More information is available at www.radion-international.org/keepgoing2022

Update : 28 October 2022

Thank you for your support in our rebuilding efforts. Things are slowly getting back in shape.

We have started rebuilding the lawn, and our children’s accommodation block perimeter is once again lighted up at night. Our team is also selling clothes from our center in Khek Noi to raise funds to help families in need. And the StreetKIDS are also helping to promote our #KeepGoing 2022 campaign in Khek Noi.

Our HOPE Center in Chiangmai has survived the recent floods, the earthquakes, and we are now reaching lives. #KeepGoing 2022 is extra special. We are running not just to raise awareness but also to raise funds to support child survivors who require counseling and trauma care – especially in the aftermath of the floods and earthquake.

Sign up, and be counted here: https://www.radion-international.org/keepgoing2022/

Update : 27 October 2022

We have found a replacement school bus/truck for the kids! Just in time before the school term opens! We have also started on rebuilding our premises. The journey is long, but we will get there.

The community around us welcomes the relief packs and clean drinking water which we were able to provide.

Creating resilience – in buildings or in lives – takes time, effort, and heart. And we are doing all 3. You can continue to bring hope in the aftermath of the floods & earthquake in Chiangmai, Thailand, by supporting this year’s #KeepGoing campaign.

https://www.radion-international.org/keepgoing2022/

Update : 26 October 2022

The weather in Chiangmai is now cool, with occasional thunderstorms.

The Thai Metrological service is forecasting a colder year end, with temperatures dipping to single digits in the mountains.

Our teams have pre-emptively deployed another tranche of clothes and winter wear to needy families.

In Chiangmai, our water treatment plant continues to serve the community, and within our compound, we are putting in solar-powered lights, building up the pavement into the center, and doing a second round of extensive cleaning.

Backend, we are monitoring the weather, water levels in dams, as well as the recovery of the community.

Update : 25 October 2022

Great news, everyone! We are now steadily into the Resilience phase of our crisis relief work.

The Hope Center is abuzz with activities, with different contractors working on getting the premise up!

The sewage system has been finally resolved, so we can start restocking our fish at the pond without fear of water contamination.

Our priorities up ahead will be the start of the school term for our StreetKids, finishing up key rebuilding projects, and opening our center to serve more child survivors & their families.

Update : 24 October 2022

Fundraising for the first 2 phases is now completed!

We are still having problems with the flooded sewage system. But are aiming to get that fixed by this Friday. In tandem, a team is working to get a replacement truck/bus by next week as it has to be brought in from Bangkok.

The next fundraising phase to create resilience is making good progress, with $17k/80k been raised by our ambassadors and directors.

All donors who have given toward the 3 crisis relief phases will have their names on our crisis relief plaque.

In the aftermath of the disasters, we will need to rebuild not just structures, and livelihoods but the lives of young survivors.

So keep spreading the word!

Update : 23 October 2022

Hi everyone, thank you for journeying with us and just being there for us. As of today, we have raised $77,535.38 for the rebuilding works.

In tandem, our #keepgoing Ambassadors are hard at work, aiming to raise the final sum to shore up resilience at our center. What this looks like is a series of landfills, and retaining walls, just to ensure that our center, vehicles, and equipment are future protected against more floods. Our Hope Center in Chiangmai will start providing counseling and trauma care for child survivors in the months ahead.

The journey has been exhausting, but we could not have made it here without you.

As an appreciation, my colleagues will reach out to all our donors who have contributed to this crisis relief. We will be acknowledging your support on the Crisis Relief Plaque that will be placed on our center’s heritage wall.

Do continue to support our #keepgoing Ambassadors, and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

Update : 22 October 2022

Today, the Chiangmai governor has ordered an inspection of all high-rise buildings and old houses. So far, we have had 7 aftershocks, all mild.

For our fundraising, we have raised $76,034 – just $3,966 shy of our goal of $80,0000.

As the kids will start school in 2 weeks, we will get the replacement bus/truck. Our staff team has also opted to get a secondhand truck so that the small savings can go toward the rebuilding effort. Genuinely proud of the staff, who are always putting the needs of others before themselves.

The #Keepgoing campaign has started, too, in Singapore! So do sign up. This campaign is for everyone. And each $100 contribution allows us to provide counseling & trauma care for child survivors.

More information and signing up can be done here https://www.radion-international.org/keepgoing2022/

Update : 21 October 2022

There were 2 aftershocks recorded today. But both were mild as compared to the earthquake yesterday.

One of our teams is overseeing the repairs, one team is working on the outreach (providing clean drinking water & aid), and our Chiangmai staff is raising funds thru a yard sale. They are committed to raising funds to help affected families with more materials to rebuild their homes.

For fundraising in Singapore. We have raised $72,734 for the rebuilding phase! That means we are just $7,266 away from our goal of $80,000 (that will go into rebuilding livelihoods and giving the kids a school bus/truck to get to school).

