NOR GIANK BABY HOME
IntroductionNor Giank Baby Home was opened on 20 April 1998 and is located in a residential area of central Bangkok at 59/33 Than Ying Phuangrathana Prapai, Sukhumvit 26, Klongtoey, Bangkok 10110, Thailand.
The baby home was established by Mrs. Linda Der Kevorkian, an Englishwoman from Hull, Yorkshire, who is the mother of four adult children and has been living with her husband Bob in Bangkok for almost five years.
The main aim and mission of Nor Giank (New Life) Baby Home, is to give each child all the tender loving care possible, to do this with compassion and understanding, and to enhance the quality of life of all the babies and children coming to the home, for however long or short their stay may be. The staff are trained to show love, patience, compassion and sensitivity for all the children in the Home's care.
Nor Giank Baby Home is presently staffed on a full time basis
seven days per week, twenty-four hours per day, by nine full-time nannies and maids operating a shift system with one manageress and Linda herself. Everyone, generally, has one day off per week. More staff will be taken on and trained in due course as the need increases.
Nor Giank Baby Home is currently capable of providing full care for up to a maximum of fifteen babies/children, in its present premises (it has thirteen right now). However, ten rai of land has been donated at Nakorn Nayok and the aim is to construct a specially designed home for the babies/children even possibly the HIV positive mothers as well. The size of the project will depend on the aid the Home receives. Unfortunately, the need is definitely there and Nor Giank's target is to complete construction within two years. Currently Nor Giank Baby Home has applied for "Foundation" status and is awaiting approval.
It is the policy of Nor Giank Baby Home to accept a few children with special needs - other than those with HIV, in the hope that it can also be true to its name of Nor Giank - which means New Life.
Nor Giank Baby Home totally relies for support on donations from companies, individuals and friends. Unfortunately, the current economic situation, makes life difficult for everyone. However, their target is to build up a network of caring sponsors/donors who will on a monthly basis contribute a regular amount, to enable the Home to plan a cash flow. Nor Giank is privately funded, does not belong to any organization for regular support, and therefore is very grateful for its initial and current supporters, and welcomes all new ones.
Education of the General Public
Nor Giank Baby Home with the full support and dedication of its staff and friends, is hard at work in giving facts about HIV/AIDS. This includes the facts of how AIDS may be transmitted, and showing people how safe it is to be amongst AIDS patients, to care for them, to comfort them, and to ease the pain of their cruel illness. People do not catch HIV/AIDS by touching, holding, or caring for HIV/AIDS patients; there is nothing to fear if one is careful and takes normal hygienic precautions. Therefore, feel free to visit Nor Giank, pick up the kids, hug them and give them a feeling of warmth and love.
Finally, Nor Giank realizes the needs of HIV positive children are very great, our hope is the Home can alleviate the isolation and misery of these young lives. The HIV negative children can, if given the opportunity, go on to be adopted and lead productive lives in loving families.
The HIV positive babies/children may be adopted/fostered or may stay at the Nor Giank until they die, but they will be given all the tender loving care that is within the power of the Home to give, making sure that their needs are met.
Financial Information
The baby home is budgeted on an average of fifteen babies, to provide for all their needs, and amenities, as well as a very important medical fund for the daily medicines and hospitalization provisions. The budget is set presently to cover all hospitalization, medical expenses, meals, running cost, rental of the property and medical contingences.
The home consists of a three bedroom detached house with outbuildings and a large living/playroom area.
The upstairs has two bedrooms fitted out with six cots each. The third bedroom is for sick babies and has three cots. The downstairs consists of a play area, small office, bathing and changing area and a kitchen. At the side is a laundry area. The other outbuildings serve as a dormitory for the live-in nannies. The medium-sized garden has had a built-in aviary and serves as an additional pleasant area for taking the babies outside in the fresh air.
The house has had full air-conditioning installed and this ensures
that the children live in a clean, hygienic, comfortable and homely environment in a family like atmosphere.
Background/Facts
According to a study by the United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), more than 6,000 children are born with HIV each year in Thailand.
About 63,000 children under the age of fifteen will be infected with HIV. Another 14,000 lose their mother to the disease annually. 47,000 will die of AIDS by the year 2000.
Every mother, when she dies, leaves behind on average, two children. About one-third of the children that lose their mothers to the disease, are under five years old.
There is approximately a twenty-five to thirty percent possibility that an HIV mother will have a HIV baby, and many mothers who are diagnosed as HIV either abort or abandon their babies.
These figures are just the `tip of the iceberg' concerning the people who are suffering, directly and indirectly, from the virus.
For more information contact
Linda Der Kevorkian c/o:
59/33 Soi Than Ying
Phuangratana Prapai
Sukhumvit 26, Klong Toey
Bangkok, Thailand 10110Tel: (662) 258-5252,
Tel: (661) 841-4838 - mobile.
Email: norgiank@inet.co.th
Website: www.bangkokbabieshome.com
BAAN NOR GIANK UPDATE
Linda and Bob Kevorkian recently decided to have a gala dinner honoring the first anniversary of Baan Nor Giank. Within four or five hours of announcing they were going to hold this event at the Sheraton Grande Ballroom their friends bought tickets for twenty-eight of the available thirty-five tables. They had a fantastic response for prizes and the top gifts given away ranged from 30 to 40,000 baht each. The table sales were Bt700,000 and the raffle sales raised Bt250,000. As the Sheraton put it on for next to nothing, their net costs were about Bt200,000 so they raised Bt750,000 for the babies' home
