Chiang Mai Orphanage Project - Thailand

The Chiang Mai Orphanage is home to around 45 children and provides them with shelter, support, food and education. The fantastic difference with this particular orphanage is that they are looking at ways to increase their funding by initiating projects of their own. Already they grow much of their own food and have a pig breeding programme (thanks to Imaginative Traveller's P.I.G. Project).
We really believe in giving people a hand up as well as a hand out and this orphanage is truly a deserving project. Our regular donations further assist the orphanage with supplies of washing products, toys and other equipment. It is possible for us to arrange for our travellers to visit the orphanage should you wish to make an on site donation.

As the beneficiary of our very first P.I.G. donation, the Chiang Mai orphanage became an official 'Imaginative Traveller' sponsored project in 2003. Most travellers are given the choice to visit when in Chiang Mai and the orphanage has benefited from many kind donations of food, supplies, washing products, equipment and toys from travellers on our Thailand Encompassed, Wilderness Adventure & Fabulous Thailand (Family) trips. Aside from donations on our bookings forms, travellers have also given considerable cash donations directly to the orphanage.

In August 2003 we donated 10,000 baht (approx £150) from the Responsible Travel Fund to buy one male and three female mountain black pigs to enable the orphanage to start a real breeding program. In addition to the pigs the donation also paid for a metal birthing crate which prevents the mother from squashing the piglets when feeding. The piglets will be sold to tribes people - or back to us to donate to other hill tribe villages.