New Life Outreach

With the expected arrival of the container of relief items in Mid Oct, we'll be needing volunteers to distribute these reliefs to the refugees from October onwards.

This would be a unique opportunity as brings you right to the doorstep of refugee camp ! This is where you'll experience first hand what a refugee camp looks like and at the same time, you'll have the opportunity to interact with the Hmong people you're helping !

I'm looking at organising a 4D3N/5D4N fund raising trip to visit both Petchaboon as well as Care Corner Orphanage (see www.CareCornerOrphanage.com) to meet the following objectives :

1 ) Distribute & hand-out reliefs to refugees
2 ) Assist with ongoing efforts (Medical, Dental, Milk Mission etc etc)
3 ) Children's Ministry @ Care Corner (Music, games, skits etc etc)

If you're keen to know more about this trip, please email me at eugenew81@yahoo.com.sg with the subject : "Fund Raising Trip To Petchaboon"

In our last trip to the Hmong refugee camp, we saw many of the children running up to the fence line to greet us (and of course to peep at what we've brought for them !) . Although it was just children's slippers, but they looked through the fence with such anticipation !

It was a heart-warming sight for the entire team, but we also noted that many of the them looked under-nourished.

It was in our conversation with the leaders, that we were informed that there was a fairly large population of mothers who are unable to breast-feed their babies and their young are in need of milk.

In our next trip, we're planning to bring some milk-powder/milo to feed the first group of 500 children. Though, we may only afford a small cup for each child, but I believe that it would make a difference in the children who are on the receiving end.

It may be a donation of just a few dollars, but it means milk for a hungry child..... Please, if you are able to donate and assist, please write to eugenew81@yahoo.com.sg

Some of our donors have asked for more details pertaining to the refugee population as well as their current needs.

In our last trip, managed to do just that !
So... here are the details.....

Population :
7715 Refugees
2475 Of them are children

Remaining Requirements :
Blankets - 1438
Mosquito Nets - 1438
Milk - 862
Children's Underwear - 2475

We've just returned from a tiring but fruitful and heart warming trip to Petchaboon last weekend.

With Care Corner Orphanage Foundation(CCOF) Chiang Mai taking the lead for this humanitarian outreach, 14 children from the orphanage volunteered to take the arduous 7 hour journey with us with one simple hope - the hope of bringing cheer to the less fortunate children behind the barb-wired fence in Petchaboon.

In this trip CCOF sponsored 800 pairs of children slippers as some of the children in the refugee camp were walking around bare-footed and subjected to cuts on their small feet. These are some pictures of our outreach.

Dear Readers & Friends,

Thank you for all your kind support and generous contribution. To date we have collected SGD $5626 with an additional $18,000 to be raised to buy sufficient blankets. Please continue to help raise awareness by sharing this blog with others with the hope that more people will step forward to support.

As I will be heading straight to Petchaboon refugee camp for 3 days after flight tomorrow, I will provide another update as soon as I get back to Chiang Mai ! :)

Extracts from a email from Laiu Nai Fwei dated 20 Aug 07:

"....Please let the Hmong people know that when their video clip is shown in each person's computer, people teared with them, felt a heavy heart with them....

You should hear these stories from me...

A brother who was badly indebted 2 years back withdrawn $1000 from his personal savings and donated it to the refugees. He understood how precious God's grace has been in his time of need and he gave of out of his savings to bless the Hmong people.

Another giver is a sister in my church, she earns a meagre salary by working laborous hours as a photocopy lady. I remembered speaking to her 3 years ago when I urged her to have some savings even if it means starting from $10 per month. This $10 saving was a challenge at that time as she has suffering from hypertension and in poor health, most of her hard earned money went into paying her medical bills.

Today, she still works in the same laborous job and saved penny by penny through the years. Just a few minutes ago, she handed me $1000 from her hard earned savings to bless these refugees.

Many of the people who have contributed funds from my church, are people who are very thrifty, eat simply, dress simply and hardly buy any new clothes. They understand the plight of the refugees and what it can be like without blankets in the cold.

