MEET CHANTAL FERNANDES, FOR WHOM HELPING OTHERS IS SECOND NATURE

✦ “Charity isn’t about pity, it is about love. Charity and love are the same - with charity you give love, so don’t just give money but reach out your hand instead.” - Mother Teresa

These wonderfully spoken words go a long way to describing one individual whose ongoing efforts helping others less fortunate displays a sensitivity and kindness of human nature that cannot, arguably, be measured or bettered.

For close to two decades, Chantal Fernandes has selflessly given and strived to help others who have often found themselves in desperate situations.

The UK native now resides in the island paradise of Phuket, Thailand, which she has called home for over 25 years. With a successful career behind her in hospitality, she was recently bestowed the position of Honorary British Counsel in Phuket, emphasising

how trusted and respected she is within the local community.

She started volunteer work around 2002 with the Life Home Project Foundation, a non-profit organisation that helps “women and children suffering from HIV/AIDS in Thailand to have a better life with a caring home, educational opportunities and access to treatment.”

However, it was the devastating Tsunami in 2004 that decimated numerous countries in the Indian Ocean region, leaving almost 230,000 people dead, that really impacted Chantal. Phuket was hit hard and she could not sit by and hear the woeful tales of struggle devastating her adopted home without doing something.

Support entailed getting hands-on with rebuilding efforts in local communities, specifically in the area that Chantal and her family lived, clearing rubble to make the area safe and to help with rebuilding efforts of houses and buildings.

The Good Shepherd

Several years later, Chantal got involved with the Good Shepherd Phuket Town initiative which offers a safe haven for vulnerable local children. Established by a nun, it grew from a small strip of concrete protected by chicken wire to a fully-fledged school for 240 pupils, providing education and a nutritious meal each day.

Chantal plays a key role in the operation of the school which includes all fund-raising efforts. Charity balls, quiz and bingo nights at local pubs, Christmas pantomimes and outdoor markets and two charity shops are just a few of the initiatives that she drives to help raise funds for the charity, in addition to managing outside donations.

She also lent invaluable support to local communities who were devastated by the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, which hit tourist-reliant Phuket especially hard. In April 2020, Chantal helped drive an initiative through the Good Shepherd that would provide care packages consisting of essential goods and food directly to the communities and worker camps. Many others, shocked at the plight of these forgotten people and communities, also stepped up and several food drives were established island-wide to help. They say in times of adversity that community spirit really shines through and this was one instance of exactly that.

“Naturally COVID was devastating,” says Chantal. “There is no getting away from that fact. However, in a strange way, it also served as a sort of positive in that it forced people to acknowledge the desperate reality facing so many in Phuket which in turn motivated them to help, to delve deeper into local communities to support those much less well off.”

We are living in extremely testing times where adversity seems to be staring us in the face at every turn. However, the old adage is absolutely right in that there is always somebody worse off, somewhere. Chantal Fernandes realised this many moons ago and has dedicated herself to helping those far less well off than her.

She genuinely is an inspiration, so humble when she talks about the fantastic work she has done and continues to do. She makes you want to be a better person and do more to help others. The world needs a lot more people like Chantal Fernandes right now...

More information on the Good Shepherd Phuket Town charity and how you can donate and help can be found at their website: