It will be five years next month since I formed Hands with my good friend Gill Williams from the UK.  The challenges for the kids we support changes but I was surprised this week when we took in two new kids, who until arriving at our orphanage still hadn't found a 'permanent home'.  They lost their mum in the tsunami and had basically been shipped around from one place to another.  They were in an orphanage but to stay were forced to take on the religion of those who ran the foundation and had to let go of their Buddhist beliefs and practices.

During some work in Bangkok I took a couple of days out to visit the kids at the Yasothon orphanage and scope the work to be undertaken for our renovation project "Task Force Yasohton" in November of this year.

I was able to identify a number of priorities for us during the renovation and also some longer term projects that will take some time to achieve.  We will seek to bring about sustainable change and put in place some projects that will see the creation of income and better use of what is on hand.

I returned from Bangkok last week after spending a number of days in the capital and also crossing the city flying from one destination to the other.  During the day the traffic was as tragic as ever and at the night the stalls sold their copies of jeans, shirts and DVD's.  No real change there.

From the 15th of November till the 3rd of December 2010, Hands is going to lead a team in a major renovation of the Suthasinee Orphanage at Yasothon.  We are looking for 50 volunteers to join us in this major operation that will change many lives and not just those of the children at the orphanage.

Hands Across the Water Board today endorsed supporting the Suthasinee Noiin Foundation. The Suthasinee Noiin Foundation (SNF) is a home for over 115 children who have been affected by HIV.  Most of the children living at this orphanage are either HIV positive or their parents have passed away from HIV.

The SNF is located 530km north of Bangkok in the Yasothon Province.

On the 26th of March, Peter Baines and Nicole Perry will travel to the Yasothon Province which is located 530km north east of Bangkok to conduct a scoping mission of an orphanage in that area.  The orphanage currently houses 115 children with a large number of them infected with HIV.  Their major benefactor is terminally ill with cancer and there doesn't appear to be a lot of options around income for the running of the orphanage.  

The Board of Hands has agreed to scope the possibility of running two Hands bike rides in January of 2011, back to back, to meet the demand.  We will look to have the first ride leave Bangkok on the 5th of January and arrive in Khao Lak on the 13th.  The second ride would leave Bangkok on the 18th and arrive in Khao Lak on the 26th.  

Tuesday 26 January 2010 (Australia Day)

It all felt rather surreal this morning waking up knowing today was our last day on the road.  It was a short day, only 56kms, compared to our other days. However this day was going to be a little more interesting as we faced our biggest challenge yet - a 4km mountain climb that was steeper and longer than any others we had encountered before. 

Monday 25 January 2010

Shorter day today covering 100kms.  100kms of smells from various unknown dead things on the side of the road and lots of people finger pointing at each other. Besides the wonderful aroma, today was full of hills, bigger and longer than we had seen before.  Good training for our 4km hill tomorrow.

Sunday 24 January 2010

Today was 135kms making it the longest day of the tour and of no surprise it was hotter than yesterday.   We were on the road by 7.30am and sweating five minutes later.