January 2, 2001
WC CARE Friends in deeds Thailand's relentless pursuit of economic growth and industrialisation has left much of the countryside in ruins. Four unsung heroes, recently honoured with a Khon Dee Sri Sangkhom Award, are among local leaders who have dedicated themselves to helping revive their rural communities Easing the Aids epidemic SUKUM JAIPITAK Aids volunteer Aids volunteer Sukum Jaipitak. After seeing many of his fellow villagers commit suicide or isolate themselves because of incorrect perceptions about Aids, Sukum wanted his community to realise that people with HIV and Aids can still live with their families and friends. 'Do not lie" is one of the five golden rules of Buddhism, but when Sukum Jaipitak, 48, lied to his wife and friends about being infected with HIV, it was for a good reason: he wanted the HIV patients in his village to open up to him with their problems and the agonies they were facing. In Ban Pa Daeng Luang, Maesai district, Chiang Rai province-like other villages in the North-the outbreak of Aids came with consumerism and the unhindered drug trafficking in the Golden Triangle, the border area of Thailand, Burma and Laos. After seeing many of his fellow villagers commit suicide or isolate themselves because of incorrect perceptions about Aids, Sukum wanted his community to realise that people with HIV and Aids can still live with their families and friends. First, he joined the People and Community Development Association (PDA) as a volunteer to help educate members of his village about HIV and how people get infected with this deadly virus. In 1996, he established the Fighting Aids Centre, as part of the Fung Sai Group that he set up single-handedly. The centre provides HIV patients with information on medication, treatment options and funds offered by public and private agencies. Sukum also donated land to the group for members to practice organic herbal and vegetable gardening. He hopes that through various activities organised by the group, the poor and HIV patients can earn steady incomes. The group does not only assist villagers in Ban Pa Daeng, but also many Burmese who were evicted from their homeland because they have Aids. The group worked with other agencies to create an education fund to support children who lost their parents to HIV and severely afflicted patients who cannot help themselves. To strengthen community ties, he started a credit union run by the villagers themselves. Members have the opportunity to borrow from the fund at only three percent interest. The interest earned is used to set up emergency funds for HIV patients, the needy and village orphans. In order to halt the spread of the disease at its roots, Sukum realised he needed to start with health education in schools. Therefore, every summer the centre invites youngsters to join many activities from sports events to an Aids camp, which allow teenagers from Laos, Burma and Thailand to learn more about this fatal, infectious disease and the dangers posed by drugs. The centre is open around the clock to attend to the needs of more than 300 HIV patients, and thanks to Sukum's dedication, the community is now growing in strength and focus. Putting handicrafts to work PLEUM SHUKONG Handicraft master Pleum Shukong: "Given great overseas interest, handicrafts can provide our youngsters with a fortune. In my opinion, they can help rescue our economy from crisis." 'Rice-farming communities in our country have nearly collapsed. Each time the rice-growing season arrives, farmers must run to the bank to borrow more money and sink deeper into debt," said Pleum Shukong, 60, of Tambon Chai Buri, Phattalung province. His home village was no different until Pleum showed the community how handicrafts could come to their rescue. It began when he saw coconut shells lying about like useless junk. An expert in hand-woven handicrafts, Pleum had the idea to turn the coconut shells into kitchen gadgets, such as rice spoons and spatulas. The products sold like hot cakes. "In our village, the coconut shell products give us a sustainable income that helps free us from debt," he said with pride. It was in 1982 that the village products caught public attention. The Provincial Agricultural Office held a fair for local housewives to display works made from local materials. The Chai Buri booth was a big success. Within a year, Pleum expanded the village product line by creating home tools and decorative items from coconut shells. Starting with only 3,000 baht, the group slowly gained popularity by taking first prize at a national competition at the Bangsai Handicrafts Center. After taking home the award, the fame of coconut-shell products spread far and wide. To feed the increasing demand for coconut-shell products, the group recruited more people from neighbouring villages and established the Chai Buri Handicrafts Centre. From local knowledge in handicrafts, the recycled products are now on the shelves of leading department stores in more than 20 countries worldwide. At present, the community earns a fruitful income of approximately 3 million baht per year. To sustain the handicraft business in his community, Pleum passes on his wisdom and skills to the younger generation through various short courses for those who are interested. "You have to have a heart for what you do," Pleum says, explaining the most important rule to his students. Since 1986, he has been invited to many schools as a guest lecturer and expert on coconut shell handicrafts. "I think the handicraft business is self-sustaining and should have more emphasis in schools. Given great overseas interest, handicrafts can provide our youngsters with a fortune. In my opinion, they can help rescue our economy from crisis."For more than 20 years, Pleum and the hundred families of Phattalung have been living proof. Build