Thai Children's Trust Ireland welcomes back Sister Joan

A reception, hosted by Adele Kierans, CEO of the Thai Children Trust Ireland, will take place in Dublin next week, for a very special person, Good Shepherd Sister Joan Gormley, who is on a rare visit to her native country after spending more than 50 years caring for marginalised women and children in south east Asia. During the evening Sr Joan will talk about her work now, with children at the Fountain of Life Centre in Pattaya.

Sister Joan was born in Dunmore, County Galway in 1933 and grew up with her seven siblings – five brothers and two sisters. She was educated at the Presentation Sisters boarding school in Tuam, Galway. During her time there she received a visit from two Good Shepherd Sisters from Sri Lanka. They impressed her so much that she chose to become a nun with that Order.

This calling has given Sister Joan the chance to travel the world, helping vulnerable people wherever she has been sent. . Following her spiritual training in France, and then nursing training in the UK, her first posting was in Malaysia. She was then moved to Vietnam in 1958 where she worked to help rehabilitate women who had been working in the sex trade. It became increasingly dangerous for the Sisters to continue their work in Vietnam and after serving there for 12 year, s the situation deteriorated to a point where it was no longer considered safe. Sister Joan returned to Malaysia and then went to Bangkok before returning to Ireland to study rural development. This two year programme equipped her with further knowledge to understand and assist the marginalised rural poor. Following this training she was sent to Nong Khai in Thailand where she worked with some of the most disadvantaged people in the outlying countryside for the next ten years.

In 1996 Sister Joan requested an assignment in Pattaya as she saw a great need for someone to work with the impoverished and exploited people drawn to the resort for work. When she arrived the Fountain of Life Children’s Centre was already operational, but was situated in a small overcrowded shop house. Following intensive fundraising the new Centre was opened in 2002.

The centre helps pre-school children, mainly from northeast Thailand, but also from neighbouring countries, who come to Pattaya with their families, seeking a better life. It provides a lifeline to over 100 children, providing healthcare, nutritious food, and access to education to give them a chance to break the cycle of poverty.

The reception for Sister Joan will take place at the Koh Restaurant, Dublin 1 on Tuesday 9 September 2014. from 6- 7.30pm. For more information on the work of the Thai Children's Trust Ireland, or if you would like to contribute to the work of Sr Joan and her community in Pattaya see: www.thaichildrenstrust.ie/