Lunch for the Burmese Learning Center

The Kuraburi area, and southern Thailand in general, is home to a large population of Burmese migrant workers. These hardworking people often come illegally in the hope of finding income and a better life.

Their children mostly lack access to education and adequate nutrition. Unlike so many other areas, Burmese children living near the Kuraburi pier are able to take classes at a learning center. The dedicated teachers at the center have requested our help in providing lunch for the children. Without a food budget, and barely able to cover teacher salary, the center needs our help to make sure the kids have a healthy lunch.

SOLUTION:

It costs less than $1 USD per day to make a difference.

Financial support is needed for cooking equipment plus ingredients for 90 meals a day, 5 days a week, for the nine month school year. The teachers would prepare the food and would receive semi-annual cooking stipends of 1,000 baht per month, shared between the cooks.

The lunch program will:

+ guarantee that children have one healthy nutritious meal a day

+ create community by bringing together teachers and volunteers to cook and then share a meal with the children

+ give the children an opportunity to learn roles and responsibilities during cooking, eating, and cleanup

+ alleviate the financial burden on already struggling parents

PLEASE HELP - YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE
QUALITY OF LIFE AND GENERAL HEALTH OF THE CHILDREN

NEEDS:

In total, we are aiming to raise at least 9 months (one school year) worth of lunch money. The cost of

feeding the children for a month is $1,250 (960 Euro), meaning we hope to raise a total of $11,000 (8,500 Euro).

Please contribute whatever you can, and together, we can do it!

Labels: community development, Southern Thailand Volunteering

Volunteer activity development

Labels: community development, conservation, Mangrove, volunteer

By Jo Quinn

Tie-dye –

One of the groups on the island does tie-dye projects to bring in additional revenue. The dyes are all natural and can be found all over the island. For example, the bark of the mangrove is used to make brown and pink dyes. The group also makes yellow and green dyes. Once the pattern is made, the cloth must sit in the boiling dye for two hours. From there it is taken to the cold water that has chemicals to set the dye. After soaking for another 20 minutes, the cloth is removed and dried.
The group is able to make many different patterns and an array of products. Many of the houses have tie-dyed tablecloths, curtains, and sheets. There is also a tie-dye display room, where the products are displayed and can be purchased.




Old lady who weaves –


There is an old lady on the island that supports seven people by weaving reeds. Many of her family members died of AIDS, and weaving goods is her only source of She can make bracelets, rings, purses, and bags in an array of colors to sell. Sadly she does not have a good grasp of finances and charges far less than the goods are worth - Bodhi encouraged us to pay more than she asked.

Labels: community development, community-based tourism

Ban Talae Nok on TripAdvisor

Have you visited Ban Talae Nok village as part of an Andaman Discoveries tour? Andaman Discoveries and the villagers alike proudly announce that Ban Talae Nok is now on TripAdvisor, where three people have already given the picturesque village top ! We encourage you to visit the TripAdvisor site, read the reviews, and provide your own feedback.

TripAdvisor.com is a free travelguide and research website that assists customers in gathering travel information, posting opinions of travel related issues and engaging in interactive travel forums. TripAdvisor is an example of consumer generated media. The website services are free to users, who provide most of the content, and the website is supported by an advertising business model.

Labels: Ban Talae Nok, community development, community tourism, TripAdvisor

In July, Andrew and Janice joined our summer study program ,for a month of experiential education and hands-on volunteering. The conservation-themed program included organic gardening in Ban Talae Nok, planting mangrove trees, helping control riverbank erosion, and helping with seagrass and turtle conservation at Ban Lion. Andrew and Janice have now returned to the University of California at Los Angeles, where they are sharing the knowledge and experience gained during their time with Andaman Discoveries. Thanks to them both for their enthusiasm and excellent community service.

