Hosting NGO
DALAA (International Volunteers for Social Development Association)
Contact person
Supannee Kaeovichit, Incoming coordinator
Project Place
Kuan Mai Bong village, Cha-Uat district, Nakhon Srithammarat province
Remark for Period
3 months participation from 02/01, 05/01, 08/01 and 11/01 is possible.
Background
Local/ social situation/ needs for the project
The project was started from nothing but motivation and solidarity in 2011 by the initiatives of a local environmental activist, Pi Ju (Mr. Surasak Yentua) along with support of Kuan Mai Bong villagers and DaLaa pilot volunteers. Its objective is to focus on participants (kids, volunteers, and locals) to be aware of importance of staying self-sufficient in their environment and to respect it as a vital part of their life. This atmosphere is the basic key of the site that everyone can feel and learn from. Volunteers are working/learning in the week and spreading their experience/feelings with local kids who are coming on Saturdays. We believe the growing temptation of parents to send their kids to study in the city (for “better education”) and the dream of some young locals to leave their village for the consumption world can be refrained by organizing activities, learning and sharing with volunteers from outside. Volunteers are at the same time students and actors of the project.
Name and description of the local host
Since 2011, Pi Ju has supervised this project to create a kind of model of sustainable garden. Thanks to great help from the locals and volunteers that they managed to build most facilities to welcome people to live and visit. There is now adequate availability of food from the vegetables garden, and fruit trees which already planted. Food Autonomy is indeed vital to man and Alternative Education is important as well as to give kids the possibility to learn some basic skills of life that are often neglected at regular schools.
Aims and expected impact of the project
- Support Roy Wan Pan Pba project
- Experience and see the importance of “Food Autonomy and Alternative Education”
- Build good relationship between volunteers and local people
- Let children be familiar with volunteers and learn in international/multi-cultural atmosphere
Main voluntary work
In general, daily activities for volunteers are taking care of vegetables and plants grown in the area, harvesting vegetables and fruits for daily consumption, as well as helping out in family’s daily tasks such as preparing meals, doing dishes, keeping the whole area clean, etc. Normally, the volunteers will work between Apart from this, there is still some construction work to be built on/ repaired in the project area. As part of the team, volunteers share great support to the local project to help keep the project site and its landscape in good order. One of the school plans concerning the campaign of agricultural self-sufficiency is that people will no longer need to buy food from a market but to grow or to raise whatever edible and make it into meals for their families.
On Saturdays, about 10-15 children from the village will come to the project to do activities with the volunteers from 9a.m.-3 p.m. Volunteers decide together how the activities should be conducted. The opportunities are endless: teaching different subjects such as Basic English, art, agriculture, games. The kids vary in age, the youngest ones are approximately 7, and the oldest about 17. If you know any activities worth arranging for the kids from your country or any teaching ideas, please bring supplies you may need with you.
Approximate working hours: 4-5 hours/ day, depending on the condition of weather.
Accommodation Location
Type of building: Small wooden hut
- Sleeping: Sharing with other vols.
- Meals: Cooked by vols. & locals.
- How and how long to go to work: Work within the project site
- Smoking: Only outside building
- Internet access: Internet café outside the village (once in 2 weeks)
Location
Roy Wan Phan Pba is located in a mountainous village of Ban Tad Mountain Range, 16 km away from the main road reaching up to the mountain. The villagers are mainly Buddhist and most work on their own rubber plantations, fruit orchards and some works in the city.
Terminal
- Nearest international airport: Hatyai International Airport
- Transportation from the capital or other major city: You can reach Hatyai through Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur or Singapore by plane, night train and night bus. The price can be very different by plane (minimum 1200 Bahts), the sleeping train from Bangkok is 600 Bahts, the bus 800 Bahts; It may be the same price through Singapore and a bit cheaper from Kuala Lumpur. The project is 2 hours north from Hatyai.
Other activities
You will get chances to see local ceremonies and a few visits to other villages or local temples. During free time, volunteers can spend time on their own to read or do craft activities.
Qualification for volunteers
- Required: Strongly recommended to come with motivation to work with the nature physically and mentally, being able to handle the most basic living condition with limited facilities, to handle the spontaneous working environment, and rather to stay the distance from civilization because there are few chances for town as it is not easy to go out often. Volunteers should bear in mind to work in a team, everything shared, and responsibility taken equally. Above all, full involvement in community matters is a must. Volunteers should be able to conduct activities with children by themselves or with other volunteers.
- Preferable: Bringing ideas or some game materials from home country may be very helpful.
Attraction for volunteers
Experience of growing their own food/ of doing activities with children/ with Thai culture and language/ with living with Thai community
Financial condition
- Participation fee to the host NGO: 24,000 THB for 3 months (8,000 THB per month)
- 18,000 THB for 3 months (6,000 THB per month) for those coming from less expensive countries where the annual GDP per capita is less than 10,000 US$.
Meetings
- On arrival training: 2 days on arrival introduction at DaLaa office in Hatyai
- Special care during Project: One DaLaa staff stays from Wed.-Sun. in the village. There’ll be also visits from other staff or Thai members regularly.
- Evaluation meeting: 1 day at DaLaa office or in the village, depending on your convenience
Other remarks
Open to Non-Asian if the places are not full at 2 months before the starting date.
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