Each of our children has a unique story of his or her own. Their personalities are varied and energetic but every single one of them carries some form of trauma and loss. Yet, the dream remains for the kids and teenagers in our care that they can become happy and healthy adults. The paths to independent adulthood are as varied as the children themselves. And some truly struggle to get there, the damage inflicted by abuse, abandonment, mental health issues, or disability of some sort can prove to be too much of a hurdle to overcome.
Two young women achieved their own form of independence this year, by very different routes. They lived together at one point, at Our Lady of Refuge house in Viengkhuk, and graduated junior high school a year apart. Praew arrived at Sarnelli House when she was four years old. Upon arrival, she had to be isolated as she had been exposed to TB. Praew was a very shy girl, with a gorgeous smile. She adored Fr. Mike and loved to play sports and help in the kitchen. She was not academic and struggled throughout her years at school, but Praew had an inherent kindness and as she grew up, was gentle to the younger kids. Her cohort of housemates included some sharp-tongued madams but Praew always rose above any barbs and remains a loyal friend to everyone.
Nuna arrived to Sarnelli House when she was 11 years old. Her parents had separated and with her father disappeared, she was living with her mother who had mental health issues, making her home unsafe. Nuna was excelling at school and the local teachers were worried she would not be able to continue her education, at their rundown rural school. The local Welfare department contacted Sarnelli House and Kate and the Outreach team travelled three hours to meet Nuna and her mother. The house was ramshackle, with three walls and parts of a roof, but Nuna emerged immaculate in her school uniform, with a big smile on her face. Kate asked her what she would like to do, and all she said was “to study”. Nuna returned with the Outreach team and settled in very quickly. She was lively and chatty and made friends easily. She excelled at the junior high school, getting the maximum score in every subject. She won many badminton tournaments, spoke confidently with guests and pretty much dazzled everyone whose path she crossed.
As a shy, slightly awkward teen, with no great success in education, Praew was not sure what to do with her life. She decided to apply to a local hospitality school to learn cooking there, with a view to possibly working in the hotel sector. She completed her 11-month course and was beaming with pride that Fr. Mike attended her graduation. Praew didn’t have the confidence to go on an internship to Bangkok or Pattaya and instead asked if she could work in the kitchen at the guesthouse for volunteers and visitors at Sarnelli House. She spent a year or two working there, doing a fine job (her home-made pizzas were a big hit!) but never really settled. Praew had a good relationship with a house mother at Jan & Oscar and transferred to work in the kitchen there, cooking for the little girls. When she wasn’t in the kitchen, it was expected that she help to take care of the kids, and Praew struggled with their naughtiness. She much preferred to help at the nursery next door, but there wasn’t always time. Praew is a kind and gentle young woman, but she found it hard to manage with almost 20 little girls every day. She next moved to work at the kitchen at Sarnelli House for boys and this went well for her. Praew is diligent and doesn’t like being bored, so whenever she had free time or days off, she went out to the farm to work with Miss Peh. She found that she enjoyed the open air and working with fruit and vegetables.
Fr. Mike lives on a small parcel of land on 12 rai about 10 minutes from the Sarnelli House offices. His is a two-storey house, and he has always had someone there to keep it clean, do the laundry etc. Earlier this year, the young woman tasked with taking care of Fr. Mike’s home left with her husband. A replacement was needed and Fr. Mike only wanted one person – Praew. She was thrilled with the new role and spends her mornings watering the garden, cleaning the house, changing sheets, sweeping and mopping, and doing his laundry. She then spends her afternoons working on the farm with Miss Peh, popping by the 12 rai to check everything is ok, before heading home to her dog and her cat.
All this time as an employee of Sarnelli House, Praew was saving money and had enough stowed away to build herself a small house of her own. It is on land owned by Sarnelli and it was completed just over a year ago. Praew is very proud of her home and looks after it very well. She has a motorcycle of her own, and is slowly paying off her bank loan for both home and bike. Praew is now 26 years old and has two jobs, a home, a motorbike, and most importantly, a place in life. She belongs to a good team and is valued and reliable. It is a wonderful outcome for a fantastic young woman.
Nuna knew exactly what she wanted to do when she finished junior high school. She wanted to continue in high school for another three years and then continue onto university. She did this with great ease, finishing top of her class each term. Education came easy to Nuna, and she had a sense of quiet confidence in her own ability. Upon completing grade 12, Nuna initially considered medicine but she had developed an interest in the environment and so, applied for a place in the Department of Environmental Science at Khon Kaen university. She was accepted in the first round and began her studies there in June 2021. During her visits back to Sarnelli House, she, too, spent a lot of time working out on the farm with Miss Peh. In fact, she became a very useful sounding board for the management of the farm, sharing some of what she was learning with Peh. Nuna loved university and made many good friends there. She has a warn and energetic personality, with a fine sense of humour and a wide curiosity. She graduated with her degree earlier this year and got the first job she applied for, with a Japanese company in Chachangsao. Nuna loves her job, which involves research, maintaining records and some field trips as well. She returned to Khon Kaen last week to receive her certificate and was exceptionally proud. She will travel up to Nong Khai in a few weeks’ time to visit Fr. Mike, Miss Peh and the staff, and who knows, she might do some work on the farm as well! She has a decent salary for a new graduate and can now make plans for her future. It will be exciting to see where she goes from here.
These two women have faced different challenges in their lives. They are both still young but have found their place in life, at least for now. The road to such an outcome can be fraught but both of them have overcome very difficult starts to their lives to reach their potential. Sarnelli House, donors and sponsors have helped of course, but the credit almost entirely goes to Praew and Nuna for their resilience, hard work, and spirit. We could not be prouder.
