Siam-Care emerged through a series of alarming reports from the Thai government circa 1990. A drastic increase in HIV

HIV

Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...

/AIDS

AIDS

Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...

 began to flood Thailand

Thailand

Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...

, affecting its children, women, and families en masse. Reasons for the disease’s continued spread have shifted over the years, but those at risk are no longer limited to the poor and uneducated.

Bangkok has long lured desperate migrant workers from Thailand’s northeastern countryside. The lack of work available forces men to leave behind families and the simple, close-knit communities they know and understand. It doesn’t take long for the fast-paced, lonely, and aggressive city life to overwhelm the majority of workers. Life in the overcrowded slum

Slum

A slum, as defined by United Nations agency UN-HABITAT, is a run-down area of a city characterized by substandard housing and squalor and lacking in tenure security. According to the United Nations, the percentage of urban dwellers living in slums decreased from 47 percent to 37 percent in the...

s often leads to dangerous behavior.

Siam-Care exists as a fundamental physical, educational, spiritual, and financial support for underprivileged children

Poverty

Poverty is the lack of a certain amount of material possessions or money. Absolute poverty or destitution is inability to afford basic human needs, which commonly includes clean and fresh water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing and shelter. About 1.7 billion people are estimated to live...

 and families affected by HIV/AIDS. Its role includes empowering these families and communities to care for and take responsibility of one another, rather than relying on outsiders. Siam-Care establishes long-term, committed relationships with its families to effectively better their futures.
It has offices in Bangkok

Bangkok

Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...

, Mukdahan

Mukdahan

Mukdahan capital of Mukdahan province, became Thailand's 73d province in 1982. Located in the northeastern region of the country, on the banks of the river Mekong, it was formerly as district of Nakhon Phanom Province...

, and Phang Nga

Phang Nga

Phang Nga ) is a town in southern Thailand, capital of the Phang Nga Province. The town covers the whole tambon Thai Chang of Mueang Phang Nga district. As of 2005 it has a population of 9,559 and covers an area of 6.75 km²....

, and is currently serving 624 children from 397 families.

MISSION STATEMENT

Taking a biblical approach to caring for and supporting disadvantaged and HIV-affected families, individuals, and communities to improve their quality of life.

CORE VALUES

• Siam-Care is a biblically based Christian organization.

• Siam-Care believes good relationships to be essential and therefore works as a family.

• Siam-Care reaches out to underprivileged families, those living with HIV/AIDS, and people affected by the Tsunami

Tsunami

A tsunami is a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, typically an ocean or a large lake...

 to improve their quality of life.

• Siam-Care values teamwork and continuous education. Everyone is provided with opportunities to use and develop their skills.

VISION STATEMENT

To witness children, families, communities and PLWH

HIV positive people

HIV-positive people are people who have the human immunodeficiency virus HIV, the agent of the currently incurable disease AIDS.Over the years of coping with the stigma and discrimination that accompany the diagnosis in most societies, a large number of support groups have been formed...

live as self-reliant individuals in an accepting, risk-free environment.

TARGET DEMOGRAPHIC

Women, children and families affected by HIV/AIDS and poverty.

WEBSITE: http://www.siamcare.org