Hill Tribes

About 50% of the girls in R-Nhu’s childrens’ homes in Thailand come from the Hill Tribe villages in Northern Thailand. The villages have essentially a separate race – different ethnicity, language, and culture. I have been able to travel to a few different villages during my time here to help with some of the child interviews we do.

The villages provide such a contrast to life in the city here in Chiang Mai. Living in the second biggest city in Thailand, life often feels relatively comfortable. The city has markets, convenience stores, highways, and even luxuries if you are willing to pay. It is not America, but their economy is growing and doing alright. The hill tribes do not fall under that same description. Drive an hour or two outside the city, you begin to see what life is like for many people in this country. Grass huts with one-room homes, dirt roads, struggling to make a living and provide for your family.

These people are warm and welcoming, but many of them don’t speak Thai. The government doesn’t consider them Thai citizens even if they were born in the country and lived here their entire lives. The poverty is higher, the needs are greater, and it is easy to understand why these girls are at risk. People take advantage of the fact that they aren’t Thai citizens, that their family is barely making it. If anything goes wrong – a family illness or disability, a bad crop season or a big storm etc… it could be devastating.

 

After experiencing this firsthand, it reminds me exactly why I am here, why R-Nhu is here, and the importance of this cause. These children are precious, and when they are given a second chance, when their circumstances are altered, life will never be the same.  It is so easy to forget what is just under the surface, how fragile the balance is as they decide to come here. Grateful always for the reminder of how God has a plan for each of us. Jeremiah 29:11.