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Graduation at Utor Ruah

It’s the start of the graduation season, with the end of term 2 and the Thai school year upon us.

2 young men living at Jan and Oscar House and 1 young woman from Nazareth House have graduated from M6 or Grade 12 at the Utor Ruah College in Nongkhai. They received their certificates at a ceremony last week. With his studies over Hiew, one of the young men has decided to go back home. He came to Sarnelli House in 2010 when he was 15 years old, after being referred by the medical team at Srinagarind Hospital in Khon Kaen as he was recalcitrant in taking his medications and had developed multiresistant tuberculosis, which is bad in anyone’s book, and which would surely have killed him. Sarnelli House was the doctor’s last resort. So Hiew came and was isolated from the other children for about 1 month, he was supervised with his medications and took handfuls of pills as well as injections for 3 months. He eventually returned to the same school as the Sarnelli House children attend, and then graduated to Uton Ruah school in Nongkhai to study to become a mechanic in repairing motorbikes. His health improved although he remains small for his age, but he charmed everyone with his humour and his positive outlook and loved living at Jan and Oscar House. Now he is returning to his mother and relatives to live and work, with a going away present of the tools that he will need for his trade. Sarnelli House will still support him with transport to get to the hospital every 3 months to pick up his medications and be seen by the doctor. He will be missed by a few of the girls whose hearts have been broken!


The young lady and the young man who graduated with Hiew are going on to further University studies supported by Sarnelli House. Well done to all three!