SDL Bangkok visit Chiang Dao
Five members of SDL Bangkok lead by Winston Wong visited Rejoice to observe first hand the work carried out by Rejoice in a field location.  The group, together with the Rejoice Team and Dr. Martin Huddart made an overnight visit to Chiang Dao where they distributed scholarships to eight of the children sponsored by SDL. They also witnessed an Education and Prevention session at a school in Chiang Dao and a home-care visit to a Lahu hill-tribe village.

A very successful visit only dampened by the very cold weather they experienced. It was one of the coldest daytime temperatures ever recorded in Chiang Mai; Noon temperature 12 degC  this in the tropics in January.  Dr. Martin remarked that the temperature in London (from where he had recently arrived) was 16 degC.

Healthcare Exchange

The Second healthcare Exchange meeting took place on 23rd February 2016 at Pong Ang Hot Spring near Chiang Dao.  Healthcare volunteers from Chiang Dao, Mae Ai and Wiang Haeng got together and discussed the various aspects of their their work.  The major talking point was lack of adherence to treatment amongst many patients because of the nature of their work.  Many work in the seasonal farming and agricultural industries and move location frequently, often between districts resulting in loss of contact with the hospital which is issuing the medicines.  Not only is this difficult for the agricultural workers but also for the healthcare volunteers to know their whereabouts. Also stigma of new co-workers and/or employer finding out their status.

WA AIDS Council staff are keeping Rejoice’s wheels turning!

Rejoice had a great Christmas present in December from the staff of the Western Australia (WA) AIDS Council in the form of a very generous donation which will pay for vital diesel fuel for our outreach truck.

The WA AIDS Council (http://www.waaids.com) is a non-government organisation committed to the HIV response in Western Australia. Established in 1985, the Council leads the Western Australian community in the provision of a wide range of services in the prevention of HIV, sexually transmitted infections and blood borne viruses, and the treatment and care of people living with HIV and AIDS. 

Barbara Lavender

Barbara Lavender has been supporting Rejoice now for many years.  Barbara hails from Boulder, Colorado in USA and is a Human Rights Lawyer specialising in LGBT issues.  Despite suffering from degenerative muscular dystrophy she travels to Thailand every year during the winter months in Colorado.   She always makes a point of visiting Rejoice and making a donation before travelling to Fang where she meets up with Shan community leaders to work with and train a group of Shan students in a multi-media communication project coordinated with students back in Colorado.

Education and Prevention at the Myanmar border

On 15^th December Rejoice made "Education and Prevention" presentations at two schools in Mae Ai.  A total of 158 children attended the meetings.

 1) Baan Pangtonduea School, Mae Ai District on the Myanmar border 

Multi ethnic school;
approx. 60% Tai Yai
approx. 20% Lahu
approx. 10% Thai
approx. 10% other (Lisu, Akha)

Age range between 13-15 years a total of 70 students

Over the past few years Ellen and Sjaak have been escaping the European winters in Maastricht and flying to sunny Chiang Mai for a couple of months. They had previously sponsored a young boy, Sittichai, through the Rejoice Scholarship programme.  This year they asked if it would be possible to travel with the Rejoice Outreach team and visit Sittichai so that they could give him a present for his 9th birthday which fell on 11th January 2016.

UNAIDS Statistics by Country

A major report on the sate of HIV throughout the world has been published by UNAIDS.

World Aids Day 2015

This year, for World Aids Day, the Rejoice Team visited Piang Luang.  Piang Luang is a small border town in Wiang Haeng district with a population of about 17,000.  We travelled three and a half hours to reach the healthcare workers, man and wife Samak, and Mam at their home in Wiang Haeng.  There, the plans for the following day were made which included a few home-care visits and then a visit to Koung Jor Refugee Camp.  Samak and Mam directed us to Chomview Resort on the route to Piang Luang where we spent the night.
The inset photo, above, is a selfie of Arm at sunrise the following morning.

Congratulations Woranut!

Woranut has recently graduated with a Bachelors degree in Civil Engineering from the Science and Technology Department at Chiang Mai Rajabat University.
Woranut’s University education has been sponsored by Carol Foo, a member of ‘Friends of Rejoice Singapore (FRS)’, for the past 3 years via The Rejoice Scholarship Programme.

Steve's Legacy to the Rural Poor

 The 17th October 2015 marked the fifth anniversary of Derek Edward (Steve) Hallam's death.

 Steve's last wish was for Rejoice to continue helping the rural poor of Chiang Mai province in a similar fashion. This has not been so easy without Steve's vast experience. However, with a seriously reduced staff but with the help of volunteers Rejoice endeavours to continue in the same manner as Steve would have liked.

Why is Rejoice different?

Charities often come in for criticism for the excessive proportion of donated funds that go to admin or to senior executives’ salaries or to further fund raising – some of which is conducted with a ruthlessness that has also attracted much adverse comment.

Rejoice is very different and donors can be totally confident that funds which they donate are all used to further the work done on the ground amongst impoverished HIV infected and affected people in northern Thailand.