Thank you for your trust, heart, and generosity!

Update : 20 October 2022

Magnitude 4.2 Earthquake Hits Chiangmai in Northern Thailand today.

The epicenter is close to our center, and our staff and kids all felt the quake. There are no injuries on our side though our shelter suffered some damages from the earthquake. Our team found some cracks at both the shelter and the Hope Center.

Fortunately, the cracks are minor, and there is no structural damage. We should be able to get those repaired alongside our floor damage budget. So there should be no additional fundraising required for the earthquake.

We will be focusing our efforts the post-flood rebuilding and getting our kids back to school.

Do continue to spread the word. And thank you once again!

Update : 19 October 2022

According to the interior ministry, heavy rains and storms have caused flooding in 59 of Thailand’s 77 provinces, impacting 450,000 homes. Up in Chiangmai, 2 of the largest dams are less than 10% from their critical point. Should the dam collapse, the fallout will be devastating. We are preparing for this contingency – repairing and shoring up as quickly as possible while trying to ensure that our kids and the affected families can rebuild.

Your giving has enabled us to bring immediate aid to 1,316 families affected by the massive floods. Your generosity now will help them rebuild livelihoods and enable us to #keepgoing.

Update : 18 October 2022

More villagers are coming to our center to tap drinking water from our treatment plant. And over the weekend, our teams delivered food aid to 438 affected families and sent an additional tranche of 150 relief boxes to support families with elderly and disabled members.

At our center, repairs are ongoing and would probably take a couple of months to complete fully.

We have tried, but flood damage to the StreetKIDS school bus is severe, and it’s beyond economical repair.

Some of you have stepped forward to donate towards this, and others are concurrently helping us quickly raise the needed funds for a replacement bus.

School is starting in a couple of weeks, and we have raised $4,850/$40,000 for the bus.

Do chip in if you are able to!

Thank you once again for your support and trust!

Update : 17 October 2022

More Flooding Across Thailand.

This morning, the Thai Nation Water Command Centre (NWCC) announced they are keeping a close eye on 24 dams across the country as heavy rain brought their reservoirs to the brimming point. Phuket is also now flooded, with some areas in waist-deep waters.

The Thai Metrological department is forecasting heavy rains nationwide till this Wed. Warning of more flash floods and landslides across the nation.

The good news is that we have now raised $41,530/80,000 for rebuilding efforts in phase 2! This means that we have what we need to get people clean drinking water and relief aid while helping the community to rebuild.

What remains is the last $38,570 to get a replacement school bus for our StreetKids (our only school bus/truck had been damaged in the floods).

We hope to raise this quickly as the kids will need it for school in end Oct/ early Nov. Doing this will also allow our #keepgoing Ambassadors to focus their efforts on raising the last sum to build disaster resilience.

This is what a school bus in Thailand looks like!

Update : 15 October 2022

Our teams are back on the ground, getting more relief to families in need. The ground situation is direr, some families had their houses submerged under 1.5m of water, and their fields have also sustained substantial damage.

Water has receded, but mud and slush, with puddles around the affected area.

Our StreetKids school bus/truck is still at the workshop, and the damage is extensive. We will probably need to get a replacement vehicle before the school term starts in late Oct.

It will cost ~$40,000, and if you would like to give towards that, do indicate CR-School on your giving.

Update : 14 October 2022

There are minor delays due to bad weather, but our relief items finally reached Chiangmai early this morning, and all items have been repacked into care boxes.

If the weather holds up, we should be able to get it to the 150+ elderly & disabled families by tomorrow evening.

We are expecting more bad weather coming our way, followed by the year-end cold season. Temperatures in the mountains are now around 12 deg and should dip in the following weeks.

Update : 13 October 2022

When we started RADION International 15 years ago, our biggest donor wasn’t a wealthy donor, but instead, an elderly lady who works as a photocopy staff. She did not have the privilege of growing up in a wealthy family, and neither did she have the best of health; what little she earned went mostly into medical bills and a small savings pot.

Her pastor met us to pass on the elderly lady’s donation for our relief project. It was $1000. Money that the elderly lady had saved up over a year. She told the pastor to pass us this message.
“I didn’t give because I’m rich, but because I know what it is like to be without a blanket.” While she didn’t have much, this lady inspired us to this day. May we continue to steward every cent so more lives can be touched.

In the aftermath of the floods, water sources remain contaminated, and pools of stagnant water are a perfect breeding ground for mosquitos. The families have asked for drinking water, mosquito nets, and help. The threat of dengue increases each day. We have opened up our water treatment plant to avail clean drinking water to affected families in the area (~1200), and our field team is delivering essentials such as mosquito nets, coils, and relief items, focusing on elderly & disabled families. We are also sending down emergency supplies from our center in Khek Noi to the community in Chiang Mai.

