EVERY LIFE MATTERS TO US.
RADION Newsletter – 2nd Quarter 2010
July 1st, 2010Click to download!
Drug Awareness Campaign In Khek Noi Village
June 25th, 2010The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) leads the international campaign aimed at raising awareness of the major problem that illicit drugs represent to society and especially to young people. Teenagers and young adults are particularly vulnerable to using illicit drugs. The prevalence of drug use among young people is more than twice as high as that among the general population.
Royal Thai Government observes The International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking (26 June) by convening anti-drugs campaigns and other corresponding activities nationwide.
RADION International has launched an drug awareness campaign as part of its community development project(CDP) in Phetchabun Province. This is home to approximately 14,000 Hmong villagers and is currently the largest concentration of Hmong hill tribesmen in Thailand.
We have also garnered Khek Noi School’s support for this initiative and RADION will be speaking to some 1000 students this afternoon. We also thank the Office Of Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) for their generous support of anti-drug materials for this campaign.
Well Wishes
June 9th, 2010The Board of Directors and Management of RADION International would like to extend our thanks to Mr Bruce Kou Thao who has passionately served alongside our team and represented RADION International in the USA from Aug 2009-May 2010. The team wishes him all the best in his future endeavors.
Henceforth, all correspondences & projects in USA will now be handled directly by our Head Office in Thailand.
Relief Operation – Dengue Outbreak
June 3rd, 2010Khek Noi, the largest concentration of Hmong hill tribesmen in Thailand has been hit with an unexpected rise in dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) cases. Several villagers have already been hospitalised including one RADION field staff and a 12 year old child on the streetkids programme.
DHF is transmitted by the Aedes mosquito and can be life threatening. Fumigation attempts have been made but to little avail.
Phase 1 of our relief operation is ongoing and we aim to provide an interim support of 80-100 mosquito nets for needy families. This is the current estimate but we expect the actual demand to be higher in this community of 14,000 hill tribesmen.
SGD1,000 is required immediately to purchase the necessary reliefs for the first phase of the mission.
An an additional SGD5,000 may be required for the subsequent phases. Please contact minwei@radion-international.org if you wish to support financially.
Latest Updates
June 2nd, 2010Work was already in progress the day before the outreach. Our team kept a tight watch for new developments as calls were made behind-the-scenes, arranging the rendezvous time and location. Downstairs, our vehicle was being prepared, ensuring its readiness for mission as our cautious contact revealed menial information of road conditions and access. Road or jungle trail, we don’t know; we had to be prepared for the worst conditions.
It was going to be our first time visiting the secret settlement of the refugees. The location is kept under tight secrecy. Many have fled the persecution and avoided capture, and now live in fear in tiny communities in jungles, villages, even towns, integrating with the local community.
We rolled into action in the wee hours of the morning, loading reliefs and confirming the access route to the rendezvous point. A final meteorological data check, a quick, silent word of prayer and we were on our way.
At the rendezvous point, a frenzy of calls ensued. On the other end of the line was the leader of the community pockets who were too afraid to come out. Our conversation was interrupted as our contact got alarmed by something he saw and told us, “It’s not safe here, we need to move. I’ll bring you in.” We jumped into our vehicle and followed his motorcycle through villages and dirt roads, coming to a point where our vehicle couldn’t go any further.
Stepping out, we saw only a bamboo shed. There was not a family in sight; there was nothing at all. Something didn’t seem right — could our contact be trusted? We took a few steps ahead and saw a small head pop out from nowhere, observing us intently. 2 more heads popped up in the distance. Slowly, these suspicious ones started to come forward. They were little children. And there was a fearful innocence in their eyes.
We managed to speak to the small pocket of refugees living in the area and they told us that if we had not supported them with rice, they would have had to survive on foraged roots, boiled and eaten as a staple. The children were malnourished and did not attend school for fear they would be found out. The families could not afford basic hygiene items like soap and toothpaste and one of the ladies was in poor health.
Within a prompt couple of hours, we provided medical reliefs, food, as well as hygiene supplies to the small community of 10. Staying any longer would put the family at further risk.
We prayed with them before taking our leave. It was an emotional moment bidding goodbye to the little ones after witnessing their suffering firsthand and seeing the fear in their eyes.
With more community pockets scattered across the region, there are more to lives to reach and touch. But we are unable to do so without your support. To know more about how you can support, email minwei@radion-international.org.
