Grandma and Darm and their
humble dwelling.
Phitsanu Thepthong
Those who have not been starved don’t know the value of one grain of
rice. Those who have never been poor don’t see the value of one baht. Those
who have never been short of drinking water don’t realize the value of one
drop of water’.
At a recent Rotary International District 3340 conference held in Udon
Thani, full details of a life-saving high-powered water filter project
completed at Ban Nong Waeng Municipal School through the generosity of
Rotarians were given to a crowded conference room. To explain the background
of this essential project, the story of one small boy, Nong Darm, and his
devoted grandmother, was related by Past District Governor Somchai
Chiaranaipanit, highlighting the significance of Rotary’s motivating themes
of clean water, education, health, poverty and hunger reduction.
Ban Nong Waeng Municipal School is located in Khon Kaen, one of the largest
cities in Thailand, and is surrounded by poverty-stricken families living in
crowded, disease-ridden shanty communities with few modern facilities. The
school’s students come from families with little money and few possessions.
Khun Bhichai inspects the
railway community where Darm and Grandma live.
H.E. Bhichai Rattakul is shown
the open sewer
from where Grandma (2nd right) collected the dirty water.
On the first day of the new school year in 2007, an old woman, skinny and
dark-complexioned, walked through the gates with a small, thin and grubby
boy, intent on enrolling him in the kindergarten class. The woman said
little to the teachers, except that her grandson, Nong Darm, desperately
wanted to attend the school. She explained that she had no money, and had
begged and borrowed a uniform and other necessities for her grandson. Seeing
her good intentions and sincerity, the school admitted the child.
During the first few months, it was noticed that little Nong Darm was often
ill, afraid of strangers, and often missed school. A rumour was circulating
that the child’s father had died of AIDS; as a result, the boy found it
difficult to make friends. Teachers decided to find out the truth by
visiting his home.
The little boy lived with his grandmother in a squalid squatters’ community
near the railway line. When his mother was 5 months pregnant, his parents
had divorced; shortly afterwards, his father had indeed died of AIDS. After
Nong Darm’s birth, his mother had left for Bangkok to earn some money - she
had never returned, leaving her mother, the child’s grandmother, to look
after him. The old lady, being illiterate, scraped a living by collecting
and selling vegetables and garbage, occasionally being hired for small
tasks, which meant that the child was often left alone. However, she became
a loving mother to her grandson.
Inspecting the shack in which Nong Darm lived, teachers discovered that
there was no water supply. Apparently, neighbours had told his grandmother
to connect to their supply, but had left the poor woman to pay both water
bills. As she had no money, the supply was cut off. Subsequently, she had
used sandbags to dam the community water and sewage outlets, skimming off
water for drinking when the silt and muck had settled. Drinking the water
had caused Nong Darm’s diarrhea, yellowish skin, weight loss and skin
allergies. The little boy was immediately classified as being at risk, and
his case was taken to Khon Kaen’s municipality council, who immediately
installed a water supply at his home. He was also tested for HIV/AIDS;
fortunately, the test proved negative.
Meanwhile, members from Kaen Koon’s Rotary Club, together with the Rotary
Club of Kyoto, Japan, learned of Nong Darm and his grandmother whilst on a
visit to the school to launch a library project. Immediately, they agreed to
help.
Grandma and Darm’s plight is
brought to Past Rotary International
President Bhichai Rattakul’s attention.
Khun Bhichai presents articles
of clothing
and amenities to Darm and Grandma.
Khun Bhichai visits the Ban
Nong Waeng Municipal School.
Darm’s story has been made
known throughout
District 3340 by DG. Pratheep Malhotra
Past District Governor Somchai Chiaranaipanit told the little boy’s story to
the past president of Rotary International, His Excellency Bhichai Rattakul
and to other Rotarians from several regions, all of whom promised their
help, with Rotarians from Dhonburi and Bangna agreeing to raise funds to
provide a filtration system for Nong Darm’s school.
