CURRENTLY ABLE TO care for about 30 children at a time, the Agape Home has taken care of 114 children since it was opened in 1996. Prior to 1996, there were few placement alternatives for orphaned or abandoned children with or at risk of having HIV/AIDS. Most often, these children were left to languish in hospitals with no one to care for them. Nikki was an extremely sick two-year-old girl who was a resident in a government-run orphanage. Nikki's health was so bad that a doctor had written "leave her to die" in the chart during one of her hospital stays, but she survived several serious infections and was returned to the orphanage.

Avis Rideout, who was volunteering at the government orphanage at the time, decided to bring Nikki into her home. The Rideout's love for Nikki transformed her into a happy, healthy little toddler, and she has become the beautiful eight-year old girl shown at left. With thousands of other HIV-positive children in Thailand needing the same kind of loving, Avis felt called to open the Agape Home.

The magnitude of the HIV/AIDS problem in Thailand is significant.  Since 1988, when the first cases of HIV/AIDS were detected, the epidemic has spread across the Thai population, including into the general population of women of childbearing age.  In fact, current estimates are that 23,000 of the one million annual births in Thailand will occur to HIV positive women.  The problem is even more acute in the northern region of Thailand where the proportion of HIV/AIDS cases is highest.  In the north, it is estimated that 6% to 10% of the women in the hospital to deliver children are HIV positive.

Children born to HIV positive mothers are exposed to infection during pregnancy, through delivery, and post delivery via breast-feeding.  While there are known ways to reduce the risk of infection for these children, suffice it to say that until the risk is nonexistent, the number of children born at risk of infection remains too high.  Further, children born to HIV positive parents remain at risk of abandonment as well.  Ideally, all children who lose their parents should be cared for by relatives or caring neighbors.  However, the reality is that there is not always sufficient family and/or community support to ensure that these children can stay in their own environment.  As such, since opening the Agape Home in 1996, the number of children who are in need of a loving and caring home has not abated.

Even though these babies and children have uncertain futures, they all deserve to experience the unique adventures that are found in an ordinary day. At Agape Home, these babies experience just that.

The Agape Home cannot do this without your help. Please support on-going child care expenses at the Agape Home, or contribute to the building program by becoming a valued donor.

Nikki Today.