📝 Detailed information
🏢 About the local organisation
SHORT DESCRIPTIONLang Ai Mee community, from the remote and mountainous area of South Thailand, is seeking volunteers to support their action of preserving harmonious relationships within the community, with the environment and the world. Their position in the watershed of Cha Uat river gives them the responsibility to preserve the forest so clean water can flow continuously through the valley. Their fights against the government who declared the place as a national park and tried to evacuate them in the past make their group strong and determined. Nowadays, they show actively that they are able to take care of their environment. The new learning centre started by the police border patrol and the sister of the Thai new king is now taking care of the education of the local children and volunteers would be greatly appreciated to support with foreign language and activities exchange.HISTORY and REASONS OF THE PROJECTLang Ai Mee is a mountainous village of Nakorn Sri Tammarat province, Cha Uat district, part of Bantad Range Mountain. It is the watershed area giving birth to Cha Uat river flowing through the town of the same name and until the Chinese sea in Pak Panang district.The first people came to live in this area in 1963. Its a good area to plant rubber and fruit plantations. One of them was named Mee and gave his name to the village. In 1972, The government declared this area a national park and since then tries to forbid the villagers to live there and to use the natural resources, arguing that villagers are destroying nature. (The same government who allowed before some companies concessions to cut all the forest-rich trees species to sell abroad.)Since that time, the villagers, about 60 families at that time, gather to fight against this decision and to prove they can live in harmony with the forest, nature and can take care of it. Many volunteers activities have been going on in the village and now the community is very strong and responsible. In 2002, they create a group Ton Rak Paa Ton Nam which could be translated by Love forest and watershed to gather now 157 families and 463 people. They made agreements together to preserve the forest, animals, water, trees, and organize activities together. In 2014, the police border patrol helped to start a local school so children can have education all the year along. In 2015 and 2016, DaLaa volunteers situated in Roywan Phan Pba project close to the place joined often activities with the school and the villagers. The princess and donators made it possible to create a new and beautiful learning centre for the local children in the village (called the school).After Roywan project was stopped in 2016, an active member from Lang Ai Mee, P Com and an active teacher close to the villagers, Crue Prakan, contacted us to request more volunteers to join their activities.AIMS of the PROJECT1-Exchange and learn language and culture with the local community.2-Support the local group: Love forest and waters
💼 What the programme involves
1-Learning centre (=school): exchange language, activities with kids. The school will adapt to each volunteers skills.2-Join and exchange activities about the local culture, occupation (fruit and rubber farming, using local material to make crafts like brooms)3-Take care of the forest and watershed: plant trees close to the river, look around for seeds species, tree nursery, and small dams to keep humidity4-Join with the women group to make processed food from the forest: chilli sauce, kind of palm fruit to boiling
🏠 Accommodation on site
Volunteers have their own house with a small kitchen. There will be a simple mat, pillow and mosquito net. You will need to bring a sleeping bag - more bedding materials could be an option in case you are not used to sleeping on the hard floor. The volunteer will be close to the neighbour family who will take care of them for everyday life including buying food, security and transport. During activities at school (most school days), the lunch will be offered there. Local people eat rice (or noodles) 3 times a day with side dishes like curries, omelettes, local leaves and vegetables. They agree to adapt to volunteers needs and tastes using the ingredients available there.
📍 About the location
The volunteers should be ready to stay in a remote area (in the middle of the forest), to adapt to the local conditions with only basic facilities and with very few people able to speak in English. The closest big village, Tung Chumpon is at 7km with a health centre, ATM, market twice a week and temple. Mai Seap is a bigger village at 16 km. It is the place to take the bus to and from the project. Pa Payom, is a town at 18km, where there is a hospital.Hat Yai, the main city of South Thailand (close to DaLaa office) is 2 hours by bus/minibus from Mai Seap.It usually rains stronger from November to January and the fruit season is in August to October.
ℹ️ Additional information
Fees for 2 month service : 20 000 baht
3rd month : 10 000 baht
4th month and after : 9000 baht