it and they will come SOMPONG MAJAN Farmer's market developer Sompong Majan: "[I want] to make it possible for the Isan people to return home from the cities and to help one another improve our villages with our own hands." Sompong Majan, 52, is hard to miss. Big, stern, intelligent and confident, he is the leader of Ban Nong Charoen, Maha Sarakham province, and the founder of the Waeng Nan Farmers Group. Ten years ago, with support from a non-governmental organisation, Sompong quit single, cash-crop planting and began mixed farming instead. He was among some 100 farmers from 14 villages in the area who joined a mixed-farming group. The group bought grain from members at higher prices than those offered by merchants. The government supported the group with 2 million baht in funds to build their own silo for storage. In addition, the group also cooperated with other public agencies to improve their quality of life, such as by digging ponds and breeding fish. Sompong also believed that the group needed to invent their own marketing strategy. Without a reliable market as an outlet for produce, farmers were often exploited by middlemen. In 1994, Sompong and nine other members, with just 9,000 baht, built a market place out of used steel and corrugated iron. At that time, many expected the market would soon turn into another worn-out shack. Six years later, though, the market is still up and running and supporting more than 1,000 households in Tambon Waeng Nan and Tambon Nong Pling. The spaces are rented to local vendors for the minuscule fee of one baht per day. Apart from setting up a local market, Sompong also created a community savings group; part of the interest was used to set up welfare schemes for members. At the age of 52, Sompong said that he is still far from achieving his ultimate goal in life. "My mission is to follow the footsteps of the late sage, Acharn Buasri Srisoong, the founder of Oom Choo Thai Isan Group. I want to make his dream come true-to make it possible for the Isan people to return home from the cities and to help one another improve our villages with our own hands." Sompong looks at the future with hope and faith. "It doesn't take just time to recoup losses. It takes a strong belief in what you do." The Khon Dee Sri Sangkhom Award was set up in 1989 to honour local community leaders who have worked selflessly to improve the livelihood of neighbours. The award is supported by the Village Foundation, the Thai Rath Newspaper Foundation and Morakot Industries Co. For more information about the award and past awardees, contact the Village Foundation. Address: 230/52 Vibhavadi Rangsit 2, Din Daeng, Bangkok 10320. Telephone: 276-2172, 276-5635, or fax 276-2171. Making the ordinary extraordinary SONGSRI SRICHAOVALITDECHA Community entrepreneur Songsri Srichaovalitdecha, community entrepreneur: "We want to help the poor to live a better life, and when the gap in society is minimised, we all can live happily." 'Every cloud has a silver lining, so the saying goes, and those words of wisdom certainly hold true for Songsri Srichaovalitdecha, 44, the leader of the Housewives Group in Ban Nong Poh, Ratchaburi province. In 1993, Songsri organised a small group of housewives in her neighbourhood to start a small business. At first, they made salted eggs that won them prizes in many competitions. The secret of their recipe was their use of soy sauce residue instead of using salted soil to cover the eggs, as is traditional. Not long after, however, other groups copied their products and sold them under the Ban Nong Poh label at a very high price. The taste, though, was much inferior to the real thing. A damaged reputation and higher costs soon forced the group to stop producing the salted eggs and move on to another project: Thai black coffee, or the O-Liang beverage. The group's tasty black coffee became popular in no time, while other beverages on the market suffered a loss of marketshare. "A group of tax officers also make the same kind of drink as our group, but their black coffee is not as good as ours. Therefore, they arrested us for not having a licence from the Food and Drug Agency. It's so unfair-their black coffee didn't have a licence either," said Songsri. The group refused to give up, and continued to come up with new products like noodles, curry pastes and sauces. "We got raw materials from local farmers here, and we made different products with our traditional knowledge. It is a small industry that helps locals to stay alive," Songsri explained. Today, the Ban Nong Poh Group offers a wide range of noodle products like noodles made of brown rice and vegetables, to feed the growing market. Over all, it took Songsri seven years to manage and improve the group's products and marketing. Part of the profits are used to provide health benefits for members. Building up group strength, Songsri has extended her network by joining other groups of housewives in nearby provinces to share information and exchange products. For those who wonder about the formula for the Nong Poh Group's success, Songsri and members say they stick to three principles: the qualities of each group member, such as honesty and teamwork spirit, comes before quantity; constant learning of members through regular meetings and field visits; and an aim toward building local pride and the welfare of the village. "We want to help the poor to live a better life, and when the gap in society is minimised, we all can live happily," she said.		Daily Main Entrance Page Local News Business Outlook Weekly IT news Horizons Travel NiteOwl (Trink) Real.Time Motoring Student Weekly Entertainment & Lifestyle NEW!Breakfast in Bangkok Holidays online What's on Dining out Recipe of the week Movies Music Book Review Beauty Fitness Nutrition NEW! 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