Our impact Hands Homes Baan Tharn Namchai Date Founded 8th April 2011 Story of the beginning After the devastating tsunami which happened on the 26th December 2004, many lives were lost and children became orphans. On the 27th December the well-known Duang Prateep Foundation based in Bangkok sent a relief team and volunteers to access where they needed to focus their relief efforts.It soon became apparent that the need was in the area of Takuapa. Initially the Duang Prateep Foundation planned to be involved and help for a 2 years period. There were young boys from Chumphom who were associated with The Duang Prateep foundation also arrived to help where they could. Miss Rotjana Phraesrithong a member and representative of the Duang Prateep Foundation led the recovery and care of the children and families devastated by this natural disaster. Theybegan this by constructing two tents. One in Baan Bang Muang and the other one in Pru-Teaw. The goal to help the people of Takuapa was to implement 5 very important activities which consisted of; Establish a Mother and Childhood Health Care Centre Establish a Mental Rehabilitation Media Center Establish a Batik (colour therapy) Rehabilitation Centre AYouth Group for Mental rehabilitation A Puppet Show for Mental Rehabilitation The puppet show was to travel to 6 Provinces (Phang Nya, Krabi,Trang, Satel, Phuket and Ranong) in Southern Thailand. After 2 years Miss Rotjana Phraesrithong was very close to the 32 children and wanted to continue to care for them and be there for them and she was steadfast in giving loving kindness to the children, by way of love, shelter and food. During this time, it was apparent to Miss Rotjana they needed a more stable safer place to live out of the elements. During this time Miss Rotjana and the Duang Prateep Foundation continued to raise money to look after the children. Miss Rotjana began lobbying the Govenor of PhangNga Province who gave the organization the land in which the orphanage is situated. With money raised Kru Prateep from the Duang Prateep Foundation raised more money to build the first building on the site by putting money into the Thai Stock Market. At that time Mr. Peter Baines; a Forensic Policeman was in Thailand leading and coordinating the identification process after the tsunami. He met Miss Rotjana and the children and when he came back and with the monsoon weather about to begin, he worried about Miss Rotjana and the children who were still living in a tent. At that stage he decided to do some fundraising in Australia. With the stock market money and the money raised in Australia a new building was built and the Hands Across the Water charity began. During this time Miss Rotjana was working very successfully with the local people and the local government and registered the foundation with Department of Social Development and Human Security on 8th April 2011 and the foundation was named Baan Than Namchi. The Foundation was initially founded to help children who were affected by the 2004 Tsunami and who lost their parents. The disaster claimed more than 5000 lives, both Thai and foreign tourists. With the continuation of this close association with the Department of Social Development and Human Security over the ensuing years have sent children to Baan Than Namchai. The children who live here and call Baan Than Namchai their home come from many diverse backgrounds and family situations. Only a small percentage are orphans. Many children come from extreme poverty. Their families cannot feed, clothe or educate their children. Some children have been physically, emotionally and sexually abused and cannot remain in the care of their parents. Others are in the situation where their parents are incarcerated, or children have been abandoned by their parents and have no family to look after them. With these traumas, the children have many needs. Home Directors Mrs Prateep Ungsongtham Hata (who founded the Duang Prateep Foundation) to become the chairperson for Baan Than Namhai and Mr Watana Sittirachot to be the Secretary General and to manage the foundation Number of Children Total of 86 kids How Hands has Helped Hands Across the Water provided the funding to build the first home in 2006 and further extensions of the home in the years that followed. Hands Across the Water provides approximately 95% of the funding to cover the operating costs of the home.