So in Nong Khai there is a detention center for Laotian Hmong refugees who supported the U.S. during the Vietnam War. There's about every age group in this camp - older people, babies, teenages, college students, parents....all these different families. They have been there for over two years, some a shorter amount of time than others. They are only allowed outside two hours a day and for the other 22 hours they are inside their cells, whether it's watching TV, learning english, or just sitting around. Some told us that when they have two hours outside, some don't even come outside at all. Others told me that people try to kill themeselves in there.
I don't even know how to describe my feelings when I went to visit this place.
Before we headed over there we went to Tesco Lotus (kind of like a costco-walmart of Thailand) and bought towels, underwear, toys, noodles, and tons of fruit to bring over (they really need it at the camp). When we got there, some of the people spotted us, they motioned to others inside and all of a sudden all these little kids came running out, starring at us with their hungry eyes. There were so many kids, probably at least 50 of them. They had no shoes and dirty clothes, either too big or too small, but they did look so happy to see us. They spoke no English, but when you smiled at them they just smiled back. When they saw we had tons of fruit all the little kids ran into a line, it was kind of cute. All the parents stood around and they looked so happy to see it. Everytime we gave them fruit they did a a wai ("why"; you do it when you say thank you) and went away.
Before we headed over there we went to Tesco Lotus (kind of like a costco-walmart of Thailand) and bought towels, underwear, toys, noodles, and tons of fruit to bring over (they really need it at the camp). When we got there, some of the people spotted us, they motioned to others inside and all of a sudden all these little kids came running out, starring at us with their hungry eyes. There were so many kids, probably at least 50 of them. They had no shoes and dirty clothes, either too big or too small, but they did look so happy to see us. They spoke no English, but when you smiled at them they just smiled back. When they saw we had tons of fruit all the little kids ran into a line, it was kind of cute. All the parents stood around and they looked so happy to see it. Everytime we gave them fruit they did a a wai ("why"; you do it when you say thank you) and went away.
All the little kids looked so happy and their parents looked so grateful. As sad as it was to come here and see it, it made me feel good inside.
I also started talking three boys around my age (he was 20) and he was telling me his story. He told me they went to Bangkok to go to college but the Thai police caught them and now they were stuck in this refugee camp for who knows how long. I couldn't believe it: how can you be so free, go to school, and then all of a sudden be stuck in a refugee camp, only alotted two hours of your day outside, and then inside with nothing to do? Another thing that hit me hard was that he was one of the only Thai's with the best English I ever did hear. I couldn't believe it. He told me that they teach them English inside, and hoping that one day they can leave and live in America or Australia. I hope so.
It was so interesting and sad to hear all of the people's stories and how they ended up there. Some people tried to escape, but got caught. One little girl was still in the camp while her mom escaped outside and left her there. A women came up to us and started crying and saying how thankful she was for us coming. That's when I couldn't take it anymore -- I broke down and started to cry. Just thinking about that right now I'm tearing up.
It was so sad. How can I live my life now knowing that this camp is out there? Knowing that there are camps probably EVERYWHERE around the world and probably places even worse than this? I feel so guilty now spending money on myself when I can use it to help these people. I just feel so stupid and oblvious to these things like this now, I feel like such an idiot for ignoring it. Going here defintely changed my perspective on a lot of things -- there's so much I want to do now to help the world and places like this.
As sad and upsetting as it was to go here, I loved going here. I loved playing with all the kids and seeing their bright and happy faces. We gave them piggy back rides, and oh, we gave each of them colored pencils and books, so we were showing them how to draw things. Some of the little girls were better than I was haha. All the kids were so cute. It's so sad to see -- these little kids have grown up and were born in there: they have no idea what the real world is like.
I'm not sure how to end this blog -- there's so much more I want to say. I just know I want to make a difference in this world now and help these people that are probably everywhere. Going to this refugee camp made me realize a lot of things, and I will not take my life and everything I have for granted anymore.
Some pictures:
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