Huai Wad 2012

Huai wad village was involuntary relocation from their homeland under the government policies on war of drug and  Tham Pha Tai National Park in 2003. The Lahu at Huai wad faced many difficulties  to live their life in the new place. Poor soil and lack of water and sources of income generation were the main challenges.

Have been working together there for some  10 years. We saw  some babies grown up before our eyes. They were the young kids working actively with us on water projects in 2010. Such a great thing!

We visited Huai Wad in April 2012, feel good to be back with many smiling faces of our Lahu frends again. Some familiar faces disappeared as some passed away and some moved to other villages.  The young kids grown up to be guys and girls.

It was a good and happy time to meet them and discuss with them again after some months of  busy works  which keep us lost contact with them.

Our friends stop growing rice as they can earn more from corn. They buy rice from local people in the villages nearby. They open new land more and more for corn plantation to get more and more money. Many trees were cut down  many new houses were build and there were many new small trucks in the village. Also they built fences around their houses. They stop thinking about set up hill water to the village. The head of the village metioned to us that "The hill water is for hill people, we are now people in town so we better look for electricity and tap water".

The journey of  IDPs oat Huai Wad  is going to a turning point. The future is based on what they priactice and decide today. Still a long way to go and more to learn.

Wiang Klang Moo 21: Another water storage in need



The village of Wiang Klang Moo 21 is composed of some 131 households and some 600 population of Lisu and Kon Muang groups. We did a few surveys in a Lisu village. The existing dam capacity is not enough to provide water to the village especially in dry season.

 

Wiang Klang Moo11: How to increase water storage capacity?

 
Wiang Klang Moo 11 is located in Tambon Mae Kao Tom, Muang District, Chiangrai,Thailand. There 219 households and some 1025 people living in the villages. The population of the village composed of Akha, Lahu, Lisu, Lua, Thai  people from Isaan and local nothern Thai. There is a hill water system in the village but not enough dam to storage water. Sopeople face  lcak of water during the dry season usually begins from February to June. A few survey were done together with the villagers  for an additional dam to store water.

A new chapter of my journey, still a long way to go

Journey with the IDPs in northern Thailand is a long and endless one for me. However I do enjoy what happened along the way. Many changes in the IDPs communities which make their living easier. Many more people as students, researchers,monks, businessmen, lecturers, villagers. lawers, educators, and engineers both in Thiland and Australia joined me along the way. Then we gradually formed a group of volunteers named "Dai Dai Dai " team for our working together. It was very interesting and  enjoyable working in the multi - cultures of  Thai- Australia- Lahu-Akha- Lisu- Kon Muang , etc.

Now  it is not just only a journey with the IDPs as more villages in need of water keep contact  us, also some more topics as  undocumented people, commuity rights  are involved. More networking at local, regional and international are learning and sharing with us.

We then decided to register our foundatin named "The Sustainable Community  Foundation" which aims to  enhance and support 1) the development of highland communities with sustainability 2)  the development of projects on small potable water resources in the communties 3) the development of alternative agriculture and farming system 4) the education service for highland communities 5) the participatory process of community  for research and community studies.

Now the Sustainable Community Foundation is registered legally. Wow ! such a great thing to us. At this transitional period, we realize  more taskes and more chanllenings. So it would be good to involve more younger generation as well as the ethnice highlanders themselves to carry on the taskes together.

I hope to see a group of volunteers to carry on working together and more ethnic highlanders being self -relianced at the end of the journey. Even I am not sure I still be alive to see such beautiful thing.

This  is a new chapter of my journey and still a long way to go! 

Wandering in Yogyakarta

I spent a week in Yogyakarta with many academic, professional staffs and activists who work and experience in Human Rights, Peace and Conflict Resolutions. We learn and share and also tried to set up research projects related to HR and Peace and Conflict Resolution. It was a good time for us.

However I usually think of my IDPs friends and i really want to bridge the knowledge and experiences from my friends with the situation in the IDPs communities. If that could be achieved... I think it will be very helpful and useful for them.

The Journey of Stateless Students

Some of my students are identified as stateless. These vulnerable students have to work harder along the journey of their education. They are unhappy under the stigma of "stateless" as some people make fun of them.

Usually these students are from poor families. Unfortunately they can not apply for study loans and scholarships. Also it is always risky for them to travel between their homes and the college. Some were captured at check points and have to pay some money to be free. It is funny to me that some officers do not recognize the students identity cards.

Some students are successful for their studies and get jobs. That should be the end of the stories. But they still have another problem. They usually get less income than the degrees they earn. The only reason for this problem is that "THEY ARE STATELESS PEOPLE".

The journey of stateless students is quite difficult with many problems and discriminations. How can we help making a better chance for them?

Water management at Huai Lu

 

We got to know another Lahu village named Huai Lu. The Lahu villagers set up a good water management to their plantation area which designed as a countour rice field some years ago.

They look after the system and maintain the canal to their plantation areas every year. They contribute their own budget for work on this community's property.

Recently there was a big flood and the canal was broken. The flood affected the rice field of 15 farmers. They were not able to contribute their own budget to fix up the broken canal.

We agreed to fix up the broken parts of the canal together by utilizing the available budget, ideas and labours with them. We hope they can grow some crops this dry season after the canal is kixed up.

Water management at Huai Lu is already existed and was functioned well with their local wisdom and community cooperations. What we do is just a small thing. .....A small thing which we belief will create changes for the better.