Your donation will help to rebuild lives and tide us through this crisis. Please continue to help spread the message.

Update : 12 October 2022

Rebuilding started at our children’s home and center in Chiangmai.

Part of the fence is repaired, the activity area is now leveled, and the area should be fixed by next week. More structural repairs are underway.

Externally, villagers have asked for drinking water, mosquito nets, and help to rebuild their livelihoods. Like us, the affected farmers have lost almost their entire fish stock, others their livestock and agriculture fields. We are arranging for more relief supplies to be sent to Chiangmai. Internally, we estimate our flood damage/rebuilding efforts to cost roughly $250,000-$310,000.

In the next phase, we will need to replace our school bus damaged in the floods. It was the only form of transport for our kids to go to school daily. More work must be done to drain stagnant sewage/water on our agricultural plots, repairing and restocking our fish pond. We have lost around 500 sizeable fish, which was a way to offset our annual food supply for our StreetKids.

Do continue to help us spread the word. And thank you for the support.

Over the past week, we have seen the generosity of Singaporeans and Thais coming together, chipping in, and doing what they can to alleviate the hardship – of people they have not met.

A once-in-10-year crisis brought together a community of people who would willingly put their lives in harm’s way to get relief delivered to the elderly and disabled; donors who would give up their entire month’s salary to help keep us going.

For RADION, it is truly a privilege to have a first-hand view – to see such kindness and beauty unfold, especially in times of crisis. And when flood waters rose to damage our property, a community rose to help us rebuild.

For everyone who has given and is journeying alongside us. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

We have reached our funding target of $150,000 for immediate relief and flood damage repairs! Your giving has allowed us to reach hundreds of lives during the flood and avail clean drinking water to many more.

Rebuilding from a flood like this will take time.

We will need all the help we can get for the rebuilding ahead of us.

So continue to help us raise awareness, And on behalf of the beneficiaries and our teams on the ground, a BIG thank you!

Rebuilding will take time. But we will get there.

Update : 10 October 2022

The weather is holding up! The water level in the main rivers is stable and below its critical point.

Water should be slowly released from the dams, so it’s an area we are still watching.

Many of the flooded areas are now drier. But water contamination is still an issue.

Another good news! We have raised the much-needed 150k for the first tranche of aid. Thank you to all who stood by us in this time of need!

Repair works have begun at the center, and our relief team is working on going beyond short-term relief to help the affected families get back on their feet.

Will update more later.

In the meantime, continue to help us spread the message!

Update : 7 October 2022

Flood waters have gone down around the city, but the dams will have to release water in the next couple of days as its reaching its threshold. We should expect the water levels to rise again in Chiangmai.

Over the past week, we have delivered 728 relief packs to families affected, and we are rolling out more assistance in the weeks ahead.

The rebuilding will take time, and the risk of a secondary flood is still there. Please continue to help us spread the word.

There is still much we can do together.

Update : 6 October 2022

Flood disasters are incredibly challenging for any relief team.

It isn’t just water but getting equipment across bodies of water, mud, and changing currents.
At the onset of a flood, there is the risk of electrocution for relief workers, followed by difficulty getting aid to those stranded.

Water sources are contaminated with sewage, and waterborne diseases thrive. And even after the flood waters recedes, the countless water puddles become ideal breeding spots for mosquitoes.

Dengue, malaria, and a second disaster slowly unfold as people try to rebuild their lives.

This gives you a glimpse of the immense challenges our team had to go through to get aid to the most needy.

So do support if you can. Every giving goes a long way.

Update : 5 October 2022

What do you do when your home is damaged by floodwaters?

For many, it will be grief. For others, it will be to do their utmost to save what is left.

We grieve too. We have also salvaged the little we have. But we have chosen not to linger in grief or allow our losses to cloud us.

Yesterday, our team and StreetKids journeyed to the homes of the most affected – reaching out, giving hope, and reminding them that all is not lost.

There is nothing more beautiful than to see people loving the needy, even when we are in a similar plight. This is what faith in action looks like.

We were able to reach close to 100+ families.

Let’s rebuild. Together.

Update : 4 October 2022

URGENT MESSAGE FROM RADION’S EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

The flooding has spread to the city’s outskirts, and an emergency has been declared in Chiangmai. Flood waters overflowed the river banks yesterday, and today more roads and bridges have also been closed for safety as water levels remain above critical levels.

RADION’s shelter is also affected, with flood waters gushing from the irrigation canals and onto our premises. The residential kids and staff are safe, and our water treatment plant remains functional.

We will be opening up our facility to help with the crisis, allowing the local community to tap drinking water as water sources are now all contaminated.

We will be doing what we can – one of our teams is now on the ground working to serve the affected communities, and a second team is assessing the flood damage at our premises. We will need your help shortly.

In the meanwhile, please continue to keep our teams in your prayers.

– Eugene