SAVE OUR RIVERS

Last year during September - October,  there was a big flood along Kok  and Sai river, Chiang Rai, Thailnd.  Both rivers originate in Myanmar near Thailand border. In 2025 the local communities along Kok and Sai river basin are facing another threat !   There are gold mining operations in Shan state which cause big deforestation areas. The operations  also release toxic wastes into the rivers.  

Water in the two river is very turbid and  contaminated with arsenic. The report of  Environment and Pollution Control offfice in Chiang Mai revealed the water test result that  there is 0.026 mg/l  of arsenic contamination in Kok river at a village located near the minings. The arsenic contamination  figures in both rivers are higher than the standard water quality index of 0.01 mg./l. The contamination affected local communities living along the rivers, aquatic animals and crop productions. Besides no remidy implementation for 2024 flood victms, there is no implementation of policy for early warning system, prevention and evacuation plan. Locals are now worried about the 2025 flood with toxic to their villages. 

Our rivers are  very sick ! How to be safe from the flood ? What to do ? Where is the safe place to go ? What will happen when people have to touch the contamiated flood? HOW TO STOP TOXIC WASTES FROM  GOLD MINING OPERATIONS IN MYANMAR ? 

(This article seeks advices for maechnisms against this international treat !)

Happy New Year 2025

Every year is a journey to create positive changes for vulnerable communities under the objectives of Sustainable Community Foundation(SCF.) Cannot come this far without the kind supports from friends and network. 

Walking alone can be fast, but walking together can be far !

 

Water and Human rights

Access to water and sanitation are recognized by the United Nations as human rights – fundamental to everyone’s health, dignity and prosperity. However, billions of people are still living without safely managed water and sanitation.

Marginalized groups are often overlooked, and sometimes face discrimination, as they try to access the water and sanitation services they need. Governments must take a human rights-based approach (HRBA) to water and sanitation improvements, so that no one gets left behind.

(https://www.unwater.org/.../human-rights-water-and...) 

Working together for a school affected from flood on Hill Water System

 In the middle of August, the SCF network in Mae Hong Son coordinate for helps  after a big flood. We, then spent September and Octobergoing to the sites  affected from flood. After supporting one school for school toilets,  providing learning materials and necessities to three schools, we worked with a school to plan for hill water system. 

The project will be implement together in during 5- 8  December, 24. This project is a bit challenge, besides as the project site is some  369  Kms from  the SCF office,  most of our Thai donors also affected from flood.  Luckily, our advisor in Singapore helped raising fund from friends in Singapore and the SCF team raised fund from a few friends to cover the cost of project materials.

The journey to create positive changes is coming soon !

Another journey to create positive impacts !

We left the SCF office at 6.30 pm on 3 may, 24 and arrived at Mae Khit village at 5.30 am. on 4 may, 24. After a short nap we started working together with the villagers to cope up with water scarcity at 8.00 am

 It was a good time to see  the SCF team and Karen at Mae Khit  learn and share together, and friendship building up along the way among them.  A very good time for self-development for all of us, including me! 

 Our working together on water system  was successful.  Six water tanks and water collectors are in places to improve water supply to the village.  However, the villageers must have a proper water management so everyone can  access to water all year round. .

We belief that the accessibility to adequate water promotes human dignity and led to a better sanitaion !

We left the village at 5 pm on 5 may, 24. All the working together completed. But our journey to create positive impacts is never ending.

A call for supports on "Mae Khit water project" !

 After a few online consultaions with Mae Khit's leaders in March, 2024,  we decided to go to Mae Khit to explore the water challenges during  8-9  April, 2024. It was a long and tired journey , but quite  fruiuful !

Seeing the real situations together with  discussions and consultations with Mae Khit team reflected  how hard they try to live with lack of water.  They have been contacting local organizations to help their water problems, but it was not successful.

Before leaving the village, we had an agreement with the leaders, we are going to  solve the water challenges with Mae Khit team during 27-28 April, 2024. We are going to provide materials and the villagers going to share their labours.

 Let' s join us to create positive changes at Mae Khit ! All kinds of your supports are very welcome !

 

Water challenges at Mae Keed village !

During 11-12  March 2024, we got contacts from leaders of Mae Keed village. They need us to support water challenges at the village 

        This Karen village located  at Mae Na Jang  Subdistrict, Mae La Noi District, Mae Hong Son Province, in the northern Thailand. There are 96 households in the village. The villagers relied on hill water system. The water head of the village loated at a hill, four kilometers  to the east of the village.

The water challenges at the village are; 

1)  At the village's water head  only small amonut  in dry season is  not enough for the 96 households. 2)The  pvc pipes transporting water from the water head to the village's water tanks are broken for dome 1.5 kilometers.                                                                                                                                  3) the village's water tanks are very old and some are broken and warer leaking. So the tanks cannot store enough water for the HHs consumptions.

We planned to go to the site to learn the challenges and how to over come the challenges with the village's leaders  in early April ! 

Would you like to join us ?

Mae Keed Village location

water at the village's water head in rainy season 

the broken pipe

 

water leaking from the tank