PHNOM PENH: Airavata Elephant Foundation held its annual charity gala at the Raffles Le Royal Hotel on 12 February, 2022. Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, they were unable to host the gala last year. Fortunately, with the guidance of the Ministry of Health, Airavata was able to host their fundraiser this year to help conserve the elephants in Ratanakiri province. This gala was also an important event to officially present to the world Noëlle, a female calf that was born late in the night of Christmas 2021.
Chenda Clais, co-founder and CEO of Airavata Elephant Foundation, said, “I started this foundation from my passion for elephants. Secondly, I worried about the loss of elephants in Cambodia, especially in Ratanakiri. Thirdly, I want to contribute to ecotourism.”
Chenda Clais has worked in the Hospitality industry for over 20 years. She first moved to Ratanakiri to start a hotel, but when she saw the declining quality of ecotourism related to elephants and how there were not a lot of standards on properly caring for the animals, she decided to take the matters into her own hands. She said, “The family has taken care of elephants since 2015, but Airavata Elephant Foundation was registered 6 years ago… At first, my family used our own money to buy elephants from the villagers who no longer wanted to take care of them because it takes time, money, and power to take care of the elephants. It would be hard for them to find food and shelter for the elephants, and so they would sell them. I was afraid that those with money would buy the elephants and move them to another province or country. So when people come to visit Ratanakiri, there seems to be a big empty gap. Because when you visit Ratanakiri, you’ll see lakes, mountains, farms, waterfalls, but miss the elephants, the loss of this is quite big, so that is why I started this. My family foots the bill for 100% of all the expenses. Until 2018, we received support from the Queen Mother, $20,000. Then we received another $20,000 donation from the Ministry of Environment annually. We also received support from many kind strangers who have seen our good work and how expensive it can be, so they provide help during our charity event. We have also received support from the Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Information, Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, and many other institutions including the private sector. Friends also help, of course, but it’s still not enough…” Chenda added that the expenses for the elephants are enormous, but “It’s [also] important to pay the staff, who take care of the elephants, well so that they can also take care of their family. Can’t ask them to do a lot of work without fair wages. There needs to be a balance.”
Notable guests at the charity gala include the Minister of Information, Khieu Kanharith, General Bouth Sopheap, Reth Sarita, Tim Rotha, Morm Vandy, Soriyan Hang, Suon Pisey, Satiya, LBokator S3 & Fight Company and many more. The night was filled with excitement over new MOU signings, contemporary dance, singing recitals, auctions, a Bokator show, and a fashion show. There were also small pop-up stalls from Faceline, Amara, Wing, Kampuchea Paramed, JEB, and Danama Tailor that pledged to donate 50% of their sales that night to Airavata.
When skeptics badmouth Airavata Elephant Foundation, Chenda says she likes to let the work speak for itself, showing a video of the work accumulated throughout the years. Moreover, the many people present at the event further proves the amount of support the Foundation receives. Okhna Sophea, an attendee, said, “I rarely miss this annual gala unless I’m out of the country. I want to inspire support because there are so few elephants and they are getting old. Not everyone can take care of elephants. It’s hard work So I want to show my support with donations every year. I want to inspire values in our country to preserve the elephants because everyone lives with nature. And elephants are a part of our culture and tradition.”
Also in attendance that night was former Miss Universe Cambodia of 2020, Reth Sarita, who was walking at the fashion show organized for the event. She said, “I fully support because I love elephants long before I know about Airavata. There are few elephants left in Cambodia, and so it’s important to take care of them. I met Ikeo two years ago and so glad she delivered baby Noelle whom I am excited to meet. That’s why I volunteer to walk the fashion show tonight.”
Also walking for the fashion show was model and actress, Tim Rotha, who further added, “I fully support everything that is Khmer culture related from elephants to clothing and more. So I see how valuable Airavata is and decided to volunteer to walk the fashion show to help raise funds for this foundation.”
Likewise, the S3 and Fight Company stated that they had visited Airavata in Ratanakiri and fell in love with the elephants. As a result, they contributed pictures for the auction and agreed to also perform at the event.
You can support Airavata by visiting their elephant camp in Ratanakiri. You can get involved in different activities such as bathing and feeding the elephants, taking them on a ride around the forest area, or training to be a mahout (elephant caretaker) for the day. You can also donate through their website www.airavata-cambodia.com.
