Millenium Development Goals |
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Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
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Achieve universal primary education
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Promote gender equality and empower women
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Improve maternal health
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Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
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Ensure environmental sustainability
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Develop a Global Partnership for Development
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Here at ADRA Thailand we are passionate about the dignity of human life and the rights of all to certain basic opportunities. We are committed to the achievement of the UN Millennium Development Goals, and believe in giving a hand up – not just a hand out. This is reflected in our tag-line “Helping People Help Themselves.”
Networking is essential for the lasting success of any development project. That is why ADRA Thailand works together with local Government agencies, other NGOs, the King’s Royal Project and village communities to achieve lasting positive outcomes.
Integrated Community Development Approach
The Adopt a Village – Integrated Area Development Project utilises an integrated community development approach, in which communities’ needs are addressed using the most sustainable, participatory, local, and efficient approaches possible. Although project design is quite complex due to the work implementation across multiple sectors simultaneously, it allows for sharing of resources and support for cross cutting and overlapping issues. By targeting all villages within two neighbouring mountain valleys or “catchments”, costs can be contained and catchment–wide systems of collaboration can be developed to continue locally driven development initiatives post-project. -Helping Others Help themselves.
Previous Experience
ADRA Thailand has been working in the hill-tribe communities of Wieng Pa Pao and Mae Suai districts of Chiang Rai since 2005 with an integrated rural development approach in its Community Development Project (CDP) and Sustainable Livelihood and Agriculture Project (SLAP), tackling the issues of poverty and livelihood insecurity. The positive results from these projects, combined with lessons learned during implementation, led to the planning for an expansion of an integrated program into poverty afflicted villages in adjacent hill-tribe valleys in 2 subdistricts or “Tambons” of Mae Suai district.
Surveys and Project Design
In preparation for this project, ADRA Thailand engaged in extensive survey, planning, and design activities. Needs assessments were conducted through written surveys (household and village level detailed livelihood analysis questionnaires), formal (open community meetings) and informal discussions / consultations which informed the final project design. Extensive consultations with government agencies responsible for the target areas were also conducted to ensure a collaborative approach and sustainable result.
To determine needs, and assess accurately poverty levels and priority areas of action, surveys (including household and village level questionnaires) and community consultations were conducted in 15 hill-tribe villages of the Mae Tam and Mae Yang Min mountain valleys or “catchments”. These 15 hill-tribe communities are officially classified into 7 village clusters or “Moo” (see below map) with the 10 villages of Mae Tam within Tambon Tha Ko and the 5 villages of Mae Yang Min within Tambon Sri Toi.
ADRA Thailand has worked previously in 4 other villages in the upper Mae Yang Min valley within it’s 2005-2009 Community Development Project (CDP), while the Mae Tam valley has had almost no contact with either government or NGO development agencies.
Needs that ADRA will address in this project are categorized as either
• common to all communities (“main” activities), or
• “community specific” activities (only conducted in most at-risk communities, or adjusted according to each community’s needs).
In order to reach the goal of sustainable and resilient communities, ADRA Thailand is addressing the needs identified (see the Hilltribe Village Life / Needs section) problems in the Mae Tam and Mae Yang Min catchments by first ensuring basic physical needs are met (health), basic rights are attained (citizenship and land rights), more secure livelihood options are available, and as well as establishing long term leadership and systems / structures who/which will be able to engage and manage the project supported development process in their communities and take responsibility to continue to sustainably develop their communities into the future.
The project’s approach, therefore, has four main areas of engagement:
1. Improving basic health levels through provision of sufficient clean water access and upgrading sanitation facilities as well as assisting in improving capacity of local village health volunteers and upgrading in-village basic health care and referral systems.
2. Strongly advocating for attainment of basic rights, mainly citizenship, land, and child rights, all of which are a necessary foundation from which villagers can begin to build up the quality of their lives.
3. Improving existing livelihoods (mainly by partnering closely with the ‘Royal Project’ that has opened an office base in Mae Tam catchment and is focusing on improvement in sustainable and nature friendly agriculture techniques and approaches), offering alternative income generation opportunities (based on local resources and interests), and increasing financial self sufficiency (through community savings and credit union establishment and revolving funds management).