H.E. Bhichai Rattakul came to Khon Kaen and met with the child and his
grandmother, and Rotarians from Bangkok and District 3340 donated relief
items, emergency supplies and blankets to the slum communities. Rotarians
also visited Nong Darm’s home, finding that his grandmother had stored
broken tiles to use on the mud floor in case of floods. They also found that
the shack had no electricity - a tragic picture of the plight of the poor in
Thai society.
H.E. Bhichai donated funds to the child’s grandmother to help her care for
him; subsequently, a Rotarian who owned a wholesale business gave the old
lady a job packing products. A fine example of ‘Generosity gives Love’.
Darm stands proudly next to
his new Rotary bicycle
which he can ride to school.
Nate Chuenchom of the Rotary
Club of Kaen Koon
who kindly employed Grandma to work at his shop.
Darm’s school friends now have
clean water to drink.
Darm seems preoccupied as
Grandma enjoys her new job
at Rotarian Nate Chuenchom’s repackaging shop.
Caring still exists in Thai society, especially amongst Rotarians, who give
their time and funds to assist the underprivileged, particularly children.
Nong Darm’s primary school now has a library and its new high-powered water
filter, intended for public use as well as for the students. Community
members and local monks may use the fresh, clean water, and students and
teachers can take drinking water home with them, free of charge.
Nong Darm’s story was also told to Rotarians in Taiwan’s Gao Zong City by
Past District Governor Somchai, during his visit as the Thai representative
of Rotary International.
On hearing the tale, Rotarian Clement from the Rotary Club of Kaohsiung
Harbor City donated $1,240 to District 3340’s fund-raising project to help
needy children.
A proportion of the money was used to buy water tanks to further improve the
drinking water supply for Nong Darm’s school.
As for Nong Darm, he is in Prathom 1 (1st grade) now. Although he is not the
cleverest boy in the class, the school takes good care of him, and will help
him to grow up to be a good and useful adult. Like all young boys, sometimes
he may be naughty and stubborn; but there is one thing that teachers and
administrators cannot fail to notice. Nong Darn is clearly happy and
healthy, and has many friends!
His grandmother is still earning her modest living, and receives
cheerfulness and assistance, although she is occasionally worried about what
will happen to her beloved grandson when she dies.
The Rotarians at District 3340’s Rotary International conference were
clearly touched by the little boy’s sad story and its happy ending. Nong
Darm and his grandmother, guests at the event, could only say, “Thank you,
thank you, thank you for your kindness.” H.E. Bhichai remarked that,
“Rotarians must continue with this type of caring and giving - it is tragic
that Nong Darm and his grandmother were living in such distressing
conditions. Now they have hope that dreams can become real.”
District Governor Pratheep Malhotra added, “Rotarians have shown their
devotion to brightening the lives of this child and his grandmother. The
project has been a great success, and should be expanded to other areas
where children do not have clean, filtered water and are sick as a result.
There are millions of children in this world that desperately need our love
and care. Together we can try to save hundreds, thousands and possibly
millions of children’s lives. Let’s start by saving the life of one child.
That one child could be your own.”
H.E. Bhichai responded, “The success of the project came from love - from
one to another, and thence to many hundreds. Rotary has given the child a
new life … and shows that Rotarians possess and use the gift of ‘Nam Jai’,
kindness and generosity, at all times, by helping parents and grandparents
to guide children to a better life. If we can change one person’s life, we
can change many hundreds of people’s lives.”
Darm’s story is presented at
the Rotary District Conference in Udonthani.
At the end of the
presentation, PDG Somchai Chiaranaipanit
invites Khun Bhichai to the stage.
Unbeknownst to Khun Bhichai,
DG Pratheep sneaks
Grandma and Darm onto the stage.
Khun Bhichai is thrilled to
see Grandma and Darm as they respectfully greet him.
DG Peter lovingly presents
Darm of whom he had so often spoke about.
Rotarians and teachers who
made it possible
to Make Dreams Real for Grandma and Darm.