The Twinning of SPACE with an Orphanage in Thailand

Although the SPACE Centre is for people in Preston and North West England, we know that people throughout the world face similar difficulties.  We are developing a twinning arrangement with 1Step2Step, a charity based in Lancaster, UK, that works with the children of an orphanage in Bangkok, Thailand.

1Step2Step works with the children on Rachaprut ward at Bann Feung Farr Orphanage in Thailand.  The children are all disabled, many have families who cannot care for them at home and most have varied degrees of cerebral palsy.

Many of these children could be given greater opportunity to improve in ability if the orphanage had more man power to help the children as we have in the U.K.  They would benefit from the opportunities afforded to those in the West, but there are insufficient people to work with them and help them realise their potential.  As with many people with physical disabilities, it is often forgotten that inside is a person who feels, thinks and loves, but who is often ignored because they struggle to interact in the same way as those who are able-bodied.  The feeling, thinking and loving person within is obscured by the outward appearance

Sadly many of the children at the orphanage of go into emotional shut-down just to get through the trauma of being abandoned and the shock of the institutionalised care often being so different to the home life they may have known before.  1Step2Step wish to connect with these children emotionally and works with them to help them reach their full physical and mental potential.  This could be through directed play, which teaches them new skills like feeding or by simply laughing with them.  It is well known that children learn through play, and 1Step2Step aims to give the children that time for individual attention.

The few children involved in the project have already improved with this input and 1Step2Step are really pleased with their progress.  The orphanage are also developing new ideas and seeking to improve the care and opportunities for all the children in their care.

For further information see their website http://www.1step2step.org/