Queridos hermanos:

Seguro que estáis informados de la terrible desgracia que ha desolado al sureste asiático y a este país de Tailandia, en cuyas provincias del sur han fallecido 5.291 personas, tailandeses y extranjeros, muchos de ellos niños. Y de otras 3.716 no se sabe nada, lo que hace suponer que se encuentran sepultadas en el mar. Los heridos son 8.457.

Después de buscar durante algunos días información, con poco éxito, por la falta de organización logística e informativa de las autoridades civiles y de la Iglesia, decidimos ir al lugar del desastre un grupo de personas con siete coches. La iniciativa fue coordinada con la colaboración entre el Camillian Hospital y el San Camilo Hospital. Las 45 personas que formaban la comitiva, compuesta por personal sanitario y religioso camiliano, todos voluntarios, cargamos los coches y la ambulancias con medicinas, instrumental médico, tiendas y otros elementos adecuados. Decidimos ir a la provincia de Phangnga, la más castigada, y concretamente a Ban BangMoung, ta Kao Pa District.

Tras un viaje largo y complicado, establecimos la base en Bang Moung, donde se encontraban 2.000 personas que vivían en tiendas y a las que habían llegado muchas donaciones, por lo que nos dirigimos a otro sitio donde hubiera más penuria. Nos introducimos en la zona rural de Bang Sak Village, a donde acababan de llegar 300 personas que habían huido del “sunami”. Comenzaron a llegar pacientes, especialmente ancianos y niños. Montamos nuestras tiendas junto a las suyas y les atendimos durante tres días.

Casi todas las familias han perdido uno o dos miembros. Escuchamos a todos, familia tras familia, y oímos hechos tristísimos vividos por ellos. A algunos no se les había atendido por ser indígenas o carecer de alguna educación. Nosotros les atendimos física, espiritual y psicológicamente. Organizamos juegos para los niños con el fin de alegrarles en medio de su sufrimiento y sus recuerdos. La iglesia local, poco organizada ante emergencias de este tipo, se nos unió pronto.

Hemos comprobado que la gente sigue asustada y que son pocos los que están dispuestos a volver a sus tierras. Por ahora disponen de alimentos, vestidos, medicinas y agua. Han llegado algunos auxilios. Pero deben volver a sus tierras, donde necesitan urgentemente casas, instrumentos de pesca, barcas y redes. Es decir, deben reconstruirlo todo, familias incluidas.

Nos hemos puesto de acuerdo para, en el caso de que la Conferencia Episcopal de Tailandia nos pida que nos quedemos en esta aldea, desplegar aquí nuestro carisma (la CET me ha convocado a un encuentro el 10 de enero). Hemos visto que hay organizaciones que llegan y se van apresuradamente (solamente traen las ayudas). Nosotros nos quedaremos aquí hasta que los damnificados vuelvan a la normalidad. Queremos instalar una clínica móvil con el instrumental y las medicinas necesarias, así como con personal adecuado y experto en estas emergencias.

Damos dar las gracias a todos los que nos han escrito preocupados por esta trágica situación. Os pido una oración por todas las víctimas.

Fraternamente.
P. Paul Cherdchai Lertjitlekha
Viceprovincial

Dear Confreres

After our initial response to the emergency needs of the Thai people that were devastated by the tidal wave, we now find ourselves helping a smaller group whose village was completely destroyed. They are a marginalized and less educated people, 300 in all, who were forced to flee from the coast to higher ground in Bang Sak. There they live in one-family tents in a small forest, and their living conditions are miserable. The government has given them these tents for shelter and also food, water, clothing and temporary toilets.

This minority people who we intend to help on a long-term basis is called “Morgan”. Prior to the tsunami they lived for a century in a very traditional way in a village on the coast. Most of them are fishermen with very little equipment and small boats. The majority still speaks their local language, but the young people also speak Thai. Modern technology such as TV has influenced their lifestyle, but they have still conserved their traditional ways of living together. Nearly all of them have received no formal education, and some of them have no identity cards. This causes problems when they want to claim their right for financial assistance from the Thai government. Because they don’t know how to claim this right we intend to help them: they are the poorest among the poor devastated by the tsunami.

Our medical term originally departed from Bangkok on the 9^th January at 17:00 in three vans loaded with medicines, medical equipment, and 10 volunteers (1 doctor, 4 nurses, 3 psychologists and a team for entertainment). Bro. Amicale Rebellato and Fr. Ackrapan Nanthavanit accompanied them. This team helped the “Morgan” for a week and then another “shift” arrived about 1 week later.

