A Helping Hand: The Akha Outreach Foundation
The Akha Outreach Foundation (AOF) is a non-profit organisation based in Chiangrai, Thailand, which provides shelter and love towards Akha children who are born into extreme circumstances. My first visit there was in December 2003, after which I have been visiting them each year around that period of time (Christmas). However, no plans have been made for this year's trip up, but I sincerely wish that I could make another trip there again.
Country Lifestyle
Recollecting my first visit there in 2003, I would describe it simply as a new definition of the word 'memorable'. Having been exposed to city life for the past 15 years at that point in time, learning to switch my bearings to the ragtag environment of country life was much of a challenge, for everything from hygeine, language, and way of life were a stark contrast to that of our bustling city. Basically, the lives of the hiltribe people are very much simpler than city people, and one important point to note is their ability to suit themselves to the situation, rather than make detailed preparations to acoomodate it, as we city-dwellers would normally do.
Who gets the ultimate 'scholarship'?
The children there have gone through much more than we can imagine, for before we made our trip up, an email was sent to everyone of us which had the life story of each child attached. Trust me, it was excruciating for me just to read what those young children had to go through, but the thought of them having been fortunate enough to end up in the AOF gave me a sigh of relief. According to Aje, director of the AOF, the limited amount of vacancies due to financial strain and lack of accomodation and staff at the AOF meant that only a few children could be brought out of their villages each time they went for that purpose. Even then, each child had to pass a series of tests including a HIV test to ensure they were suitable candidates. One of his remarks made an impact on me, for he said something along the lines of :-
"There are many children we would like to bring into the home, but we just cannot, and it always saddens me to reject a child. But it has to be done for now, for we cannot accomodate so many of them currently".
Practices and Atrocities
These children in the Akha Hilltribe have lives so twisted by the many practices of the hilltribe religion, which revolves around black magic and the supernatural. One of the practices I remember vividly was the culling of twins upon birth, as they believed that a woman could only give birth one child at a time, hence one of the twins is deemed a 'demon'. Since they cannot decide which is the 'demon', they kill both babies. Apart from religious practices, some of the children have parents who have been shot and killed, or are hopelessly addicted to drugs such as opium (note the close proximity of Chiangrai to the Golden Triangle, an area notorious for druglords). Drugs are expensive, and what better way could the adults think of but to use their children as pickpockets or drug smugglers to help support their addiction.
Life is a box of chocolates
During my 2005 trip, I got to know a orphan in the AOF brought in the year before. Paneeda was raised as a pickpocket by her uncle, who was an opium addict, and my was she violent. Seriously violent. Very warmly she greeted me with a flying kick, for which I am glad of my height, for she only managed to hit my legs. According to Aje, she was much worse when she was brought in, and we were fortunate to receive only a 'mild' reception from her. During the course of our stay, it was apparent that her only means of communication was through insults and fighting. Through her i learnt the meaning of "Ba Ba Bo Bo", which means stupid, and "Bai Gei Gai", which you can find out through me personally, for I wont disclose its meaning here. However, she was the child who touched my heart the most, for it was she, during our last day at the compound while we were saying our farewells, that ran up to me and shoved a cloth into my hand, on which was a cross-stitch delicately sewn which read, "Merry Christmas LOVE". Never have I experienced such sincerity. Never.
A Helping Hand
In my previous post "A Musical Dialogue: The Music Behind Inspiration", I mentioned about the 'Heartstrings' series which was produced by me along with two other classmates. "Heartstrings - For you I will" was the first album released in conjunction with Valentine's Day at a price of SGD$5 per copy, of which all proceeds were donated to the AOF. Our final donated amount of SGD$1000 far surpassed our expectations and it really served as an inspiration to come up with our second album, Heartstrings 2, already ready to be released but at a time yet to be determined. This is one of the ways in which you can make a difference to the lives to those less fortunate, innocent children who have suffered at the expense of the atrocities of those related to them. Of course, the best way would be to give a direct donation which you can make through the AOF website.
An Afternote
Much of what was mentioned was just a brief macro view of what the Akha Outreach Foundation serves as, and what I did during my time there. Hopefully, I would be able to share more of my experiences with you readers in future entries, as they are too long to be included in this entry. There are many things that I have not mentioned, or have not come to my understanding of, which are also not included, hence it is important not to jump to any conclusions based merely on this entry. I would be more than willing to answer any questions you have to the best of my understanding, but it would be better if you could contact the AOF personally through their website regarding your queries.
