What I’ve Learned from Dumpster Kids, a Buddhist Monk, and Other Wise Teachers (Part 3)

Posted on January 12th, 2011 by Keith Ferrazzi

This is a four-part series sharing lessons in joy, success, and even fidelity, that I brought back with me from a 2-week service trip to Thailand and Cambodia at the close of 2010.

Lesson #3: Your fate is not controlled by the prejudice of others.

Happiness is in you and those you choose to hear. I was reminded of this while visiting an organization called Baan Gerda. In Thailand, there is still a huge stigma against those with AIDS. Baan Gerda was founded by a German chemical executive stationed in Thailand, and started out as a place to take care of orphans dying of the disease – to give them love, respect, and comfort in their last days. These kids’ parents had all died from AIDS, and passed the disease to the children at birth.  Their relatives had typically dropped them at mass centers where they would die untouched, unloved, and uncared for.

Then as new drugs came along, Baan Gerda’s mission changed to helping find a way for these children to live beautiful, productive lives.  And they do.  The story is amazingly told in a movie yet to premier. You can watch a trailer of the film and buy the DVD at the website www.livingwiththetiger.com. (If you have any way to help the movie maker bring the movie and story to the world, let us know.)

As I met with Baan Gerda’s director, Mike Thomas, I was struck as he told me about the children’s active decision to lead normal lives despite so much prejudice against them. Their decision to look to a future when they can marry and live productively among society. How did they find the strength, I wondered?

I think I saw the answer as I watched these children in their daily routines.  They are actively serving others – they volunteer to help the elderly and they care for new children entering their home, many of whom are very sick because medicine hasn’t been available.  At so many orphanages, I’ve seen children saving their food to give to others. Generosity is healing, even when we have almost nothing.

These children gave me hope that we can stand tall in the face of others who’d like to tell us who we are and what we can become. I'm the first one to advocate listening to feedback, but I'm also the first to support your right to listen or not if you feel you have been thorough in your own self-assessment. Then find those who will feed you toward the direction your heart knows you should go, as the kids at Baan Gerda have.

Check out parts one and two.

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3 comments // In Philanthropy, Uncategorized
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3 Responses so far | Have Your Say!

  1. Wow, what a powerful story to start the day. Thank you for sharing!

  2. People around us like to tell us what we should aspire to be, what we can (or can’t) do or who we should be with, don’t they? And they oftentimes do this out of genuine “love” or “concern” for our well-being. Thanks for sharing this inspiring story about kids who choose alternative paths for their lives and making lemonade out of lemons. I often like to share a story about a friend of mine and his sibling who have a drunk father. One of them became a drunk because his father was one, while the other became a big success (and also avoided becoming a drunk) precisely because of his father. Thanks for the reminder, that our failure (or success) doesn’t depend on the circumstances that we’re born with, but rather the choices that we make. While we can't control what people feel or say about us, we can certainly control our responses to them.

  3. Baan Gerda is one of the most inspiring communities I have visited during my travels. I will never forget the joy I experienced when playing with the children as the sun went down.

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