Russ Taufa (SDL) returns

Russ Taufa is Insight Director (Global Insight and Analytics) for SDL based in Saigon, Vietnam.  On his first visit, last year, Russ was so impressed by the work Rejoice was doing in supporting people living with HIV in the remote communities in Chiang Mai Province, he wrote a very complimentary article, Russ Taufa (SDL), which was included in the Rejoice January 2014 Newsletter.

Russ recently made his second visit to Rejoice.  He spent a week with the Rejoice team on their outreach visits.  Russ gives tremendous encouragement to the people living with HIV and the Rejoice staff - he is always welcome.

No!  Cheese from Alkmaar

Frank, Wendy and daughter Anouk have been sponsoring twins Narin (Bank) and Mayuree (Bow) for several years, the twins will be 19 years old next February  Mayuree is studying chemistry at Rajabhat University and Narin is in his final year at high school.  They both live with their HIV+ve mother, their father having deserted the family.

One man's trash is another man's fortune

Connie Low and family together with a group of like minded people make regular donations of clothing, toys, school materials etc. for the the poor people living with HIV in Chiang Mai province.

Tung Kao Puang

World Aids Day falls on 1st. December each year. Schools and government institutions (hospitals, police and army and local municipalities) get together to promote awareness of HIV.  This year, Chiang Dao district held their jamboree at Tung Kao Puang, situated in a village half way between Chiang Dao and Arunotai on the Myanmar border.

Friends of Rejoice Singapore (FRS) visit

Yi Peng or Yee Peng (local name) is part of the festival of lights in Northern Thailand to show respect to Buddha. It's date usually coincides with Loi Krathong which all of Thailand celebrates using floating lights on water. Yi Peng is different in that lights are placed into sky lanterns which float up into the air. 

Meditation Weekend at Wat Umong

Rejoice sponsors meetings for people living with HIV in Chiang Dao district in conjunction with HIV healthcare workers from Chiang Dao Hospital.
This month a gathering of approximately 40 people came from their villages to Chiang Dao hospital.

Wendy's Craftwork

Wendy is a long time supporter of Rejoice and a member of "Friends of Rejoice Singapore", a social network of friends organised by her brother Wight.  Wendy has a special talent for creating beautiful bead-work objects which, with a little help from her friends, she sells to raise money for Rejoice. 

Ploenchit Fair 2014

Saturday, 29th November is the big day for this years Ploenchit Fair.  The British Community in Thailand Foundation for the Needy (BCTFN) will hold its annual blockbuster Fair.  The proceeds from the Fair will be distributed to local charities in Thailand who help the disabled, disadvantaged and needy.  BCTFN has supported Rejoice for many years now.  

Sexual health and HIV awareness

Originally the programme focused on HIV patients who are receiving ARV medicine from Chiang Dao Hospital.  These meetings, which are held at Chiang Dao hospital bring patients together in one place.  The patients from diverse ethnicities and languages have an opportunity to meet, for the first time, other patients receiving similar HIV therapy. 

Time to Rejoice

A couple of months ago, Ian Bushell, a committee member for the British Community in Thailand Foundation for the Needy (BCTFN) asked Rejoice if we had any suitable article we could put forward for possible publication in the British Chamber of Commerce Thailand (BCCT) magazine “The Link”.   As luck would have it Dr. Martin Huddart, a trustee of Rejoice Foundation UK, had just written a brief report covering his recent annual visit to Chiang Mai  which was accepted for publication in "The Link" (page 56).

Little Boy Lost?

Dao was born in Shan State, Myanmar in 2003.  The family moved to Thailand a few years later to escape the hardship of living in a civil war zone in Myanmar.  They moved to a small village near Chiang Dao where Dao’s grandmother and other relatives lived.  Dao’s father worked in the fields and orchards nearby. 

Wi takes part in Poy Sang Long celebration

Every year at the end of March and the beginning of April the Poy Sang Long Ceremony takes place in many Shan temples throughout northern Thailand. It is the Shan Buddhist rite of passage ceremony celebrated by the Shan people, undertaken by boys usually between the age of 7 and 14 years of age.