Finnish maternity packages to Thailand! By Anniina

ANNIINA IS A PHUKET LONG-TERM RESIDENT GIVING US A WEEKLY DOSE OF THAI LIFE. READ FROM HER WEEKLY BLOG WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE LAND OF SMILES.

Few years ago, for the first time in my life, I ended up in taking part in voluntary activities and found my place in FINWA. FINWA - Finnish Women Abroad, is a charity that aims to improve the living conditions of low-income women and children. We promote equality in Thailand and its surrounding areas, regardless of ethnicity or religious background.

We mainly distribute Finnbox for Babies packages, which are an adaptation of the maternity package distributed in Finland. Recently, however, we have focused, for our part, on providing corona relief in Phuket, which is known to have suffer most of the corona side effects, such as unemployment. The number of corona infections in Phuket has been very low but the consequences are all the more severe.

Thailand is still a developing country. Even in normal conditions, we live in the crossfire of immense dichotomy, and I never cease to wonder how rich and poor live here side by side, unbothered. People from other provinces come to work in Phuket in the hopes of a better livelihood, but in reality, the cost of living here is really high so it is difficult to accumulate any savings. There are a lot of families where a family of five has an income of 6,000 baht a month, that is around 170 euros. Now even these minimum incomes have many lost.

However, Phuket is fortunate that long-term residents here feel a great desire to give back. I follow various relief projects with a heart of joy for people’s generosity as well as quick action in the face of a new challenge. One party, in Rawai, inevitably raised a million (!) baht at the onset of difficulties. Top chef prepares hundreds of dishes a day, thousands a week to distribute; use #soulfoodsogood tag to find out more about the project. FINWA also provided a milk powder donation in collaboration with them.

I visited a camp where 86 families live. There has been no work since the lockdown because the construction site is located further north and access to it has not been possible. Now the whole project is standing at least until September. There were a lot of very small babies as well as children in the camp. Another place where FINWA is already familiar with previous donations has more than 200 families. We also delivered maternity boxes to Home of Grace in Bangkok and, through our partner, to refugee camps. Now the most acute situation is already over with the restrictions easing but by no means definitively. Help is needed and will be passed on.

I've seen a lot and it is very difficult to put into words how visits to the above-mentioned places feel. It is not just a matter of giving out the necessary stuff, but also bringing with it even a small glimmer of hope. Genuine caring, really seeing another’s distress, smiling, benevolent, and giving yourself for a moment fully to service is also important. I also find it important to share my own experiences and perhaps a desire to participate arouse in others. You can participate in many different ways according to your own strengths and resources. What is needed is support, which can be monetary or donating items that are no longer needed for oneself.

A picture of a girl who was ecstatic to receive a colouring book is what stuck to my memory from this week. The picture is about hope, the future. With this writing, I want to challenge you to help. If your heart flutters even a little bit after reading this, take action. For more information, visit FINWA's website at www.finwa.org or contact finwa.org@gmail.com. I will be happy to tell you more about our work. You can start a support membership with a group, for example. Doing good is multiplied by doing it together.