4. Building capacity of key community leadership and structures (mainly the Village Development Committees), in order to allow the communities to more effectively solve their own problems, locally manage development inputs and directly link with outside assistance and support (both government and non-governmental sources). This project will be strongly focused on human capacity building so that individuals and communities can effectively take charge of their own development process, engaging in participatory decision making and collaborative effort in implementation (as outlined in the attached Appendix F).
A Project Office will be established near the two target catchment areas, out of which will operate 10 management and technical staff, with another 9 staff based in the target communities as ‘community mobilizers. For optimization of resources and efficient work implementation, many activities will be conducted in 6 village clusters or “Moo”. Two of the 7 clusters (M4 Pang Kwai and M11 Bala and Makham Pom of the Mae Tam valley in Tha Ko subdistrict - see map in attached Appendix A -) will be merged for logistical / target population size purposes. The project staff will have a balanced representation across different ethnic groups, age, and gender in order to reach out to the wide range of persons in the target communities. During the initial phase of project implementation, an intensive orientation and training for field staff will be conducted to ensure that they are skillful facilitators and able to elicit ideas and solutions from the communities (bottom up and participatory approaches), instead of pushing ideas onto them (top down approach).
The ultimate goal of this intervention is that communities will be enabled to manage their natural resource base in a sustainable manner while obtaining a secure and adequate livelihood within a “sufficiency economy” paradigm – a balanced development philosophy promoted by the highly respected Thai King.
Future Plans:
After the completion of the implementation of this 2.5 years project phase, a follow-up project phase shall continue to mainly focus on explicit capacity trainings to continue improving the weakest areas of development within these communities, and ensure a smooth transition for ADRA Thailand to gradually withdraw from these target groups. This will enable the communities to receive ongoing guidance and support on their way to a much more self-sufficient and sustainable lifestyle without being dependent on external agencies.
The planning for the follow-up phase shall start at the beginning of the second project year to have a clear picture of the expected capacity growth of the different communities and to ensure needed funding in time. The duration of the follow-up phase needs to be decided during the planning process, but a further 1.5 – 2 years will most likely be necessary and most appropriate. A two-phase approach is believed to be more effective, and ensures better project results as even a three-year project duration (one-phase model) for a community development project at this size seems to be too short.
It is anticipated that after ADRA leaves these communities that they will be able to develop further utilizing their own structures and resources.
Thai Government community classification requires a minimum population to be considered as an official village. In mountain areas with small communities, neighbouring communities are joined together as a village clusters or “Moo” in order to meet minimum population requirements – in some cases grouping larger lowland Thai communities with one or more upland hill-tribe communities.
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Micro-Finance and Credit Union Establishment |
Village based credit unions allow communities to have more control of their finances and can provide much needed capital for appropriate small business ventures and social support (such as local educational funds for the poorest in the village). ADRA Thailand, in conjunction with the Credit Union League of Thailand, has successfully assisted many previous Adopt a Village communities to establish credit unions within their villages. Management teams are set up to manage the funds and formulate the local credit union policies and regulations. The Credit Union League of Thailand then conducts establishment and systems trainings at the village cluster level. This activity links closely with the alternative income generation and organic fertilizer production activities.
A seed (or starting) fund will be provided for all 15 target communities to use to invest in an agreed upon agricultural scheme, such as animal husbandry (pigs, chicken, and/or ducks), aquaculture (fish ponds), community owned rice mills, or other similar options. The seed fund will be used to purchase initial inputs (livestock, fish, rice milling equipment, etc.), which will be repaid by the locals to the community credit union according to an agreed upon timeframe. ADRA will provide technical trainings (using Chiang Rai Agricultural College or other related partner agencies for resources and facilitation), and follow-up support for the venture that the community chooses. This approach allows the communities the option of setting up a smaller scale venture (such as animal husbandry) for only their own community, or grouping together with nearby communities to invest in a larger scale project (such as rice milling). |
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Citizenship Assistance and Land Rights Advocacy |
Since citizenship is a necessary foundation when trying to plan for one’s future, a key part of the integrated community development model will be to advocate, as well as to assist when needed, for citizenship rights. Experts give key community members legal training, and general trainings about citizenship laws and processes are open for all community members that are interested. ADRA assists with such costs in cases where villagers do not have financial means to support the process (including, when necessary, DNA testing). Key community members are invited with ADRA staff to citizenship advocacy network meetings, to keep up to date on the latest information and changes, as well as to share resources and information. Of course close coordination is required with the pertinent district officers in order to increase the efficiency of ADRA’s efforts.
