A new start

by Derek Franklin

Mos was living with his grandparents in a village close to the Thai-Cambodian border when at the age of five years he stepped on a land mine which blew both his legs off. He got used to using an adult-size wheelchair, the only one available, and when he started school he wheeled himself five kilometers to school and five kilometers home each day, no matter the weather. By the age of nine his grandparents were no longer able to take care of him, so they brought him to Pattaya where he found a home at the Father Ray Children's Home. Mos made friends, attended school, learned to use prosthetics, became a goalkeeper on the futsal team and played guitar in a band. He also had dreams of returning to his village in Sa Kaeo Province, which he did for a while before returning to his home in Pattaya.

Now 18, Mos last week joined 79 other young adults enrolling at the Redemptorist Vocational School for People with Disabilities here in Pattaya. Students at the school come from all corners of the country and they all arrive with the hopes and dreams of a better life. Another new arrival is 30-year-old Jim, who gets around on what looks like a go-kart. He lies on a piece of wood and moves the wheels with his feet, steering with two pieces of string. He has tried a wheelchair but finds it too uncomfortable, though by the time he graduates the school may have found a better solution for getting around. To enroll at the school, Jim traveled from Chaiyaphum province accompanied by his family who want the best for their son.

For two years the students will be expected to study hard. The school will provide education, accommodation, food and medical help—all free. The school will also find them suitable employment once they graduate. In the 25 years since the school was founded by Father Ray Brennan, almost 2,500 students with disabilities have graduated. We hope that in two years time Mos, Jim and all the other new students will be wearing their graduation gowns, receiving their certificates and going out into the world as equals. More information can be found at www.fr-ray.org or email info@fr-ray.org