Heifer Thailand

Tonight I had the pleasure and privilege of meeting the Director of Heifer International Thailand, Pramote Eua-amnuay. It was an awesome experience. Needless to say, his English was much better than my Thai (which is non existent). Pramote was in the States to meet with people in the national office and, to meet some of the regional staff. Fortunately, Heifer has an office in Atlanta. So, I went to meet and hear this man speak of the wonderful work they are doing in Thailand with Heifer...

The big project they are working on is in northern Thailand. The project is called Project Help - an acronym I can't remember the meaning of. Basically, Heifer is working with hill village people in remote areas of northern Thailand. They are working with small animals - frogs, rabbits, chickens, fish. They are teaching the villagers how to raise chickens, how to use all the products available from all the animals - including chicken dung. The chicken coops are built over catfish ponds - the chicken dung falls into the pond, grows plankton and the fish eat the plankton. The eggs and fish provide protein for the villagers. They are also teaching the villagers how to raise "kitchen gardens." With the money villagers save by growing their own vegetables, they have been able to start saving their money in banks. Most of the villagers wouldn't get credit on their own, but because of Heifer, they are able to take advantage of banking relationships that would not otherwise be available to them. Additionally, Heifer is working in conjunction with several other partners (i.e., the Rotary) to build schools for the villagers to send their kids to. Because some of the villages are so remote, they have also had to build hostels for the kids to stay in - they even have lights in them.

Each country that Heifer is involved in develops their own programs using the Heifer models. They use local people to run things - taking advantage of connections within the country and communities. Each country is able to utilize resources and partnerships they have within their own country. The emphasis is on sustainable development at the regional level.

It was unbelievable to hear this man speak of the corruption in the cities and with the politicians - how many of the children end up being sold as a way for their families to make money, how kids will turn to prostitution and drugs and move to the city just to make money. He also mentioned that the villagers don't have the right to own land so the government can come in and take whatever they want, whenever they want.

I think the most amazing thing is that there are 19 leper colonies in Thailand - most of them located in the villages - keeps everyone separated. Kids of the lepers are so afraid of the stigma that will be attached to them, that many just leave their homes and families. I don't even know how you get leprosy - hell, I can't even freaking spell it.

Pramote also spoke of how funny and sad it is now that the tsunami relief people (the NGO's - that's exactly how he put it) have left. According to Pramote, he said the NGO's came in waving lots of money, giving it to people without expecting them to do anything, without guidance on how to rebuild, develop a master plan on development and then, they were gone. Fortunately, groups like Heifer have come in and are now working with people on developing master plans - utilizing the resources they have, figuring out what resources they don't have and eventually, taking the responsibility to manage and improve their own lives.

Going to meetings like this remind me of why I am involved! It reminds me that there are a whole lot of people who are working their butts off, on a daily basis, to imrove the world. I leave humbled by them and grateful for them, and it renews, my spirit and mind, to do what I can.

Oh another note, I left the house quite pissed off...I had asked my 16 year old to go with me tonight - I have always enjoyed his company. He couldn't be bothered. It really pissed me off. Right now, he's a spoiled rotten East Cobb brat who has everything given to him, has way more than he could ever need, use and he refuses to step outside himself for a few hours preferring instead to sit in the comfort of his home and play on the computer and play his bass. Anyway, when I got home, he asked all the right questions...and I told him that I thought he owed it to himself to go to outside events so he could experience, vicariously, what is happening in the world around him. It is so important for kids to realize that what they have is amazing compared to over 50% of the world - hell, let me go out on a limb, 75% of the world.

Gotta go to bed. I bike early in the morning.

www.heiferthailand.org

Nancy