In both catchments, a lack of land rights / certified occupancy rights and land tenure security reduces the meaning of true ‘long term planning’ and talk of ‘sustainability’. Thailand’s land rights and use policies are complex and continuously changing, making it difficult for the average person- let alone the various ethnic hill tribe groups- to understand and attain their rights under the law. By engaging land rights experts from within their NGO network, ADRA Thailand will facilitate workshops about the legal system, the various levels of land tenure occupancy rights and procedures to obtain these rights. This issue requires close coordination, frequent communication, and skilful navigation among the various related Thai agencies which include the Forestry Department, Land Use Department, Royal Project Foundation, and local government authorities. Thorough research and understanding of the history and previous agreements in the local areas is essential for success in this important area. |
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Water Security and Sanitation |
After conducting extensive surveys of existing water systems, ADRA Thailand has prepared detailed water systems installation and/or improvement plans, with schematics and material estimates, for each of the 15 target communities. The systems are designed to meet the expanded needs due to population growth in each community. Communities with the most pressing needs are given priority, and it is planned that it will take up to three years to complete work in all communities. Concurrent with water system installation / upgrading, water management committees are trained to manage the operation and maintenance of each system. In addition, training is provided on improved water conservation (particularly on protecting the source) and, in some cases, advise about water meter installation as part of the management system (where communities want to have a users pays per volume system for maintenance fees collection). Water system maintenance and specialized repair trainings are given to skilled persons in each community who are part of the water management committees, to ensure proper maintenance for the water system in the future.
ADRA aims to install latrines in households where no latrines exist (ADRA Thailand provides the toilet bowl, septic tank and cover, and cement for floors - villagers provide the labour and structure around the toilets). After a second round of surveys, ADRA will provide repairs for badly damaged and currently unusable latrines. Along with maintenance and repair trainings, Health and Hygiene Field Coordinators conduct sanitation trainings in each community to encourage proper use of the toilets and water supply systems.
In order to ensure adequate, clean water is available for household usage, water source areas are rehabilitated and conserved. In the five communities near at-risk water sources, environmental situation analyses of the forest will be conducted in order to best strategize for specific conservation activities. Following this analyses, seedling production and nurseries for indigenous species will be initiated. Finally, conservation activities such as tree plantings and water source area rehabilitation will be implemented where appropriate. It is important that activities of this nature are coordinated with the Forestry Department and Royal Project, in order to build up sustainability and share resources most efficiently. |
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Health, Hygiene and Nutrition Education |
Currently, the Mae Suai district Public Health Department works in the target areas through community health volunteers. ADRA’s focus is on supporting existing Health Department systems through upgrading community health volunteer’s skills and upgrading existing community first aid kits (or establishing them where they do not exist). ADRA, in conjunction with the local district health department, provides information and training on community specific health issue such as malaria, HIV/AIDS, and dengue fever. It is possible for improvements in community health systems to occur through better communication, and greater understanding of the local context / attitudes towards medical care. |
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Youth Groups and Life Skills Training |
Youth groups of various levels of involvement currently exist in six of the targeted communities. In order to increase the sustainability of the project, and empower the next generation of leaders, ADRA is supporting the continued development and enhancement of these existing groups. Youth groups typically consist of recent graduates or drop-outs from middle (up to grade 9) or primary (up to to grade 6) schools who, for a variety of reasons, are not able to continue their formal education, but have no clear direction or means to navigate the rapidly changing Thai society. These groups receive basic life skills training and are encouraged to identify activities they are most interested in. ADRA provides trainings on proposal writing and assist the groups in preparing proposals for funding on topics of their choice. This increases their skills and capacity to make lasting change in their communities throughout their life, as well as a fun way to target issues that are important to them. Other skills development trainings are identified in conjunction with ADRA’s Capacity Building Officer. These youth groups also coordinate and participate in the organised Child Rights and Protection activities. |
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Child Rights / Protection |
Adult participation in order to ensure child rights and protection is essential in encouraging child-safe spaces within the villages ADRA is working. Activities such as the establishment of “Watchdog” groups, which operate in each community to observe any risk situations for trafficking or abuse, and take appropriate steps to ensure the risk is removed are part of ADRA Thailand’s approach in this sensitive and important issue. Staff working at Early Childhood Community Centers in each community or village cluster are also trained on the importance of child rights and preventions, as they are key persons involved with watching after the young in their community.
