British Women's Group Bangkok

Pakkret Babies Home

Pakkred Babies' Home is a public residential establishment where abandoned children are cared for from birth to five years of age.  It was established in 1964 with the objective of providing care for children who, because of special circumstances, have to be far away from their own homes and do not have substitute parents.  These include babies abandoned in hospitals or in public places, children from broken homes, children whose parents are under the care of the Department of Public Welfare or homeless and missing children.

Aims

The aim of the home is to provide nursery care and services to enhance the development of children, so they have an opportunity to grow up with good health and physical development. 

Pakkret Babies Home Volunteer Project

During the seventies, a group of expatriate ladies decided to do something useful with their spare time and together with a charity organization started Pakkred Babies' Home Volunteers Project.

At one time the Home had the minimum number of staff required to look after each room/building, especially in the newborn to one and a half age group.  Often one baby had a bottle to suck on in it's mouth for hours on end supported by only a blanket.  Rarely did these babies feel or see light. 

This is where the volunteers try to make a difference.  Volunteers are usually assigned one child who they then see on a regular basis.  This can be one or more days a week, it depends how much time you have to spare.  When there are more volunteers, more babies receive individual attention and establish a mother/child relationship.

A child who early in their development is brought into contact with a foreign face, foreign food supplements and language, has a better chance in settling down with adoptive parents.  It makes it much easier for a child to be integrated into a family when they have had individual care.  The project is well supported by the Superintendent and the staff of Pakkred Babies' Home.

Pakkret Babies' Home is located at:

78/1 Moo 1,Thivanon Road, Bangtalad, Pakkred, Nontaburi,Thailand

Transportation

The Volunteers have a generous sponsor (INVE) who provides transportation from Sukhumvit (downtown) to Pakkred Babies' Home and back.  At the moment a minibus runs every Tuesday and Thursday (except Bank Holidays).  With a minimum of 4 volunteers the bus can run on other weekdays. It leaves from Krung Thai Bank Head Office parking lot on Sukhumvit Road between Soi 1 and Soi 3 at about 8.10 - 8.15am and returns at approx. 11.30 -11.45am.

You can also visit the Home if you have your own transport, but please make sure that this is at times suitable for the Home.

Who Do I Contact?

If you are interested in becoming a volunteer please contact:

Wilma Ratanaruka or Khun Som in the office
Tel: 023002183 (afternoons)

Khun Som has responsibility for the volunteers. Her desk is in the back office. You will need to fill out an application form on your first visit and will require 3 passport photographs, a copy of your passport and a copy of your visa. 

What happens Next?

Once you become a volunteer, you will need to sign in the Visitors Book at Reception, each time you visit (each person has their own sign-in page).  You then go and collect "your" child" from their respective buildings.  There is a designated area where volunteers sit with their children. 

What you do then is up to you - depending on the age of your child it could just be holding a baby in your arms, feeding them, watching them fall asleep etc.  With the older children it could be playing, reading, going for a walk or sometimes they just want to sit down and need a bit of TLC.  As you attend more often you find out what the children like to do.  It's also a good opportunity to meet new people and the children play together.

Personal Perspective

From a personal perspective, I have been volunteering for over a year now.  My little boy will soon be two years old.  In the short time I have known him, he has grown into a lovely little boy who always has a big smile and loves to sit and play with me when I visit. 

He has a Mother who I have met once and I don't know the reasons why he is still at Pakkred. I just hope that the time I spend with him helps him in the future, if he ever goes back to be with his Mum or if he is ever adopted.  I take regular photographs of him and when I leave Thailand I will leave the album of photographs for him or his new family to look at, as a reminder of when he was growing up. 

Why not go along and see if you like it for yourself.

Remember just a few hours a week could change someone's life forever..

Many BWG ladies do voluntary work in a variety of ways.  Each of us has personal skills which can be utilized by so many organisation to help society.