The hardest hit area in Thailand, based upon the sheer loss of life was the costal area of Baan Nam Khem. This community was previously the home to approximately 4500 people. It is estimated that half of those people lost their lives as a direct result. Of those that did survive many have not returned to their former community due to fear that lives inside of them of a repeat event.
 
It is from this area that many of the children who currently live at one of our two orphanages at Baan Tharn Namchai come.
 
There are many social problems that exist within Baan Nam Khem including an unemployment rate of 50%. Many of those living in the community rely entirely upon fishing to earn an income and with the massive reduction of tourists to this area the demand for their catch simply does not exist.
 
The building of the community centre will serve a number of needs. It will serve as a place where the community can come together and partake in training and community activities which will broaden their income earning potential and reduce their sole reliance upon fishing. The centre will serve as a place where the young children can go when their parents leave for the day to head out into the ocean fishing.
 
The centre will also serve as an education and health care centre. We envisage that it will essentially be the epi centre for a lot of activity for this community. The identified needs and services required for the community have been identified by the local Thai’s and the design of the building has been undertaken by Thai architects.
 
The design is somewhat unique in that the roof of the building will serve as a Tsunami Refuge Area for the local community in the event of another tsunami. The roof has been designed to hold 1000 people at a height of 15.5 metres about ground level.
 
Construction of the centre started in early 2010 and we hope to see the building open in January 2011.