We are discussing how the “Morgan” can rebuild their houses, get fishing equipment and boats, etc., and we want to co-ordinate our efforts with the government. It is better to give them nets for fishing than to give them only fish. Those who have a house certificate may not have problems rebuilding, but for those who have no identity cards or documents it is a real problem.

We do not know exactly how long it will take to accomplish our program for the “Morgan”. It may take one month, two months or even longer. In any case, we are trying make a difference by being different from other organizations that help and then quickly leave.

If you want to contribute to this program you can send money either to the Bursar General in Rome or directly to us as the Father General has suggested. Thank you in advance for your generosity, and please pray for these people because they are also our brothers and sisters in the Lord.

The Vice-Province account is:
THAI MILITARY BANK PUBLIC COMPANY LIMITED 
PAT PONG BRANCH (BANGKOK THAILAND)
Account No: 170-2-02494-2
Account Name: DONATION FOR M.I. (MISSION)

Fraternally yours
Fr. Paul Cherdchai Lertjitlekha
Vice-provincial of Thailand

Dear Confreres

We have begun the second phase of our response to the tsunami that affected Thailand. As such we are implementing a long-term project (the emergency needs of the people have been largely met). Our 15-person mobile medical team is still serving the “Morgan” , which we foresee will last until the end of February. A smaller team will then takeover.

As you know we are concentrating in the short and the long term on helping a local, traditional group called the “Morgan”. The Thai Vice-Provincial Council decided that the project would be carried out at the level of the Vice Province, and it assigned Fr. Dominic Arkapan Nunthavanit as the one responsible for the medical team. He will live in the camp with the medical team while Fr. Rocco Pairat Sriparsert and I will organize the medical teams and then stay in the camp for about 5 or 6 days at a time.

In the village of the Morgan there are 178 families (650 people of which 170 are children). We started to collect data systematically from the beginning because all their documents were lost. The disaster killed 64 people, 15 of whom were children; 135 houses were completely destroyed; 43 houses can be repaired; fishing equipment and all the boats were lost. 

In the camp someone continues to donate essential things for living (rice, food, and clothing). We have the responsibility of organizing and managing these donations. On the 18^th of January the people moved to the temporary houses made by the Thai army where they will wait for more permanent housing. Thus their living conditions are a little bit better: than before when they lived in tents on a hill. Now they are grouped together in a small space in temporary houses next to their original houses, which were completely destroyed because they were on the coast. 

To recap our efforts, as members of the Camillian Task Force Bro. Gianni Dalla Rizza, Fr. Sante Tocchetto, Fr. Renato Altrezzi, Bro. Chaisak and I visited the Morgan on January 15^th and 16^th Our goal was to see how we might help their families concretely, particularly the children, through providing scholarships, fishing equipment, boats etc. Bro. Gianni seems to be very enthusiastic about helping the children: he is already thinking about scholarships for 177 of them over the next 7-10 years. On January 16^th Fr. Rocco Pairat, Fr. Giacomo Virot, Fr. John Baptist Ratchanai and I went with another medical team and stayed for one week. Fr. Contarin arrived with his characteristic enthusiasm, and we began to prepare the long-team project that involves houses, boats and fishing equipment. 

We are collaborating with the local church and the local governmental authorities. The German-Thai person, Willy, has already promised to help the “Morgan” by building 30 permanent houses, starting with those people who have a house certificate. A German association named Malteser wants to build 20 permanent houses and the French association “Enfant”, in collaboration with the Surat Thani Diocese, promised to give each family 50,000 baht for house building. Missio Austria is interested in collaborating as well. They may contribute 40 or 50 houses.

The permanent house is about 6x8 square meters and is a one-level structure.  The cost of the house will be about 130,000-150,000 Thai baht, equivalent to 3,000 euro (1 euro = 51 thai baht).We are also preparing a project to give scholarships to the 177 children in the village. Another project is the purchase of fishing equipment.

Please pray for the victims affected by the tsunami all around Southeast Asia, especially the children. 

Dear confreres,  as Camillians we are trying our best to help these people because it is our charism to work with the sick and help the poor.

20^th January 2005

Fraternally yours
Fr. Paul Cherdchai Lertjitlekha
Vice-Provincial

Camillian Task Force Secretariat
3533 N. 84th Street ~ Milwaukee, WI  53222 ~ Phone: 414-464-8030 ~ secretariat@ctfmercy.org 

the Camillian Task Force is a non-profit organization.