In order to assist in the awareness of child rights and protection issues, youth from each village are directly engaged through Life Skills trainings, -providing coping strategies for real-life situations which may occur, as well as information about successful ways of engaging with modern society while avoiding harmful situations.
Youth Exchange Forums will allow the youth an opportunity to comfortably voice their opinions and ideas. A youth “Watchdog group” will be established in a similar manner to the adult version, but using the youth to observe situations which adults may not have access to. Support will be given for students that “drop out” of school and are back in their communities, to allow them to continue their education in the Non-Formal Education system, and ensure their right to a basic level of education.
Finally, Child Rights Day events are supported and participated in at the District level to raise awareness of Child Rights issues. All of these activities are coordinated with the Youth Groups within the local communities. |
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Alternative Income Generation / Product Processing and Value Adding |
Agricultural schemes “Seed Funds” or start-up funds are provided for all 15 target communities to invest in an agreed upon agricultural scheme such as animal husbandry (pigs, chicken, and/or ducks), aquaculture (fish ponds), community owned rice mills, or other similar options. The seed funds go to purchasing the initial inputs (livestock, fish, rice milling equipment, etc.), and are then repaid to the community credit union according to an agreed timeframe. This way the villagers realise the double benefit themselves, whilst seeing the assistance of ADRA as developmental and not just charity (“Helping People Help Themselves”). ADRA also facilitates technical trainings with partners such as the Chiang Rai Agricultural College etc, and follow-up support for the venture that the community chooses. This approach allows the communities the option of setting up a smaller scale venture (such as animal husbandry) for only their own community, or grouping together with nearby communities to invest in a larger scale project (such as rice milling).
Product Processing With ADRA’s assistance and encouragement, and after extensive consultations and discussions to identify potential income generating products, most local communities decide on a product processing / value adding venture that is of interest to them, and can capitalize on local resources and knowledge. Local organizational structures are setup for ease of operation and smooth administration. Next, interested community members gain experiential learning through field visits and study trips to other successful projects. After this, technical and capacity building trainings are conducted to prepare for production, and then the necessary materials/ equipment/ resources inputs are provided by ADRA. Finally, production, packaging and marketing of the products produced is conducted and linked with catchment marketing groups and structures. Evaluations of lessons learned and ways to improve each product is conducted a short time after production and marketing begins. Through experience we have found that this is often a very socially engaging way of generating further income for the community whilst helping retain and increase their local knowledge and skills. Of course it usually ends up being a lot of fun as well!
Organic Fertilizer One such initiative that has direct positive benefits for the villagers and their own health and production, as well as economic benefits through supplemental income generation is the local manufacture of organic fertilizer. Following initial technical trainings, management teams are established and links with the local credit union and other alternative income activities to assist in communal and individual economic independence. ADRA provides the initial funds for the grinding/processing machines and equipment, which the communities involved pay back the cost of to their local savings / credit union funds. The fuel and maintenance inputs are provided by the local participants themselves, with rice husks from the community rice mills, and manure from the animal raising activities form the major ingredients -making this a truly integrated activity! This activity is perfectly suited to the six communities with the greatest soil degradation issues.
