Tears Of Indra

NEWS DECEMBER 2011 

31 December 2011

Today, “Tears of Indra”, closes down after three months of activities. We think the flooding of 2011 is still fresh in everybody’s memory. It has been a harsh time for all the flooded people in Thailand; one more affected by the muddy waters than the other. The final balance is in fact simply terrible.

Tambon Khayai, our village, lost 10 people in the period of the floods, mainly due to electrocution or drowning. We do not have to look very far out of our window. Our neighbor, three houses far, took his life as he could not cope with the devastation of his house and farm land. He leaves a widow behind without income. 

Another neighbor two houses far, was so worried with his family situation that he became unwell and got paralyzed. Now his spouse is unable to go work out as she has to take care of him. He needs long term treatment, but they cannot afford. And these are just only people in our immediate vicinity… 

Every flooded household in our area counts its physical and psychical scars. The looming specter of a new flood in 2012 plays in everybody’s mind. These are special times and difficult to grasp for the ones who had not to wade through the chest high brownish flood waters or was not a witness of the massive currents which swept away the lives and belongings of many. You have to live it, to understand it.

If you would ask us: are you still the same? We have to say: No. We will never be the same again; nobody here can be the same anymore. We are the carriers of the scar; the scar of natural disaster. 

The realizing that we are so vulnerable and so helpless against such a fierce natural catastrophe is fearful, but at the same time binds us all. We should be prepared at all times and in such situation we can only hold on to each other; we need each other. Rich or poor, believers or non-believers, dreamers and awakened, strong and weak; nobody is spared. We can only get together, throw away the yoke of selfishness and help out each other for the best. To live you have sometimes to accept; to live you have sometimes to give.

Sorrow and pain was not only on the side of the flooded, but also among the donors of “Tears of Indra”. Some of our donors - be it in Bang Bua Thong or Hua Hin - faded away when the waters were still high or when the waters started to recede. At this year-end they are not with us anymore; we do know they crossed into a new world with a lot of good karma. Let us remember them.

In the name of all the flooded people, “Tears of Indra” helped out, we want to thank you again and again for your donation(s), the trust you have placed in us, and/or the kindhearted feelings you shared with all the flooded.

On 24 December we held Operation Singer. The account of that day you can find here. 

The account and pictures of the last activity "Flood Aftercare" can be found here. 

It is not us, but you donors who made this possible. Above are only a few single drops into the bucket of loving kindness, you helped fill.

Ms Lizzy Michael and her group “Wir Helfen Uns” donated again 20,000 Baht to “Tears of Indra” on 27 December 2011. We thank her, all her friends and the friends of friends for all the donations and performances. And a Great performance it was! 

We close down “Tears of Indra” at this year-end with donations remaining. These funds will be transferred to the program “Under Garuda’s Wings”  

The latter is the limited continuation of the program “Tears of Indra” but focused on the humanitarian aid to the very poor, old, sick and disabled in the sub-district Khayai and vicinity. It starts under a lucky star with a first large donation by Brigitte. This program will be exactly executed in the same way as “Tears of Indra” and will cease to operate when the funds are dried up. 

We like transparency of the humanitarian aid activities provided. It is important as we have enjoyed your trust. “Tears of Indra” will make a detailed final balance available for all its financial donors next month, including a copy of the bank account and its deposits for the period the program ran. 

This is the final communication of “Tears of Indra”.

 Thank you all for helping out

23 December 2011

On Saturday 17 December we organized “Restore Life II” for the hamlets 4 and 5 of Pho Sam Ton sub-district in Bang Pahan. It was held in a kind of copy of an historic fortress with before a beautiful garden, but now completely destroyed by the flood. Many people were present. They received a lunch prepared by the villagers of Tambon Khayai. Close to one hundred people of Pho Sam Ton received an elementary kit, containing basic goods such as blankets, towels, clothing etc after the lunch. It was an excellent meeting with the people of Tambon Pho Sam Ton and everybody was asking for the Nang Fa with the white hair. Wonder who that was?

Flood Aftercare is at the moment running and we visited on 14 December most of the sick and disabled of Tambon Khayai. Tears of Indra donated clothing, mattresses, rice, nutrition powder, diapers and other items the disabled requested. On 17 December we visited about 40 flood victims and donated water glasses in a gift box and sweets. On 19 December Pia continued her visit to the poor and disabled.

The rest of the days we were busy with looking into the issue of the sewing machines. We went to visit the factory of Singer in Sena. They had no showroom and indicated us a shop close to the supermarket Tesco. We went visiting that shop, but there was hardly to find any sewing machine. We had to order the machines and the delivery time was long. So we looked into another solution. Today Pia found a shop in Rojana area with a large choice of machines. As we fixed the approximate price per machine already, a good alternative for the Singer was quickly found. The machines just arrived this evening and will be picked up by the villagers tomorrow at 08.30 Hr. 