It is a lot of trust when I received their response, and each time I felt like crying. The brother who gave $1000 hopes to see these little ones in the Kingdom of Jesus. The sister who gave $1000 wrote 'May God's love and peace be with them'.

Please let the Hmong people know that they are not hopeless people. Over here, though many of us will never meet in person, we want to share with them what God has given us. And we hope that they could have some shelter, and from these clothing and blankets and other stuff, they could see that God did not forget them....

-Nai Fwei "

Dear Readers,

I will be leaving for Chiang Mai this friday to head up to Petchaboon. This would be a 3 month long effort, interspersed with regular trips to Petchaboon with Ricky and his CCO team. As such, my sister(Perlita) & my brother-in-law(Andy) will be helping with the collection effort back here in Singapore.

For those who are unable to pass me their donations/clothes and blankets before I leave, do arrange to have them sent over as soon as possible. You can still use the same email contact to reach either Perlita or myself. (eugenew81@yahoo.com.sg)

As the logistics tail is relatively long, we would need to set a cut off for collection on 14 Sep (Friday) so that resources can reach the refugee camp before the cold season kicks in.

Please continue to contribute generously as we still lack funds to purchase sufficient blankets for these Hmong refugees.

Eugene

Great News !

After much appealing for sponsorship, praying and keeping our fingers crossed ...... We have found a sponsor for our freight !!!!

Sharing the belief of making a difference to the lives of the less fortunate, this man came forward and generously offered to assist us with all our freight requirements.

Thank you Mr Harold Tan & family!

Now, this leave us with the next blessed challenge. The challenge of finding enough clothes/blankets to fill up a whole shipping container !

In the next 2-3 weeks, lets continue the good work and to bring in more resources/clothes/blankets/funds before we close the container to head for Chiang Mai.

In view of the overwhelming response from you guys, we now face a blessed challenge ! The challenge of getting these items sent to Chiang Mai without incurring too much cost (as these saving can then be optimised to purchase more warm blankets).

We're looking for readers/friends who are working in the freight/shipping line who can help us defray freight cost or even sponsor the freight of this cargo from Singapore to Chiang Mai.

Your partnership and assistance is vital in this last step in bringing hope to the Hmong people !

Please drop me an email if you can assist ! Thanks again ! eugenew81@yahoo.com.sg

A big THANK YOU to all my readers and friends ! Thank you for your encouraging response, mails and contributions !

And No.... we are not stopping collection just yet ! :) We've just begun and we're expecting more clothes/blankets/funds to pour in !

Please continue to spread the word and help us make a difference in the lives of the Hmong people.

p/s : This is a picture taken today in my guestroom.... which is slowly turning into a full fledged storeroom after a week of collection ! :)Many readers have written in ask how can they pass the clothing and funds to this cause. So here it is ! I'll be opening up my house this Saturday (18 Aug) from 1pm-4pm for you guys to drop by and contribute (and yes, cash/bank transfer is fine).

My address is as follows : Block 92, Hillview Ave (Hillbrooks Condo)

Just before you drop by, please drop me a email at eugenew81@yahoo.com.sg (if you have not already done so). This is to let the security staff know that I'm expecting you.

Dear Readers,

Great news !
As most of you would know, we've been finding creative ways to raise funds for the Hmong Refugee Camp. And one of theses ideas was to re-sell some "high value" donated clothes/items in a bazaar.

We reckon that it would be more prudent this way rather then giving away expensive dresses/tops/shoes especially when they can potentially bring in more funds to buy the blankets which are lacking.

Now for the good news !
My sister and brother-in-law have been allocated a bazaar stall in Tanglin for a day and they are donating this stall to aid with our fund raising efforts. All proceeds will go towards buying the remaining blankets for the refugees !

p/s : A big thank you to the special group of donors who are partnering us in this bazaar effort !

Details as follows :
Date : 15 Sep 07 (Saturday)
Time : 3pm - 9pm
Venue : Tanglin Mall (Stall No 2)

(As I would be flying to Chiang Mai on 24 Aug, my sister will be running the stall with a few donors ! Please come down to give your fullest support !)

