A place for children
who need a family's
love and care

Twenty-six children. Twenty-six tiny lives. Twenty-six terrible stories of deaths, illness, poverty and families being torn apart. Twenty-six opportunities to do something to rebuild those lives.

This is Home & Life, which set out from the very beginning to be a safe and caring home where children can grow and learn ... where they can feel the security of a family to give them the confidence to study and develop into successful and caring adults.

It was founded at Thai Mueang, between Khao Lak and Phuket, southern Thailand, two years after the tsunami of December 26 2004 when it became apparent that there would remain for years a desperate need to help the children of the tsunami area.

The children who came to call it home arrived for many reasons – but they all had one thing in common: a desperate need.

The tsunami killed some of the children's parents and ruined the economic fabric of the area, causing impossible difficulties for people to continue earning a living and supporting their children.

Other children were the victims of family breakdowns and, in one case, violence. Some have family members who are too poor, too old or too ill to look after them. One lost his father in a road accident.

Today they have the chance of a good future - thanks to the founders' foresight, efforts by its devoted staff, the support of the Tsunami Volunteer Center and
the kindness of two American donors, and a growing number
of Thai and international

I lost my family in the tsunami. I didn't see them again.

My father left us and my mother could not earn enough to feed us all so I came to Home & Life

I lived with my grandmother but she was too old to keep me and I came here

I lived with my parents but my father was killed in a road accident and my mother could not support us

Before the tsunami, my mother earned money for us by selling vegetables in the market but after the tsunami she could not do it and there was no money for us

I don't know where my mother is and my father works on fishing boats and cannot look after me

My uncle saved me in the tsunami but there was nowhere for me to live.

My family is very poor and Home & Life has gave me a chance to be happy and study at school

people and organisations.

But they are far from completely secure as Home & Life struggles to feed, clothe and educate the children: here, unlike Europe or America, the unthinkable does happen and the food runs out sometimes.