Eco Friendly & Fair Trade Jewelry

NOTE: Tom is currently in Thailand until July

In this world of instant communication, no limits travel, fast food, a global economy, and a great abundance of all consumables, at least for those of us who have unfettered access to it in our country, it’s hard to imagine that in a small corner of the world in Thailand, a man is struggling to make ends meet for his new family, to keep his late wife’s dream alive, and to keep his four elephants healthy and content until the end of their natural lives. I had the honor of meeting this man in December 2007 when I visited the Elephants and Friends Rescue Camp near the little village of Nonghoi, Thailand.

The camp is tucked into 50 acres of river lowland and jungle about 17 miles from Kanchanaburi, Thailand, the town known to many for the bridge over the River Kwai that was built by prisoners of war during World War II. The land is lush, beautiful, and serene, belying the nearness of such a dark history. And also serene are the rescued Asian elephants who have been given a new home there. Seeing them being bathed in the shallows of the river or munching banana leaves contentedly nearby makes one think these majestic and expressive animals have known nothing worse in their lives.

I arrived at the camp in a well-used pick-up truck driven by Suphot “Phot” Nadee, the owner who strives to make this little camp the place his late wife had wanted it to become. I ended up at the camp through my own desire to help Thailand’s treasured elephants and give something back to the country of my birth and childhood.

As we drove in, I saw the very basics of the small elephant camp that Phot is trying to create – four small guest huts with thatched roofs and bamboo screen windows and, well, not much else. But what I also saw was pride in Phot’s face for what he was doing. He beamed when one of the elephants came into view. And I knew he wished for his late wife to be there beaming along side of him and welcoming their camp’s guests.

Dominique LaMour started her work with elephants as a volunteer. She did not know it would change her life. A native of the Netherlands, Dominique had traveled extensively through many Asian countries to work as a volunteer to help with the local elephants because of her love for the animals. She dreamed, though, of moving to Thailand to live and become a real mahout, the word for an elephant trainer and “driver” in Thailand. When she decided to follow that dream, moving to Thailand and working full time as a mahout, many of her friends and family had doubts. First, there are simply no female mahouts, let alone a “farang,” or foreigner mahout there. But with perseverance and her apparent love for the animals, Dominique made it happen and along the way met and fell in love with Phot. They married after spending a couple of years working as mahouts together, and Dominique gave birth to a beautiful girl, Areepri.

Both Phot and Dominique were unhappy about the ways elephants were being treated at the camps where they worked. They wanted to create an elephant refuge where the elephants no longer had to work and where they could live a happy life among other elephants and people who care for them. They worked hard to find someplace they could make this dream a reality, and in November 2005, they found it. Elephants and Friends was born.

Shortly after they began the rescue camp, though, a tragedy befell. Dominique passed away suddenly and unexpectedly on March 15, 2006 – she was only 27. Phot’s love for his late wife kept him dedicated to continue the work they started together and to continue Dominique’s dream. Friends and family in Belgium and The Netherlands started a foundation to raise money to help support this cause. Phot found that the first piece of land, which they leased for the camp, was simply too small for his five elephants and not able to sustain the necessary food production for them. He needed a bigger piece of land. Luckily, a land owner who also had older elephants that needed care approached Phot, and they came to an agreement on a larger piece of land. Phot now leases just over 50 acres for three years for his camp. The agreement provides an option to purchase the land, but the purchase is huge for the foundling camp – around $300,000 in U.S currency. Phot is now working to find the means to purchase the land, but the funds needed to do so leave him with a lofty if not unreachable goal for such a small organization.

Phot works to raise additional funds and obtain volunteer help at the camp by offering stays there for those who want to come and learn about and be near the elephants. In return for the modest overnight fee, the accommodations are quite simple, but the hearts and graciousness of the hosts, both two- and four-legged, add riches.

I spent two days with Phot and his staff and shared the guest accommodations with some visitors from the Netherlands and New Zealand. They were young adults traveling through Southeast Asia. I stayed in one of the very rustic bungalows they have for such visitors and volunteers. There is no electricity to the property, save for that provided by generators six hours a day, no running water, no telephone, no internet. But at night, when the generators wind down, the peace of only the jungle noise is musical as compared to the accustomed discord of our normal lives’ electronic humming, vibrating, chatter. And Phot’s enthusiasm was infectious. The ensuing sense of accomplishment replaced the need for those Western luxuries. Our basic needs were met, and we focused on why we had come.