-Eugene

Dear Readers,

Thank you for your kind generosity and warm support. The clothes collection is in great progress, however blankets are still lacking.

The plan for now would be to purchase the remaining blankets in Thailand as it would be more affordable as compared to buying here in Singapore. Each blanket there would cost roughly SGD$3. With about 8000 refugees, we would need to raise SGD$24,000.

If you would like to make a personal donation or contribution, please do not hesitate to email me at eugenew81@yahoo.com.sg

Note : After purchasing, we will follow up with pictures of receipts and also pictures of the refugees with the blankets !

-Eugene

Apologies - Video is not available at the moment.
If you would still like to view the video, you can log into www.youtube.com and search for "Hmong"

Apologies - Video is not available at the moment.
If you would still like to view the video, you can log into www.youtube.com and search for "Hmong"

Apologies - Video is not available at the moment.
If you would still like to view the video, you can log into www.youtube.com and search for "Hmong"

Apologies - Video is not available at the moment.
If you would still like to view similar videso, you can log into www.youtube.com and search "Hmong" If you can contribute in anyway, please drop me an email at eugenew81@yahoo.com.sg

Many friends have asked me this question - Why Petchaboon ?

My reply is rather simple - Because there are 7700 hungry people(adult and children) standing behind a barb-wired fence looking at the world outside for help. These people have neither hope nor a future for them or their children.
I know .... I cannot promise these people a bright future and a guarantee that they will be still alive after being sent back. BUT, I can bring them the message of Hope and Eternal Life, the message of the Gospel.

With such immense needs of 7700 people, it is difficult to ignore and go on in my daily air-conditioned life while 7700 souls huddle in the freezing cold to stay alive.

Yes, I know my limitations and what I can do as one person. But with your help, I can bring resources like clothes, blankets to keep them warm in the cold. Rice to feed the growling stomachs of children instead of mothers needing to prostitute themselves to buy food for their starving babies.
A small measure of relief it may be, but it makes a difference to these people receiving it behind the fence-line. 2 years is probably all they will have between now and an execution squad.

I know...I cannot do much, but at least let me pray and walk this last mile with them.....

-Eugene

A big thank you to all of you who have contributed so generously or made a pledge to contribute in one way or another.

These are the people who have gone the extra mile to make this outreach a possibility! Every single donation would make a difference to the lives of those who receive them !:)

Note : For those who are keen to help in any way at all. Please drop me an email at eugenew81@yahoo.com.sg I will get back to you as soon as I can !



