Baan

Baan Handicrafts is a programme aimed at helping people help themselves, using handicraft production to provide sustainable income for the marginalised of society, as well as individuals and families affected by HIV/AIDS.

Baan Handicrafts keep up with current handicraft fashion to design and produce quality products that can be sold worldwide, as well as products that reflect the local community and Thai traditions.

Baan Handicrafts seek to support families affected by HIV/AIDS, who struggle daily to be financially secure, especially with young children. They particularly focus on empowering women, supporting their needs and the basic human right to education (through handicraft training), and the right to a livelihood (handicraft production).

Through this programme, they are growing in confidence and a positive outlook for themselves and their families. Helping people help themselves gives them a true sense of human dignity.

Gayle's Story

Gayle was born in 1979. She has been HIV positive for about 9 years, but only received treatment for the last 5-6 years. She used to live and work in Bangkok with her husband. While living there, she noticed that she became easily fatigued and had constant headaches. These symptoms intensified, compelling her to see a doctor. Her older sister decided to bring her back to Chiang Mai. Before reaching Chiang Mai she became extremely ill and was hospitalised. The doctors there detected Gayle’s HIV and informed her husband, who then told Gayle of the discovery.

Gayle believes she contracted the disease during a long ago period of drug addiction and using dirty needles. After her diagnosis she remained hospitalised for 3 months, but her health did not improve. She was then transferred to another local Chiang Mai hospital where the doctors tested her spinal fluid and treated her more adequately. She was finally well enough to be released from hospital.

The first two years living in Chiang Mai were a period of isolation for Gayle. The medication cost 1,500 baht per month, which she paid every month for two years. After two years, one of Gayle’s doctors encouraged her to join an HIV support group at the hospital. She joined, and now receives subsidised medication. One of her friends from the group asked her to join another support organization, but she declined. Instead, she went to the subdistrict clinic near her house and asked the doctor there if she could join their HIV support group. During that time, her husband was providing the sole income for their family. After she joined the group she met Robyn, who told her about Baan Handicrafts. Gayle was interested and subsequently was trained in paper mache. She also found paper mache difficult due to some deformities in her hands, and asked if she could be trained in painting. She currently paints small wood-crafted and papier mache products in the Baan Handicrafts ministry, providing additional income for her and her husband as well as the extended family.

Amanda's Story

Amanda was born in 1986. Her parents divorced when she was very young. Amanda’s mother remarried a man with HIV, and they now have one son. Amanda’s mother has had HIV for 14 years and used to work with the CCT AIDS ministry 40km outside of Chiang Mai, but can no longer work. During those year, she never told Amanda she was HIV positive. Amanda observed the changes in her mother’s physical symptoms and drew her own conclusions. She loves her mother very much and only recently were able to talk about the situation, resulting in Amanda accepting that her mother has AIDS. Some of Amanda’s close friends are also aware of her mother’s HIV status, which, gratefully, has not changed the nature of the friendships.

Amanda was one of the members of a student group trained by Baan Handicrafts during their summer break, in order to encourage children of HIV positive parents, to learn a skill in order to assist their parents financially especially for when the parents’ health deteriorates. Amanda was introduced to Baan Handicrafts through staff of the CCT AIDS ministry. They were very concerned about Amanda being so young, fearing that she was susceptible to bad influences, so gaining employment whilst she finished her education proved successful. She now works full-time with Baan Handicrafts and is helping to provide for her whole family.

All names have been changed to protect their identity.

Baan supply the following products:

Christmas Nativities

Jewellery