Camillian Home

Photo taken by: Agron Dragaj

OUR MISSION

"Provide Children Living with Disabilities the closest achievable experience to a normal family and creating a barrier free environment for people with disabilities and their families”

Camillian Home is a registered non-profit children's charity operating on behalf of the St. Camillus Foundation of Thailand in the area of Lat Krabang, Bangkok. The Home was initiated by Father Giovanni Contarin, an Italian Priest who has done extensive work for the poor in Thailand since 1987 It targets orphaned and abandoned children who are living with disabilities. Many of whom are also living with HIV/AIDS. Managed by the St. Camillus Foundation of Thailand, children are brought up and taught values based on their own beliefs and cultural backgrounds. Everyone is free to express and follow their faith, whatever it may be.

Situated in Latkrabang in the outskirts of Bangkok, it is a unique facility designed to allow each child to receive specialized care and treatment in an environment that encourages and develops the capability of each child, regardless of the severity of their condition. The children are stimulated mentally and physically thanks to a full-time staff of caretakers, physical therapists and a resident nurse. Therefore, even an eleven year-old girl who is blind, autistic, wheelchair-bound and orphaned is now living a life in which she smiles and laughs every day.
   
The Camillian Home is one of the few facilities in Thailand dedicated to caring for these abandoned children in a family atmosphere, and it aims to serve as a model in caring for vulnerable children with special needs. Significant work is also being carried out for disabled people living in the community. Disabled people and their families often face embarrassment, discrimination and misconception from the general public. As part of an integrated approach, our medical and social workers support disabled people living in the communities by providing medical care, adaptive equipment, training and importantly establishing long term personal relationships.

The Home receives very little government support, but instead survives on the generous support and donations from individuals and corporations.

*2011 saw the implementation of a Security and Child Protection Policy and Guidelines, which is operational at the Camillian Home in Latkrabang, Bangkok. This document is for those staff, volunteers and visitors, who are unsure of the correct procedures in operation at CAMILLIAN HOME, and for all staff, volunteers and visitors to have a better knowledge of the security and child protection policies.

Children Projects

The operations of Camillian Home consists of various activities, such as activities to stimulate development that correspond to children’s age, rehabilitation through physical activities, meditation, self-help training activities for daily routines, activities that promote socializing, physical therapy, art therapy, and other therapeutic activities. These activities benefit the children in terms of development. Over the past  years, the Camillian Home operations have seen an increase in patrons. There are more resident children and day care children (children who visit during the day and do not reside at the home)

• Non-formal education
• Occupational training
• School for the blind
• Physical therapy
• Medical and health care services
• Counseling
• Basic daily living skills
• Instrumental daily living skills
• Day care
• Art therapy
• Music therapy
• Social activities

Helping Our Community

People with disability in developing countries are doubly disadvantaged-first by poverty and then by social and economic exclusion.. Overcoming the obstacles facing people with disability is often challenging. Physical, cultural and economic barriers are not easy easily broken down. Beliefs and attitudes that marginalize or ignore people’s diverse needs and skills are difficult to change

For our part Camillian Home takes a leadership role in promoting sustainable development through advocacy and practical on the ground action.

• Training of volunteers to take care of PWDs living in the community
• Vocational training of families of PWDs
• Family counseling services
• Survey and identification of PWDs
• Coordinate registration of  PWDs with the government sector
• Providing basic living items
• Home modifications
• Providing adaptive equipment
• Training of care givers
• Training in basic health care  and physical therapy
• Advocacy on national level
• HIV education
• Facilitating access to professional medical care