Sponsors
George Wong - Clothes and publicity
Seet L.M - Clothes & fund donation
Derek Chan - Clothes
Perlita Wee - Fund donation & fund raising
Andy Teo - Fund donation & fund raising
Yeo Wee Teck - Funds
Josephine Teo - Clothes & fund donation
Shirlene Ng- Clothes & fund donation
Benjamin Goh - Clothes & Publicity Design
Eron Chua - Freight networking
Alex Zhou - Clothes
Lionel Ang - Clothes
Wong Wanying - Clothes and publicity and funds
Wong Bein Shu - Clothes
Cindy Lim - Funds
Candy Tang - Clothes
Fen - Clothes
Benny - Clothes
Engie Ho & Family - Clothes
Shubert Ho - Clothes
Barbara Tan - Children's Clothes
Sandra & Family - Clothes
Catherine Yeo - Clothes
Estella Tan - Clothes
Ashley Sim - Clothes
Jonathan Quek - Clothes
Carolyn Teo - Clothes
Kevin & Jessie - Funds
Sharon & Family - Clothes
Victor - Clothes & Funds
Tay Soon Wen - Funds
Harold Tan - Freight
Ginger Faith Tan - Funds
Chium Yuet Ching - Funds
Xia Wei Guang - Clothes
Kelvin Sim - Funds & Clothes
Liau Nai Fwei - Funds, consolidation and publicity
Wu Qiu Lian - Funds
Cathy Tan - Funds
Teo Lak Sim - Funds
Susie Fung - Funds
Chok Huey Min - Funds
Chok Huey Chyn - Funds
Mr&Mrs Lim Lin Eng - Funds
Wei Pei Ying - Funds
Wincent Liu - Funds
Tan Lee Wah - Funds
Su Fong Der - Funds
Edwin See - Clothes
Carolyn Koh - Funds
Ho Siaw Chin - Clothes
Ng Wei Boon - Clothes
Rashmi Khanal - Clothes
Beverly Snodgrass - Clothes
Irene Khoo - Clothes
Zeng Lixin - Clothes
Ginger Lim - Clothes
Daniel Cheong - Clothes
Wong Siew Ying - Clothes
Hazel Sim - Clothes
Mrs Yap/Mdm Tan Siew Hong -Clothes
Mrs Jean Teo -Clothes
Mrs Priscilla Ang - Clothes
Ms Chok Siew Lian - Clothes
Mrs Janie Tan - Clothes
Mrs Elaine Ong - Clothes
Wong Hefen - Clothes
Ruby Tan - Clothes
Dale Chang - Clothes & consolidation
Angeline Sum - Clothes and consolidation
Tan Yueh Peng- Clothes
Lovies Leow - Boxes
Phillip Lim - Boxes
Darren Seow - Clothes
Jimmy Suen- Funds
Kok Chuen Wah - Clothes
Jason Teo Kar Hui - Clothes
Ya Zhen & Brother - Carton boxes
Regina Sim - Clothes
Kim Thye Lee Trading Company - Transportation
Teo Chee Tiong - Manpower
Teo Bee Hwee - Manpower
Mr Stanley - Clothes
Herbert Pang - Clothes
Ms Ginny - Misc
Salvation Army - Reliefs
Mt Alvenia Hospital - Baby Jumpers
Lea Hin Co (Power Mfg) Pte Ltd - Item Storage
Alvin Lim - Assistance
Far East Packaging Industrial Pte Ltd - Boxes
Mr Caan Tan - Assistance
Lisa Yeo - Funds
Alice Chng - Funds
Josh Chai - Funds
Full Gospel Assembly (KL) - Clothes
Mercy Teo - Funds & Misc

Sabrina Wat - Funds
Jolene - Funds
Joanne Teo & Family - Funds
Mr Ian Chung and all committee members and staff of Society of Sales and Service Specialists, Singapore
Melvin Yong - Funds

All Hmong must go
By Post reporters

The 7,700 Hmong refugees currently living in a make-shift camp in Phetchabun will be deported to Laos as no countries have come forward to offer them resettlement. (Personal Note : Last heard was a dateline of 2 years, ie 2009-2010. After which they will be forcefully sent back to Laos.)

Supreme Commander Boonsrang Niumpradit said on Saturday the Hmong living at the Ban Huay Nam Khao camp in Khao Kho district had little chance of being offered resettlement in a third country and therefore had no choice but to return to Laos.

"None of them are allowed to live in Thailand anymore and Laos is ready to take them back," he said.

Officials said it would take them two months to get the personal records in order for all the refugees after which they would be deported to Laos.

Gen Boonsrang dismissed fears from human rights groups that the Hmong will be mistreated by the Laotian authorities if they were to return to Laos.
(Personal Note : The Hmongs have pleaded not to be deported back to Laos for the fear of their families being systematically executed.)

Third Army commander Jiradet Khotcharat said the deportation of the Hmong was not a matter of concern because they had illegally entered Thailand and therefore had to be sent back.

Many of the Lao Hmong were allies of the US and fought against the communists during the Vietnam War. After the 1975 victory of the communist Pathet Lao, about 300,000 Hmong poured into Thailand, many later resettling in the US and elsewhere.

Lt-Gen Jiradet said the recent relocation of Lao-born Hmong at Ban Huay Nam Khao refugee camp to a new shelter, about two kilometres away, went well.

Security is been heightened at the new camp, and access to the refugees is being very tightly restricted.

The authorities want to ensure no new Hmong refugees sneak into the camp, he said.

