In a heart-warming Corporate Social Responsibility activity themed ‘Happiness Forward’, the QNET Thailand team took time off during the weekend to help out at an old age home for disabled and abandoned elders. Baan SiriWattanathum, the location where QNET staff were given the opportunity to uphold the core pillar of RYTHM (Raise Yourself To Help Mankind), is a nursing home run by an altruistic individual who never foresaw how big the project would become.
Glaa Siriwattanatum, the owner of the nursing home, was a chef at a high end restaurant in Hong Kong who gave up his career to take this up full time. The idea originated when his father fell ill and was hospitalised in a centre that also housed abandoned elders. In a bid to repay his father for all his care and love, Glaa and his dad struggled and succeeded in turning their own home into an old age home. They started 17 years ago by adopting 10 elders who were in the same hospital as his father. Currently they care for over 37 elders and take care of all their needs.
Most of the elders being cared for in Baan SiriWattanathum are feeble and bedridden, relying fully on caregivers for all their activities. QNET Thailand staff helped feed the 37 elders residing in the home and spent quality time talking, listening and bringing a smile to their faces. Since the institute is run with funds raised solely through well-wishers, with no government assistance, our staff also donated money out of their own pockets for the day to day running of the place.
Life at Baan SiriWattanathum starts at 4:30 am with staff taking care of showering the elders, preparing their food, handing out medication and spending time them. QNET Thailand staff were happy to take over one of the tasks and see what it was like to give of oneself fully. This activity added to our collective vision of Touching A Billion Hearts.
