Background
In 1997 with the assistance of UNICEF, the Volunteer Group for Children’s Development (VGCD) was established in response to the growing number of children forced to live and work on the streets. VGCD is a non-profit organisation working to improve the lives of street children in Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai. In an effort to reduce the risk of children being affected by HIV/AIDS, drug use and entry into sex work VGCD provides information, counseling and life skills training. VGCD also gives temporary emergency assistance to homeless children and refers some children to other organisations for protection and rehabilitation.
The founding member of the community based organisation, HEART OF THE STREET (HOTS) was the art program coordinator that initiated the art program at VGCD. She was also the organiser of the HEART OF THE STREET exhibition held at the Chiang Mai Art Museum in May-June 2005, to showcase the art work of street children. The exhibition was also to raise public awareness on the plight of street children in Northern Thailand and to highlight the issues that street children face: HIV/AIDS, child prostitution, child trafficking, sexual diseases, drugs, lack of identity cards etc.
The HEART OF THE STREET exhibition was certainly a success in attracting the public’s attention to the lives of street children in Chiang Mai. Following the exhibition, many people wanted to know how they could help improve the lives of these children.
It also became apparent that there was a lack of awareness about the child sex trade and a big gap in providing information on where and how to report abuse.
Consequently, some of the individuals that had been involved with the VGCD art program establish a community based group to raise local public awareness on the issue of the child sex trade. Since this problem creates the most deadly risks and negative effects for the street children and youths around the tourist area, HOTS is committed to developing the capacity of the residents and tourists in Chiang Mai to help combat the child sex trade.
Report Abuse
Links
Through developing an understanding about the lives of these children and increasing public awareness on the fundamental problems they face, HOTS hopes to facilitate community action to help bring about effective and lasting changes to the lives of these children.
