Travel Tales

Spread the Word

"If you are wondering where the Red Cross, donations, or other aid organizations are, they are not here," said one of the HiPhiPhi volunteers currently taking a leadership roll.
They are not here.
Those millions of dollars we donated?
Not here.
Boats came from Krabi and Phuket on the 27th of December to take the people off the island. Trash was left piled on the road.
In broken ENglish, I think I understand that an organization from Australia and Miami came for about a week to look for more bodies.About a month later (again, broken English-not sure of exact info), the government dropped off a couple f bulldozers and a barge to get rid of some trash.What has been done, which is A LOT, has been all volunteer, and by hand.
Yesterday, we worked on Chilli House Bar, a 4 month old place owned by a Thai-Aussie couple. The Aussie had a friend and his wife visiting during the tsunami. The owners lost their four year old girl, the friend lost his wife. As we scrape and clean, to get it ready at least somewhat ready for paint and the return of the couple in a week's time, we are instructed not to touch the back wall. Bud, the director of this project, is not sure what will happen with this wall, but for now it is a dedicated shrine to the yound girl, with a little shelf full of candles and a picture of the child.

Bud introduced me to Lek, a woman who, like everyone on the island, has her own story. I have been reluctant to ask for these stories. But she takes Jamie and I to her room, where she was asleep when the tsunami hit. She woke up underwater. SHe tells us what happened that day very matter-of-factly. She hurt her leg very badly. I can't tell by looking if she had stitches, or what happened for healing, but her leg is very infected. 6 months later, and she may have to have it amputated. Her guesthouse was condemned by the government, and although these are the people the HiPhiPHi is designed to help, their hands are tied. If they help, they anger the government. SO they spread the story instead, and other volunteer tourists do what they can. Jamie and I sat with her for while, and when I handed her 6,000 baht (roughly 150 US, thanks to your donations), her initial response was "ahh...too much!"But I insisted, and she wai'd me (like a bow).

As I sit here, itching mosquito bites, listening to the motors of longboats, and some horrible music playing in the cafe, I want to break down and cry. Please spread the word- our money never came here. Please check out http://www.hiphiphi.com/. Read it all. look at the photo journals. Look at what the children have accomplished, how the people are bouncing back. Read about the Thai government's plan. ANd most of all, DONATE. Every dollar counts. And our dollars translate to much much more in Thailand than at home. They are doing good things here. Even if the government's plan to build high end resorts here go through, the money we send now helps all of the locals rebuild their lives. Everybody here lost many people. So many, that they can list them very matter-of-factly. Spread the word, please!-Rebecca

posted by Rebecca @ 7:12 PM