Football at Agape

For the past few weeks I have been teaching some girls and boys at Agape how to play football. Agape is an orphanage for kids who have been affected by HIV - see www.nikkisplace.org. Either they have HIV (from a population of 50-60, 80% have HIV) or they have been orphaned because their parents have died of HIV. There is a staff of over 40 helpers who are on duty 24/7 plus 3 full time nurses and 3 part time - each kid has to be checked on a weekly basis to make sure the drugs they are taking keep their immune system working 100%. The setting is wonderful, right in the country near a village called San Sai. The buildings are fairly new and the directors and staff work non stop to ensure that the kids lives are as normal as possible. They are great kids and enjoy their football. Of course, the dangers lurking on Thailand soccer pitches are different to those in the UK. In the UK the biggest danger is probably a McDonald's bag being blown across the pitch. At Agape the other week a large snake had to be cleared from the pitch before we could start playing. Also, the surrounding long grass areas are likely to be hiding a snake so be careful when retrieving a football.