Blanket them With Love -Flood&Cold Relief Thailand

Jacqueline Lee is an InTheField Traveler with GlobalGiving who is visiting our partners’ projects throughout Southeast Asia. Her “Postcard” from the visit in Thailand:

As I was driven around the neighborhood where Foundation For Life responded to the floodings in 2011, Vena explained that they went where they received calls for help. A majority of this happened near the river. The flooding lasted 2-3 weeks in cenral Bangkok and FFL responded to areas that were not receiving supplies and support with volunteers providing emergency survival packs, food, water, blankets, and diapers because parents of young children began to request them. Vena, the project leader, explained: “imagine rubbish and dead dogs floating to your home in stagnant water for weeks.” Not only this but many people were dying from electrocution since many downed power lines and outlets, that were not turned off, were exposed to unknowning people wading through the waters. 

Another Founation For Life staff explained that the waters rose in 30 minutes. When it began to flood, one volunteer from Foundation for Life called for help. The water rose to flood the entire first floor so the large family had to all move upstairs – where they stayed for 2 weeks.  When I arrived with Foundation for Life staff, the mother started crying. The whole event was so traumatizing for her and her family both emotionally and physically because both her and her husband had strokes before the flood. Foundation For Life returns frequently to check on the family. When leaving, we were thanked continuously by the family.

You can still see the lines of where the flood waters rose and stayed. At a workshop I hosted, I saw someone knitting something. This would be one of the hats that would be distributed to children in the north and perhaps In future floods. Volunteers knitting hats and blankets for the oncoming cold season as well as for future disaster.