English / norsk

My name is Emma Thams Mjåset and I am thirteen years old. My family and I have lived in Nichada Thani outside of Bangkok for four years. We moved here from Drøbak, Norway when my mom got a job here in Thailand. Living in Nichada, you could say we live in a small village of many nationalities. Torgunn and her family also live here, and she was the first one who told us about Kids Action for Kids. What really caught my attention was what the organization had done for the Christmas festivities the year before, which was a Christmas bazaar where many fellow Scandinavians in our neighborhood got involved and sold baked goods and handicrafts, the proceeds of which all went towards helping children in Thailand. That’s when I understood how important it is to help others, especially when we are so lucky to have better circumstances and when it takes so little to make a big impact on someone else’s life.
Jeg heter Emma Thams Mjåset og er tretten år. Jeg og familien min har bodd i Nichada Thani utenfor Bangkok i fire år. Vi flyttet hit fra Drøbak, da mamma fikk jobb her nede. Vi bor i en liten landsby kan du si, med folk fra mange ulike land. Her bor også familien til Torgunn som er den som først fortalte oss om Kids Action for Kids. Spesielt den første julefeiringen, hvor alle skandinavene laget julemarked og solgte julebakst og julepynt, og hvor alle pengene til slutt gikk til å hjelpe barn i Thailand, gjorde stort inntrykk på meg. Da forsto jeg hvor viktig det er å hjelpe andre, når man har det så bra selv og det er egentlig så lite som skal til før en ser resultater.

Before, I didn’t know much about cleft lip and cleft palate and the effect these conditions can have on the children born with them, but I could see that it was difficult for these children to eat and speak properly, and that they seemed to be marginalized from their communities, even hidden by their families in some cases. I have never seen these conditions in Norway, which is because those born with such conditions get it fixed at birth. Here in Thailand it is not like that, as the families must use their own money to pay for such a procedure, and many don’t have that kind of money. To me that seems very unfair. My mom told me that by doing a bake sale and by volunteering on one of the organization’s missions, I could be a part of helping these kids get the surgeries they need for a better life.

Jeg har ikke visst så mye om leppe-og ganespalter tidligere og hva det virkelig gjør med de barna som blir født slik, men jeg forsto etterhvert at det er vanskelig for mange i det hele tatt å spise mat, snakke ordentlig, de blir annerledes- barn, kanskje skammer familien seg over å ha et slikt annerledes barn og holder ungene skjult for resten av landsbyen. Jeg har ikke sett noen med slike skader i Norge, men der får jo alle uansett hjelp med en gang. Her i Thailand er det annerledes, man må ha penger selv for å bli operert. Jeg synes det er urettferdig. Men mamma fortalte at ved å bidra med kakesalg, og som frivillig, så kan vi bidra til at mange barn kan få et bedre liv ved at de får operasjon.

When my mom asked if we should join a surgery mission with Kids Action for Kids to Mae Hong Son last winter, I was a bit scared in the beginning, but after we talked about how it would be, I felt more at ease and ready to go. Once we were there I thought it was very nice to see all the children and their families at the hospital as they met up the first day to get ready for their operations. Everyone was so happy, despite his or her situation. I will never forget one little boy who had been abandoned by his family and who now was living with a neighbor in a refugee camp on the border to Myanmar. His father and two brothers left him when he was very young, and his mother passed away shortly after his birth. Yet, this boy was running around and loving playing with us and the other children. My assigned job at this mission was to play with and to engage the children while they waited to go through all the pre-surgery screening stations to prepare for surgery the next day. We had bouncy balls and coloring books, and we tried our best to speed up the process and entertain the kids. I truly loved interacting with these kids. They were extremely brave.

Da mamma spurte om vi ikke skulle reise sammen på en mission til Mae Hong Son i vinter, var jeg litt redd til å begynne med, men etter at vi hadde snakket om hva som skulle skje, var det greit. Jeg synes det var så veldig flott å se alle ungene på sykehuset da de møtte opp første dagen for å bli forberedt til operasjon! Alle var så glade, til tross for at mange hadde store skader og det var helt klart at de var veldig fattige. Jeg vil aldri glemme spesielt en gutt som var forlatt av familien sin og nå vokste opp hos en nabofamilie inne i en av flyktningeleirene på grensen mot Myanmar. Faren og to brødre forlot ham alene da han var liten, og moren døde like etter at han ble født. Denne gutten løp rundt og var så glad og likte så godt å bli lekt med. Min jobb var å leke og aktivisere ungene mens de ventet på å gå gjennom alle forberedelsene til operasjonene dagen etter. Vi hadde med sprettballer og tegnesaker og vi forsøkte alle å gjøre vårt beste til at det ikke ble så lenge å vente. Jeg likte så godt å leke med de små barna, de var så modige og flinke.

We stopped to deliver clothes and toys to families and kids that actually lived in a refugee camp in the area. It was a sad sight for me to see how some people lived, especially the small kids with big cleft problems. I had never seen anything like this before, but as it sunk in I could focus on doing all that I could to make their lives a little bit better. None of the kids had toys from before, and they clearly didn’t have many pairs of clothes, so we gave them shoes and jackets in addition to toys, as it can get pretty cold in Northern Thailand. They were all very happy to receive these gifts!

Vi stoppet for å levere klær og leker til familier og unger som faktisk bor inne i en av flyktningeleirene i området. Det var litt trist og vanskelig å se de små barna med store skader i ansiktet, jeg har aldri sett slik før, men etterhvert gikk det bedre. Ingen av ungene hadde leker og nesten ikke klær, så de fikk sko og jakker, for det kan også bli ganske kaldt oppe i nord i Thailand. Alle ble så glade!!!

I really wish all of us who have so much could give a little of what we have to those who need it most, and that kids and youth could support organizations such as Kids Action for Kids so they can see how amazing it is to help others. I don’t think I will ever forget the children I met in Mae Hong Son.

Jeg skulle ønske alle vi som har så mye av alt kunne gi litt av det vi har, og at barn og unge kunne støtte organisasjoner som Kids action for Kids og bare få oppleve hvor godt det er å hjelpe andre! Jeg tror jeg aldri vil glemme de barna jeg møtte i Mae Hong Son.

Heidi, Emma, and Gro are exemplary volunteers