, senior manager of Big C, said that the next step is to further develop these communities through collaborative projects with the Foundation of Slum Child Care so that assistance becomes sustainable.
“Even though Big C is helping these communities, we also encourage other people to lend a hand for the good of these children,” he commented.
Head of Baan Hang Kwam Wang, Prannawat Puttang, holds a music class for the kids.
