The Home of Charity was officially inaugurated on November 15, 2009 and provides free on-site care, rehabilitation and education for children with physical and learning difficulties. Our aim is to provide our children with an opportunity for future independence. The majority of our residents are hill tribe children from Northern Thailand. Most are from the Akha tribe, others are from Karen, Yao, Hmong and Lahu. Many children come from poor and broken families.

We also work hard to improve the quality of life for children with special needs, whether these are physical disabilities or learning difficulties. We believe that these children should be afforded the same opportunities as others and endeavor to ensure that their needs are met and that we are inclusive.

Health care and physical rehabilitation is the main focus of the Home of Charity and the needs of our children are varied. Each child has neurological complications and many of our childres medical difficulties are from birth or in their early years. Children may be born at home with their mothers not receiving any pre or postnatal care; others have long-term side effects from illnesses that occur in early childhood.

Each child has a tailored physical therapy program which often includes the use of our aquatic therapy pool and all staff have been trained to conduct each child‟s method of care. Most of our children have trouble ambulating, so the Home of Charity requires sufficient staff members in order to help our children achieve their goals. At present, each staff member is responsible for a maximum of three children. It is incredibly rewarding for staff to see how many months of repetitive stimulation improves the children’s physical ability.

•  To provide children with disabilities in North Thailand with free health care and physical rehabilitation.
•  To ensure children with disabilities have equal access to a good education.
•  To train and empower children with disabilities to become self-reliant in the future.

In addition to the physical therapy program, we provide a well-rounded program to stimulate and educate the children. The Home of Charity has registered as Home School, it does follow a general teaching curriculum that has been tailored to suit the children’s abilities.

The Home of Charity relies on the enthusiasm, expertise and education of its volunteers and care providers to teach the children and share knowledge. In addition to teaching Thai, English, mathematics, computing and social studies, our children take part in a number of activities designed to challenge them to think and play constructively using cognitive and physical skills. Research shows that all of our children are happy and enjoy following the schedule.

The Home of Charity provides support for children living with learning or physical difficulties that primarily have developmental delays. There are 10 skilled care providers working directly with our 20 children that take part in their everyday care, educational programs and exercise programs.

We also welcome the support of enthusiastic, energetic and talented volunteers. Volunteers help with hands-on teaching, care-giving and general management. At any one time we can accommodate a maximum of four volunteers, most stay for a minimum of one month. The Home of Charity has been fortunate to receive support from a wide range of skilled volunteers, from English and art teachers to physical, behavioral and occupational therapists – all of whom were able to share their knowledge. As such, the benefits we receive from having volunteers can be seen not only in their short-term impact, but also the long-term value they add.

We also encourage visitors to the Home of Charity and Camillian Social Center. It provides a great opportunity for all of our children to meet and interact with others.

In addition to helping the children to live a moral, ethical and fulfilling life, the center also teaches children about living life through religion.

There are 21 full time staff members working at the Home for Disadvantaged Children and 2 university student volunteers.

The Home for Disadvantaged Children has four main buildings including a girls’ dormitory, a boys’ dormitory, a school house, and a dining/event area. The grounds are quite extensive including a football field, a basketball court, a tennis court, fish ponds, and a small orchard. The center has two large trucks for transporting the children to and from school daily.

They especially enjoy competing in our own “Olympic Games”, where they are divided into 6 groups and compete against each other for prizes. The outcomes of these events are shared with parents and the community. Other activities the children enjoy over the weekend include gardening, playing football and participating in special lessons.

The purpose of the center is to prepare children for life, giving them the opportunity to fulfill their potential and gain the necessary skills to attain employment in adulthood after they leave the center. The center helps the children in different ways as they progress through their education. When the children complete their primary school education we collaborate with other centers and organizations to ensure that the children are able to continue attending school. We arrange frequent visits to see the children and contribute financially towards clothing, food and other necessities.