A security source said an average of about 12 Hmong babies are born in the camp every month, leading to increasing overcrowding. (Personal Note : Latest news from the commander is that a new baby is born almost every day, which makes the current population closer to 8000.)

Time : Aug (Week 1 & 2)
Activity : Publicity for Outreach program to Refugee Camp and Orphanage
Help Required :
1 ) Clothes (Children/Adult)
2 ) Spreading news of the outreach program
3 ) Sourcing for help in the following areas
- Funds or donation of blankets
- Funds for food (Rice)
- Sponsors to help defray shipping/freight cost from Singapore to Chiang Mai
- Sponsors to help with land transfer from Chiang Mai to Refugee Camp

Phase 2
Time : Aug till 14 Sep (Changes)
Activity : Consolidation & Collection of pledged items
Help Required :
1 ) Collection and packing of items into boxes for shipping/freight
2 ) Sourcing for help in the following areas
- Funds to freight the items to Chiang Mai
- Funds to ground freight items to Refugee Camp

Phase 3
Time : Sep (Week 2) (Changes)
Activity : Shipping/Freight of all items to Chiang mai
Help Required :
1 ) Sourcing of funds to ground freight items to refugee camp

Phase 4
Time : Mid Oct (Changes)
Activity : Donation and aid to arrive CCOF Chiang Mai for sorting and packing
Help required :
1 ) Funds for ground transfer to Refugee Camp in Petchaboon

Do post your comments and feedback if you have any :) I will continually post pictures of our collection effort for your viewing !

CCOF is now making provision to reach both the children and adults in the Hmong Refugee Camp in Petchaboon.

Background :
This community of Hmongs are an ethic minority from Laos who are seeking refuge in Thailand.
The Hmongs have assisted the United States back in 1960 with the fight against communism in Laos. However after the withdrawal of US forces, the Hmongs found themselves persecuted and fighting to remain alive, till today.(For more reading, refer to http://www.unpo.org/article.php?id=5095)
Location : Petchaboon is a 7 hour drive east of Chiang Mai and the refugee camp is located high on the hills where temperature can drop to a cold of 5 deg celcius.

Current Situation :
To date, there are 7000 Hmongs who are contained in barb-wired camps with hardly sufficient basic necessities.

Current Needs :
During our last visit to the camp in Jul 2007, the leaders of the Hmong have pleaded for immediate needs such as food, mosquito nets and blankets (as the cold season is approaching in Oct).

As such, we're making an appeal for a donation of used blankets and clothings from readers, with the hope of reaching the refugees before the cold season in September/October 2007.

Please drop me an email at eugenew81@yahoo.com.sg if you wish to contribute in any form to this refugee camp.

Care Corner Orphanage Foundation (Chiang Mai) is a ministry founded by Singaporeans in 1995 to reach out to children in need. They currently minister and reach out to 3 main groups of children.

The 3 groups are :
1 ) Orphans who have lost their both their parents and existing family have no means of taking care of them.

2 ) Children who have been given up by their natural parents as their parents have no means of taking care of their children. (ie Single parented homes)

3 ) Children who were born with HIV and have been abandoned by their relatives and parents.

This home takes in these children, providing them with not only the basic necessities in life but also access to education. This orphanage is currently only supported by individual sponsors and not corporate/church bodies. As such, funds are constantly required for the daily operations of the home.



Update : NewLifeOutreach collaborated with Care Corner Orphanage Foundation during the initial phases of Hmong Lao outreach. Relief missions were fully funded by NewLife while CCOF supported with manpower and usage of vehicle.

Update : NewLifeOutreach has ceased all working links and collaboration with Care Corner Orphanage Foundation Thailand since December 2007.

I see needs .... needs for basic necessities, something which we rarely ever encounter in our modern day lives.

A piece of old blanket, to us may be just a rag. To some people, its a need to see them through the cold winter months in the hills.....

Many such needs still exist in our world today. Lets take some time to pause and think about the less fortunate and maybe through our little ways, we can make a difference to these people.

Name : Eugene Wee
Location : Singapore (Hillview)

About this blog :
This blog aims to provide readers with a glimpse to some of the pressing needs in our world today.