"You will find, as you look back on your life, that the moments that stand out are the moments when you have done things for others".
~ Henry Drummond
Country Lifestyle
Recollecting my first visit there in 2003, I would describe it simply as a new definition of the word 'memorable'. Having been exposed to city life for the past 15 years at that point in time, learning to switch my bearings to the ragtag environment of country life was much of a challenge, for everything from hygeine, language, and way of life were a stark contrast to that of our bustling city. Basically, the lives of the hiltribe people are very much simpler than city people, and one important point to note is their ability to suit themselves to the situation, rather than make detailed preparations to acoomodate it, as we city-dwellers would normally do.
Who gets the ultimate 'scholarship'?
The children there have gone through much more than we can imagine, for before we made our trip up, an email was sent to everyone of us which had the life story of each child attached. Trust me, it was excruciating for me just to read what those young children had to go through, but the thought of them having been fortunate enough to end up in the AOF gave me a sigh of relief. According to Aje, director of the AOF, the limited amount of vacancies due to financial strain and lack of accomodation and staff at the AOF meant that only a few children could be brought out of their villages each time they went for that purpose. Even then, each child had to pass a series of tests including a HIV test to ensure they were suitable candidates. One of his remarks made an impact on me, for he said something along the lines of :-
"There are many children we would like to bring into the home, but we just cannot, and it always saddens me to reject a child. But it has to be done for now, for we cannot accomodate so many of them currently".
Practices and Atrocities
These children in the Akha Hilltribe have lives so twisted by the many practices of the hilltribe religion, which revolves around black magic and the supernatural. One of the practices I remember vividly was the culling of twins upon birth, as they believed that a woman could only give birth one child at a time, hence one of the twins is deemed a 'demon'. Since they cannot decide which is the 'demon', they kill both babies. Apart from religious practices, some of the children have parents who have been shot and killed, or are hopelessly addicted to drugs such as opium (note the close proximity of Chiangrai to the Golden Triangle, an area notorious for druglords). Drugs are expensive, and what better way could the adults think of but to use their children as pickpockets or drug smugglers to help support their addiction.
Life is a box of chocolates
During my 2005 trip, I got to know a orphan in the AOF brought in the year before. Paneeda was raised as a pickpocket by her uncle, who was an opium addict, and my was she violent. Seriously violent. Very warmly she greeted me with a flying kick, for which I am glad of my height, for she only managed to hit my legs. According to Aje, she was much worse when she was brought in, and we were fortunate to receive only a 'mild' reception from her. During the course of our stay, it was apparent that her only means of communication was through insults and fighting. Through her i learnt the meaning of "Ba Ba Bo Bo", which means stupid, and "Bai Gei Gai", which you can find out through me personally, for I wont disclose its meaning here. However, she was the child who touched my heart the most, for it was she, during our last day at the compound while we were saying our farewells, that ran up to me and shoved a cloth into my hand, on which was a cross-stitch delicately sewn which read, "Merry Christmas LOVE". Never have I experienced such sincerity. Never.
A Helping Hand
In my previous post "A Musical Dialogue: The Music Behind Inspiration", I mentioned about the 'Heartstrings' series which was produced by me along with two other classmates. "Heartstrings - For you I will" was the first album released in conjunction with Valentine's Day at a price of SGD$5 per copy, of which all proceeds were donated to the AOF. Our final donated amount of SGD$1000 far surpassed our expectations and it really served as an inspiration to come up with our second album, Heartstrings 2, already ready to be released but at a time yet to be determined. This is one of the ways in which you can make a difference to the lives to those less fortunate, innocent children who have suffered at the expense of the atrocities of those related to them. Of course, the best way would be to give a direct donation which you can make through the AOF website.
An Afternote
Much of what was mentioned was just a brief macro view of what the Akha Outreach Foundation serves as, and what I did during my time there. Hopefully, I would be able to share more of my experiences with you readers in future entries, as they are too long to be included in this entry. There are many things that I have not mentioned, or have not come to my understanding of, which are also not included, hence it is important not to jump to any conclusions based merely on this entry. I would be more than willing to answer any questions you have to the best of my understanding, but it would be better if you could contact the AOF personally through their website regarding your queries.
"You will find, as you look back on your life, that the moments that stand out are the moments when you have done things for others".
~ Henry Drummond
posted by Guoyong at
11:24 AM
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