Blue Elephant

Blue Elephant Restaurant welcomes disabled and HIV positive children from a local orphanage for a five star cooking and dining experience

Sathorn, Bangkok, 11 June, 2010: The Blue Elephant, one of Bangkok’s most prestigious fine dining institutions kindly hosted the children from the Camillian Home, a local orphanage providing care and treatment to HIV/AIDS and disabled children for an afternoon cooking class. Sandra, Carl and Noor Steppe, the founders and owners Blue Elephant were there to personally welcome the children and to make sure things ran smoothly.

The children got to make sum tam, spring rolls, chicken satay and banana pudding. The chefs were out in full force assisting each child with his/her dish. The ingredients were all prepared before hand in order to facilitate the children, many of whom are blind, partially paralyzed, autistics, and in wheelchairs.

After a busy afternoon in the kitchen the children went downstairs to the private banquet room to have lunch. There were many gasp from the children as they had never seen such a beautifully decorated room; Full of fresh flowers, antiques and old pictures of famous people.

After the meal, Rat, one of the children living at the orphanage that is blind, played his acoustic guitar and sang a traditional Thai song as way of thanking the Blue Elephant team for this wonderful day.

Big

Athicha or (Big) is a  little child who come to live us on November 4th, 2008. Big is 4 years old. He had a health problem when he was born which left him with disabilities. He can’t walk even though he is 4 years old. His legs are small and he is developing slowly compared to other children. He also has a problem with speaking. But he is clever, recognizes people and is happy to be cared and stay with a people.

His parents are divorced. His mothers name is Priyachat. She has found a job working in a beauty salon in Pattaya. Because of Big’s disabilities she couldn't take good care of him. So she contacted the Social Work Department to find a place for Big. The social worker suggested to her the Camillian Home in Lat Krabang for his care. His father is also unemployed. And lives 500 km away in the east province of Srisaket. Now his father has to find a job so he can take care of another child.

At first on his arrival to the Camillian Home it was very stressful for Big because of the new enviroment and new people, but day by day as with most newcomers to our center they settle in and the center becomes a natural home for them. He has now settled in at the center completely. It now feels like his own home because here he has a big family, like parents, sisters, and brothers. Everyone loves his presence. He's a big rascal with a cheeky grin and loves attention!

Through the daily physical therapy program Big has shown big improvements (pun intended). He's able to crawl on his hand and elbows and his legs are slowly regaining strenth and mobility. We hope that within the next few years he will eventually be able to walk and feed himself.

Camillian Home Video

See our Home in Action.

Camillian Social Center Rayong

Camillian Social Center Rayong was established by Father Giovanni Contarin in 1994 when the St. Camillus Foundation committee realized the need to provide care for rejected people living with HIV/AIDS