A Season For Everything

Since 2004, New Hope Children’s Home in Poi Pet, near the border with Thailand, has provided refuge for a total of 120 orphaned or abandoned children. Through the generosity of child sponsors, fundraisers and trusts, Global Care supported the children, and, over time, created a sustainable funding model. This investment in sustainability meant we were able to withdraw our support in 2021, confident that the children would be cared for without our assistance. In April, John and Steve visited Poi Pet to see how project director Titus, and the children, were faring.

“Visiting the children’s Home in Poi Pet was a strange experience,” writes John. “Seeing the home, built to house the large family group, was disappointing. The wonderful countryside site, the various trees and plants which give such good fruit. The rice fields, which are still being harvested as are the four fishponds. But the children aren’t there!

Back to the City

The Home has once more moved back into Poi Pet. With only eight children left, almost all in high school, it made sense to move back to the city so the children could attend the high school there.

I was concerned that the children would be missing their wonderful home out in the countryside, with so much room to play. Now they lived in a small apartment which felt very cramped. But when Steve and I began to talk to them we realized how happy they were to be living there. They spoke enthusiastically about their new school and the greater opportunities they had to learn.

“But don’t you miss the beautiful surroundings of the old home?” we both asked. All the children said they missed it, but their experience of city living was a big surprise to me. They love the new opportunities that the city offers them.  More choice of friends, more activities.  As young people they enjoy the urban hustle and bustle.  They also find the High School they now attend has more options for learning.  Information technology is much more easily available, which is very important to them. All the children were agreed that they love their life here.

Ready for Change

It reminded me that as we work with our partners we need to be ready for change as the needs of the children develop. The home in the countryside was great when so many of the children went to the local primary school. But once the majority had moved to secondary school things needed to change.

Titus and the NHCH are now self-sufficient.  Moving to the city meant he could open a small fee-paying primary school and run ICT classes for High School pupils.  These with the sale of excess rice and produce from the land at the old home, means the children can be cared for with minimal funding from outside.

A True Refuge for Abandoned Children

During the life of the Home 120 children have been cared for. Children who were in desperate need have been given a home, love and a future through this project. It has offered a true refuge for abandoned children.

I left Titus with a deep sense of sadness that I will probably never visit him and the project again. After being so much part of Global Care for so long, to say goodbye is sad. But my sadness was swamped by a sense of gratitude that God has allowed us to be partners in this wonderful expression of the gospel. His act of liberation for 120 children. How can you be sad when you have been part of something so wonderful!

When we left Titus we asked him to keep in touch. We promised to remember him and the children in prayer. I look forward to hearing the stories of the final eight, formerly vulnerable children, as they make their way to adulthood.”

During the visit, John agreed with Titus that the old countryside home should be sold, allowing NHCH to buy a bigger property in the city to house the home and school. We are confident the ministry in support of vulnerable children will continue to develop independently with these resources,