A Sanuk visit

How’s your new condo construction coming on?

Whatever the rate of progress, it is being built by workers from Thailand and neigbouring countries to whom the phrase “minimum wage” is an unknown. At the end of a long day working on your condo, they return to a construction camp where their accommodation is an airless, windowless tin shack, something less than ten square metres in size, where they live with their children; such as the four kids shown above in the tiny space they share with their parents.

And this was in one of the better camps. The one I visited yesterday, had a modicum of facilities, with rooms arranged in blocks and shops for the workers.

But the accommodation area is pretty gloomy.

Given the basic and muddy conditions, the children around the camp are remarkably clean and well looked after:

But the reality is that most of them are left to tend for themselves, stuck in their tiny tin boxes, while their parents are out working on the construction site. This little guy showed me where he has to spend his day alone, with nothing for company except a fizzing television:

Except, he doesn’t, because he is one of the lucky ones who is taken out of the camp every day to spend time at the Sanuk Day Care Centre run by the Melissa Cosgrove Children’s Foundation.

The children who go to the Sanuk Centre have a place to play….

…they are fed….

… the older children then have lessons…

…and the youngsters have some entertainment before taking an afternoon nap….

It’s a wonderful facility, and I felt privileged to take some photos for people who give up so much time and make such an effort for those less fortunate than themselves.

Whether or not you are having a condo built, the Melissa Cosgrove Children’s Foundation would be grateful for any help you can provide. Contact them here.

Comments 🔗

2012-12-01 | Craig says

Awesome post - nice work.

2012-12-01 | tracy says

Thankyou so much for this . We love helping the kids but we need support so more children can come to our house also

2012-12-01 | Robin Parmar says

Nice work, man.

2012-12-01 | Bea Grunwell says

Lovely photos thank upu!!!

2012-12-01 | Pete says

An inspiring post, as always. Photos are sort of OK as well ….

2012-12-02 | Grant says

…were there photos? My contact lenses misted over for a moment there… Spike I can only quote your own words to me - “Our lives are so different.”

2012-12-02 | Chang Noi says

So close but worlds apart, while they deserve much better. I think 95% of them are non-Thai (Cambodian, Burmese and some Lao). They are not only working in the construction business but also in factories and the Thai economy depends on this underpaid hard workers. Thanks for showing a bit of life from under the surface.

2012-12-02 | Chang Noi says

…. and I really love photo #5

2012-12-03 | Barry says

Great stuff. But I often wonder about people who cannot afford the time or money to have kids but have them anyway. Someone or some body, like this wonderful organisation, pick up the pieces. Great that they do.

2012-12-06 | BlogDaz says

What a marvellous job Tracy is doing there, absolutely selfless, it’s a shame the condo developers can’t provide better accommodation for their workers. Excellent job by yourself as well, you’re photos show us the stark reality of these conditions, it’s not a nice way to live.