After battling an e-money transfer for more than 2 months the donation of the Belgian “Chookdee Magazine” finally arrived well. Thank you very much Koen Van de Sande, Chookdee Magazine and readers.

With the exchange of New Year wishes we found finally out who the anonymous donor from begin November was. The bank was until this moment not able to give us a list of the people who donated to our account - very archaic here in Thailand we must say. Much thanks to Patrick & Sylvie Degallier from Switzerland for their kindness.

Our final thanks go again to Nang Fa Lizzy Michael and her group of Hua Hin “Wir Helfen Uns” who donated since 24 November 96,000 Baht again bringing the total of donations for Lizzy’s group at 860,000 Baht. In this donation is a special amount dedicated for the sewing machine program, which is largely sponsored by Ms Christine Peter.

We and Tambon Khayai thank everybody who helped out Tears of Indra, be it in goods or supplies, donations or both; be it with the heart for the ones who loved to help but due to circumstances could not. We could only help out because there were people like you; we were only the instrument to bring your help in the place where it was needed. We functioned as a team. 

Wish you all a merry Christmas.

The activities from 1 to 9 December you can find here. The activities were mainly focused on the preparation of Restore Life I. Pia took also time during these days to visit and list all disabled and elderly people of Tambon Khayai, accompanied by the village doctor. Next to helping out in Tambon Khayai, also help was given in adjacent Tambon Suan Phrik and in still flooded Ban Mi in Lopburi Province.

Today we can look back at a weekend in which the Group of Tears of Indra donated 300 individual sets to the poorest of Tambon Khayai, people chosen by the village headmen of the six hamlets. The activity was spread over two days to have it properly organized.

We thank all donors of “Tears of Indra” and especially the people of Lizzy’s Hua Hin group “Wir Helfen Uns”, who mainly sponsored this large event; as also the staff of the Embassy of Belgium who donated the larger part of the blankets, which were part of the individual sets. 

We thank all those, who supported us with their presence in the weekend and gave literally a powerful hand, with this rather - I would say - “bulky” activity. All visitors at Restore Life I, were immortalized on digital celluloid.

We thank the head monk Ajarn Rooay and all the monks of Wat Ton Satu for hosting the activity of Tears of Indra. The temple helped in preparing the vihara for the event; setting up the tables and chairs, the sound installation and many other things.

Pictures of the activity Restore Life can be found here.

Our next activity will be Restore Life II on Saturday morning 17 December were another 100 individual sets will be donated to the people of Tambon Pho Sam Ton at Wat Moang. We went today to the temple to check the accommodation for the event and to the Makro to buy some of the items. 

This morning Pia, accompanied by the village doctor, continued her visits to the disabled in Tambon Khayai. In the afternoon we went donating supplies in the area of the elephant kraal. At the kraal we were informed of the birth of a baby elephant called Saen Laan (one hunderd thousand million) on Saturday. Saen Laan and mother “Nam Phung” are doing fine. We also bought special supplies for elderly and disabled in Bang Pahan on advice of the village doctor. 

Again we have to thank all who helped out.

Pictures from the activity “Back To School” of 30 November 2011 can be found here. 

In every hamlet of Tambon Khayai we have people working with a sewing machine, making and repairing clothes mainly for the hamlet itself. These sewing machines were either destroyed or damaged by the flood waters. “Tears of Indra” looks into the issue to replace the machines beyond repair by Singer 15 NL machines, and to repair the machines which still can be repaired. The total cost of this activity is estimated at 36,000 Baht. The cost of a new Singer 15 NL machine is estimated at 6,000 Baht.

At the moment we are in coordination with the sub-district doctor busy to list all sick children (including hospitalized) and disabled persons. Pia visited together with the doctor, already a number of disabled people in Khayai. Tomorrow she continues her tour through the village. We post some of the pictures on the website, but with restricted access (only access via link). Pictures can be found here under. The activity “Flood Aftercare” will look into the help for these people, next to supporting the villagers of Tambon Khayai and vicinity still in need after the flooding.

Flood Aftercare will close down on 31 December 2011. We want to wipe 2011’s slate and take a new start, hoping this year’s history does not repeat itself. We will continue providing help to the poor and disabled villagers of Tambon Khayai and vicinity under a new program. 

On 31 December the balance of ‘Tears of Indra” will be closed, a copy send to all donors, and the remaining funds transferred to the new program, which is in essence the continuity of Flood Aftercare in 2012 but more focused to the very poor, the sick and disabled. The latter will be listed and we will provide all the people on the list on monthly basis some small funds, rice, milk, clothing, etc. This activity we will continue until all funds are exhausted.

We thank all donors for their help and trust.