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Village Development Committees / Catchment Associations |
Village Development Committees (VDCs) will be established and/or strengthened in each officially recognised village cluster or “moo” that ADRA is working with. These committees will link closely with the existing leadership structures at both the community and sub-district (Tambon) levels, and are key to the sustainability of ADRA’s interventions in the target communities. With representation from all age groups, ethnic groups, and both genders, these committees aim to be truly representative of the community structures. These Village Development Committees will be the responsible entities for coordinating the development process within their communities during project implementation, and more importantly, carrying on the programs after ADRA leaves. In order to build the capacity of the VDCs, visits to successful models will be facilitated, and the ADRA Capacity Development Officer will conduct trainings in management topics as required and identified as useful by the committee members themselves.
Catchment Associations will provide a forum for larger-scale catchment wide issues, discussions, and decisions- such as land use planning and natural resource conservation, potential to increase product marketing opportunities, and strengthening the communities’ political voice. Membership of the Catchment Associations will be drawn from the Village Development Committees. Close coordination will be maintained with the Subdistrict Administration Offices, with meetings held once every two months to avoid burdening community leaders with too many meetings. It is hoped for catchment exhibitions and fairs to be established by the Catchment Associations on an annual basis, beginning in the second year of the project to share experiences and current catchment activities with outside groups. This will increase the unity and broader vision of their catchment areas. |
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Educational Scholarships / Trust Funds |
One of the factors that contributes to the issue of Human Trafficking is low levels of education, and lack of choices for children who cannot afford to go to school. Parents who struggle to find the money to pay for transport and basic education costs are more susceptible to the idea of allowing their children to go to the city and work for people they do not know and in occupations they cannot verify. ADRA’s “Adopt a Village” – Integrated Area Development Project is an official partner project of one of ADRA Thailand’s other key projects tackling the human trafficking issue: “Keep Girls Safe” (KGS). As well as providing a welcoming shelter and support for girls who have been abused or are at high risk of being trafficked into the sex trade, ADRA Thailand’s “Keep Girls Safe” project also focuses strongly on community awareness and education of the risks associated with human trafficking. The implementation of protection mechanisms and systems to reduce the occurrence is also involved. One component of this activity is community scholarships for children from very poor families whose children are unable to attain the basic human right of access to basic education. These children are consequently more susceptible to dangerous influences and pressures because they cannot afford to send their children to school. Strong linkages between ADRA Thailand’s “Keep Girls Safe” and “Adopt a Village” projects mean that children identified at risk within the villages of the two targeted catchment areas are eligible for funding and educational support through the “Keep Girls Safe” project.
Families/guardians of children who are entitled to receive financial support in order to enable them to continue with their education, are being constantly followed up by the KGS education staff to assess the situation and to indentify if a change in the family/guardians home situation would allow for them to take care of the girl’s education by themselves. In most cases this change is unlikely to happen by itself, and involves financial/vocational planning trainings to facilitate them in finding sufficient income opportunities. For each assisted case, guardians/families are obliged to participate in these courses and to show real effort and participation in order to become more self-sustaining and work towards taking on more of the responsibility to assist their girls appropriately. They understand that this KGS support is not a “free service” for an unlimited period of time, but is only granted when significant effort and participation by the guardians is shown, and will end as soon as the socio-economic situation of these households has improved.
For more information on the “Keep Girls Safe” project please view our video on youtube, contact us, or visit our website at www.adrathailand.org |
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Environmental Protection / Forest Reclamation |
Each year thousands of forests and fields are burned at the end of harvest to prepare for next year's planting. Often burning fields causes unintentional destruction of surrounding forest land. The dry season is the time of year when fields are burned. Usually late in the season when there has not been any rain for several months. Top cover in forests is also often intentionally burned to cause firebreaks or to gather ash for fertilizer. This agriculture technique is long standing and hard to change even though many farmers know this "slash and burn" policy is not healthy for both the community and the forest or self-sustaining to village life.
ADRA Thailand is teaching these communities how to better manage fire break maintenance and replenish forests and hillsides which have been destroyed with agriculture workshops and providing tree saplings to replenish these areas. |
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