Baan Gerda

An HIV+ Orphan’s Right to Happiness…

… and a Wonderful Woman Who is Helping Them

‘JJ’ Jeremy Johanson

Yunko Von Stechow has everything in life, a wonderful husband, family, beauty, brains and talent. But rather than going shopping and vacationing, she has chosen to use her heaven-sent gifts to help others. As wife of German Ambassador, Andreas Von Stechow, she needs nothing for herself, so she makes money for others. In the past, she has raised funds for Bosnia war victims and victims of strife in Namibia. Now that she is in Thailand, she is turning her efforts to local causes.

Having already raised money for HRH Princess Galyani’s charities, this accomplished Opera singer with over 20 years of professional experience will give a Gala Charity Concert at the Oriental Hotel on October 28 2004, with the proceeds going to support Baan Gerda, a model community providing homes for orphans with HIV in a family-style setting and comprehensive ARV treatment. This project, under the auspices of the Children’s Rights Foundation, is based on the fact that every child has rights and it is our duty as adults to fulfill them. Children born infected with HIV are amongst those most deprived of their rights.

What started out a few years ago to be a project to give HIV+ children happy memories before they died, has become a haven of hope as the decline in medicine prices has given these children a new lease on life. They now laugh and learn like all other children. The very essence of living and growing up at Baan Gerda is very special and has intrinsically taught these children profound love, courtesy and respect. This is something that most other children in today’s society do not possess, and in itself, is a lesson to be followed.

If you love Opera, please think of joining the German & Czechoslovakian Embassies, BMW, Siemmens, Singha Beer and Wella for this special evening of popular Love Duets by Straus, Puccini, Mozart and Verdi.

If you love children, please help Baan Gerda, Oy, Looknam and the other wonderful kids. All donations are helpful, but if you can find the place in your heart for that special child, you can foster his or her happy existence for €100/month, including life’s necessities, medicine and doctors. Please remember that the more you donate, the more Baan Gerda, and eventually Baan Gerda II or III, can help more children to have a normal loving life.

Baan Gerda is a special place. Please visit to see for yourself!

	Junko Ohtsu-Von Stechow Soprano “If you were to see these beautiful children for yourself, you would also be deeply moved to do something for them. Just a hug from them and you know deep in your soul that this is a very worthy cause, helping them. My husband and I were very impressed by these children and encourage everyone to visit their web site and eventually visit Baan Gerda in person to see the wonderful life that these children have been given. Without our support, these children might not be alive today. But with our continued future support, not only these, but more children can be given a life that they deserve to have, full of love and caring. We all have a duty, a task, but since I cannot personally care for these children on a day-to-day basis, and yet I do care about them, I can do what I can do, which is to donate my talent as a singer, and money which will help them to survive. Everyone has their own way to help.”
	Karl T. Morsbach The Children’s Rights Foundation, Co-Founder of Baan Gerda “Originally, 15 years ago, we started making schools, because all children have the right to go to school. But then, six years ago, we thought that helping HIV children is even more important. So we shifted our resources to start Baan Gerda. After two years we had enough money to build two houses for the children. We didn’t know what the future would bring. At the time medicine was not an option, due to its high costs. So our idea was simply to give the children good memories at the end of their life, on their way to heaven. But, at around the time that the first children arrived, the price of medicine dropped dramatically, so we took in 6 children and 2 adults that we could afford to give medicine to. Soon, other children started to come and after a few weeks we had 14 children, and we had to build another house and find adults to take care of them. Today, we have 6 houses, a little village with 54 children and 17 adults, and we’re preparing to double this. We want to finish Baan Gerda with 100-120 children and 30 adults. It cannot be bigger or it will lose quality. We can maybe then make Baan Gerda II or take Baan Gerda as a model for others to learn how to organize this type of village. It is actually very complex, not only giving the children a healthy and happy life, but properly monitoring their medicine. So today we consider Baan Gerda as a bridge to the time that a cure for HIV/AIDS is found. Until then, they must be prepared for life just like any other children. A child has basic rights; not only food, but the love of a family to prepare for his future. It’s our duty to give all children this. I would feel guilty if I didn’t help.”
	Sheldon Shaeffer Director – UNESCO Regional Bureau for Education in Asia and Pacific “The dedication, love and spirit of the staff and the management of Baan Gerda have to be commended. The philosophy of Baan Gerda – “All children have a right to live, therefore all children with HIV/AIDS have the right to antiretroviral treatment” – is a solid one. The many examples of children who were dying when they first came to Baan Gerda, and who are now growing, playing, going to school and enjoying a childhood just like HIV-negative children, are impressive. Indeed Baan Gerda is right that the value of saving a child’s life and improving the quality of it cannot be expressed in numbers, let alone in money. UNESCO supports the scientific search for culturally appropriate ways of support in the communities where infected and affected children live, and for innovative ways to provide education, care, support and compassion for the growing number of children infected with HIV/AIDS. I therefore support the project activities of Baan Gerda, and welcome whatever support you can offer to it.”
	Looknam Resident – Baan Gerda (before and now) The story of Looknam is a typical story of a sick child coming to live at Baan Gerda. She arrived when she was two years old, not yet able to walk, very skinny with a huge distended belly, badly infected spots all over her body and oral candidiasis. While here symptoms suggested a low CD4 count, in actuality she had a reasonable 11% (311). After a specialist’s examination, Looknam’s prognosis was poor. Her liver and spleen were enlarged and she had protein deficiency, as well is being prone to all kinds of infections. For many weeks she showed no signs of improvement, but then slowly she started to get better. After six months she was believed out of danger and her CD4 increased steadily over 15 months. Then her CD4 fell slightly and her face began to change shape. She was suffering from Lipodystrophy, a common side effect that can occur after 2 or more years of D4T treatment. D4T was exchanged for AZT and since then Looknam’s condition has improved.
	Oy Resident – Baan Gerda (before and now) Oy came to live at Baan Gerda when his father started suffering from HIV related dementia and wasn’t able to take good care of him anymore. At four years old Oy weighed just seven kilos and it was assumed that he still had active TB. His CD4 result was just 1% (23), and he was emotionally disturbed and physically very unwell. Initial TB treatment barely improved Oy’s condition. He could not speak and was very vulnerable. Then an EFV based ARV medication was given concurrent to his TB treatment. At 6 months he was not much better and had not even learned to smile. Suddenly, after 8 months at Baan Gerda, Oy started to transform. His development started to accelerate and he became obsessed by food, he wanted to eat constantly. He was still frequently afflicted by with all sorts of minor infections, but more importantly Oy started to fight, to smile and get fat. 2 1/2 years later his CD4 is 14% (680), and although Oy is still very behind in his development, he improves steadily.