We regularly organize youth camps for the teenagers in our school program. Not just to give them a good time but also to impact their lives and help them grow. For Thip, a 16-year-old girl from Mukdahan, our latest youth camp had a lasting impact on her life. This is her story.
Thip’s life hasn’t been particularly easy. She grew up with both of her parents being HIV-infected, causing many issues. Infected people in Thailand often face a stigma and are being looked down on. They often struggle to find work as people sometimes consider them dirty and scary. It wasn’t any different for Thip’s parents. And to make things worse: when she was only 7 years old, her parents divorced, and mother left the family to live somewhere else.
Struggling from depression
The fact that mother left Thip and her father behind, had a big impact on Thip. She felt unloved and unwanted and withdrew herself from any type of social activity. When Siam-Care organized activities, she hardly interacted with others and didn’t say much at all. She struggled with depressions and often cried, as she felt like she didn’t have any value. During our latest youth camp, this slowly started to change.
Gained confidence
During the camp, we trained the youngsters to believe in themselves and thought them self-worth. For the first time, Thip was encouraged to speak in front of a group and to express herself. She took some first steps in developing friendships and talking to others. This also led her to get in touch with her mother again. They had some good talks and mother welcomed Thip to come and live with her in Samut Sakhon, a province neighboring Mukdahan.
Move back in with mother
Currently Thip is living with her aunt in Mukdahan province, but has decided she will move in with her mother after finishing high school, in about 2 years. She is hoping to continue her studies there, in the local university. Mother does not make enough to cover expenses related to her studies, but Siam-Care will help with this. Being in touch with her mother again, and seeing and experiencing that her mother loves her, has helped Thip to also accept and love herself more.
Valuable and loved
It is not always easy to understand why parents leave behind their children, but in this case we are simply glad to see Thip and her mother talk to each other again. We are also pleased to see how Thip has gained confidence and more communicative towards others. She sees she is valuable and loved, which hopefully has a lasting impact on her.