We helped with several projects around the camp – Phot and his staff never lack for things to do. While camp visitors are not required to help, the staff is quite grateful for a helping hand from any who are willing – from bathing the animals to building new facilities. Bathing elephants is one of those experiences in a lifetime that is almost indescribable. I rode on Malee, a beautiful female who came to Phot’s camp with a wounded foot that had not been treated properly at her former camp. I guided her (or maybe she simply carried me) into the water. Once in, her joy in frolicking around was evident. She would dive headfirst under water and emerge, splashing it everywhere. I scrubbed the dirt from her head and back and I found her joy infectious.

All of us bathing the elephants that morning reveled in the task, which did not seem like a task at all, swimming and playing with the elephants by the end. To sit atop such a great creature and to know that they are willing to move where you ask and that you help give them care is simply awesome. At the end of the day, caring for these gentle giants, helping Phot to make a home for them, I knew I wanted to help more, and I knew something of what Dominique had been touched by. I felt a great sense of accomplishment, but I also felt the weight of the vast task ahead of them to make the camp into what Dominique dreamed it would be and to upkeep it and care for these huge animals every day.

To make a larger contribution than I could by giving my time at the camp, I came home having resolved to dedicate a portion of the proceeds from sales of my silver jewelry business, www.elementalsilver.com, to help Phot, Areepri and their elephants. My goal, in fact, is to raise the funds necessary to both purchase an electric pump for the camp to have running water and – probably more critical – raise the funds for Phot to plant and raise food for the elephants. While I was at the camp, Malee broke away from her chain and ended up in a nearby sugarcane plantation. While she had quite a good time and ate her fill, the plantation owner was not so pleased, and the episode was costly for Phot. Thus the goal for the camp to be able to raise its own food and have plenty for the elephants is a priority. To accomplish this, they not only need the farm machinery and seed, but also additional labor to tend the crops and advisors to help them know the best crops to plant, how to rotate and make efficient use of the land and growing seasons.

If you would also like to donate to this unique and wonderful organization, you can do so directly through their website mentioned below, or you can donate directly to one of our two projects, sending your donation payable to Elephants & Friends, Attn: Tom Pongpat;  5095 Ritter Road, Suite 114, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055. If you’d like more information from me about the projects, please e-mail me directly at tom.pongpat@newhorizons.com or call 717-791-0200.

Visitors are welcome and encouraged at the Elephants and Friends rescue camp. But those who plan to follow my lead and that of others who have come already should be prepared for rustic, not regal accommodations. Phot and his staff have created a cozy place for visitors and have tried to ensure basic needs are met. The beds have mosquito nets, the bath and toilet facility serves the purpose and does include a modern toilet. But the shower is, as they describe it, “Thai style” – pouring a bucket of cold water or two over your head in a private area made for it. With the heat of the Thai jungle, cold water is quite welcome. They graciously provide guests three filling meals a day, but the food is not to be anticipated as a culinary experience. Anyone wishing to stay can visit the camp’s website, www.elephants-friends.com, for information on booking a visit, or call Phot Nadee at (0066) 0858475996. They do request reservations for those wishing to stay overnight because of the small number of people they can accommodate per night.

Above it all, no matter the simplicity of the accommodations, the lack of the expected connections to the world with phones and internet, the simple fare, the volunteer work, there are the elephants. They are the reason to visit, and they will simply steal your heart.

Note on the author: Tom Pongpat was born and raised to the age of 11 in Bangkok, Thailand. He still speaks and writes Thai, and returns to his home country at least once a year to visit family and to make an impact where he can. He owns four successful information technology training companies in the Eastern United States, and as he mentioned, has a side business he began selling Thai-made silver and stone jewelry on the Internet. He and his wife Kim, a conservation biologist by education and strong supporter of this effort to help the Thai elephants, live on a small farm in south-central Pennsylvania and raise alpacas with their three dogs and two cats.