The Forgotten Wave Orphans

History

In late 2005, we were informed of a group of children living in the Isan region located in the Northeast of Thailand.  Because of the dire economic situation in this province, it is a common occurrence for parents to leave their children in the care of grandparents or other extended family members in order to find work and income in  different regions of the country.  Many parents move to the Phang Nga region because of the greater opportunities that exist in this tourist-dependent province.

Local construction companies commonly employ workers from the Isan to help build hotels and resorts.  Sadly many of the workers who came from the Isan died in the tsunami, but because their children do not live in the affected region, the surviving family members did not receive the financial assistance offered to children in the Phang Nga provincial area.

Current Situation

We visited the area in early December and assessed over 80 individual children's cases.  Many of the families are now struggling to not only support their immediate members, but now have the financial burden to support the children around them who sadly lost one or both of their parents to the tsunami.  Aid organizations have visited the area and made small donations; however these have generally been small one off payments and are not enough to help with the long term financial hardships they face.  Most families received government compensation for their deceased relatives; however this money was generally used for funeral costs.

These orphans have become part of a group known as the “Forgotten Wave Orphans”.  The sponsorship of these children is especially important, as their needs have been largely neglected by the government and other NGOs.  All of the cases we visited are in need and should be on our Support-A-Child program.  Since returning from our initial trip to the Northeast we have become aware of approximately an additional 160 children who need to be assessed in the surrounding Isan provinces; all these cases are Tsunami related.

If you wish to sponsor one of these children please use our Sponsorship Inquiry Form. If you have questions about the program additional information may be found in our Support-A-Child FAQ or you can email the Support-A-Child Program manager at