Janice's blog: " ... We had dinner inside. Then I “showered” by scooping water over myself from a large basin of water to freshen up before bed. This is a little tricky when you are not used to it and takes practice. One more activity was planned for the evening. Rai dressed Andrew and I both in traditional Muslim attire. We learned that prayers are held five times a day, though not always at the mosque. We learned a greeting or way to say blessings upon you that uses words and hand motions. There is no alcohol in the village and no pork/pigs or dogs. However, there are a lot of caged birds, cats, chickens, ducks, geese, goats, cows, and buffalo..." read more on jrowland.blogspot

Andrew's blog : Part of my last week in Thailand was spent at a Buddhist temple. It was an enjoyable, while also an intense experience...mostly because I helped make a roof structure to shelter a group of students who would be studying at the temple for the weekend. We were able to listen to the monks speak to us and the students, and they discussed the importance of community and love in the world. Using a powerpoint presentation (the monks are surprisingly adept with technology, each having his own laptop and a digital camera to take pictures which are later uploaded on their website), they also talked about not getting distracted in life. In an age with beauty products, rock concerts, and advertisements telling us how to think and live, it can be difficult to understand what is really important. We need to stay focused, pursuing the things that we ourselves know is meaningful. We shouldn't feel as though we have to follow the grain of others. This is our life and we must live it as we see fit. I also realized, though, that I could never be a Buddhist monk. For one thing, they can only eat twice a day and never after 12pm. In other words, they have a really early breakfast at around 5 and then lunch at 11. After that -- nothing. In other words, I would die... read more on aimoncada.blogspot.com

Labels: community development, study program, study tours

The Youth Group from Ban Talae Nok continue to be models of sustainability. Pink, the group’s all-star leader, and her team are continuing the recycling program, and have begun making accessories such as pencil cases and wallet form reusable materials.

Recently, villagers have been concerned that outside investors might try to illegally reclaim the mangrove restoration area near the village. Pink organized an overnight camp to visit and survey the restored habitat. The survey found that new species are now establishing themselves without being planted, and that the replanted Nipa palm is already useful for villagers making thatched roofing from its leaves. The youth also interviewed village elders about the history of the area.

Pink’s report from the field:

• Village beautification had limited participation last year, this year Pink will work with willing households to plant mango trees. Pink will also be convening a forum for discussing how to reduce litter in the village.
• Kitchen garden is highly successful, and supplies food for youth and adult meetings. Recently, a number of men in the village helped out by building fences and making fertilizer.
• The number of kids in the youth groups is increasing - even though some of the older youths leave for marriage or school
• Youths recently dredged and removed garbage from fresh-water ponds near village

Labels: Ban Talae Nok, community development, youth conservation

Recently, we met with each one of the 129 students in our scholarship program for a yearly check-in.

“The scholarship helps me achieve my dreams, because with an education, I will have a way to make them come true” said scholarship recipient Chanthip Sunsab of Tung Dap (pictured). Andaman Discoveries scholarships provide financial support for underprivileged children in the region like Chanthip, allowing them to complete high school. The scholarship helps offset expenses like school uniforms, transportation to school, extra books, and extra tuition for classes like computer studies.

If you’re interested in sponsoring the education of a student in the North Andaman region, please contact Andaman Discoveries to learn how you can become a donor, and read the full article for more details about scholarships and the recent round of interviews.

Because of the positive impact of this program, we hope to offer to up to ten more scholarships focused on conservation and sustainability this year. But we need your help in sponsoring more youth. “There is further need for new donors to support youth in our communities. Each year children start school with need for uniforms, transport and supplies to ensure their education is a success,” said Thamrong Chomphusri, Andaman Discoveries Director.

The price of making a tremendous difference in a youth’s life is about 6,000 baht (about $170) per student for a one-year scholarship (grade K -9). A one-year scholarship for one student in grades 10-12 is 15,000 baht (about $425). Donors of scholarships receive regular updates, including grade reports and details from the interview.
Students who receive scholarships come from a wide range of communities within the North Andaman region, including the twelve tsunami-affected villages Andaman Discoveries originally worked with. “The sponsorship helps me go to a further away school where the teachers have more time for the students. This helps my grades,” said Noparyj Sae-leab, a scholarship recipient.

A requirement of the scholarship program is that students must come for follow-up interviews and progress reports. Interviews are held annually with scholarship recipients to monitor their progress and discuss their goals for the upcoming year. Students also make a card with a message to their donor. Interviews include questions about their favorite subject, their goals for the next five years, and how they plan to achieve those goals.

Labels: community development, scholarship

by Judith Schneider

A few weeks ago, I had the chance to go to Ban Talae Nok, a close by village with who Andaman Discoveries does Homestays. I was staying over night with a very friendly family and again felt sorry that my Thai is not yet good enough for any type of proper conversation.. But we still were able to communicate - no language was needed to see how much I enjoyed the food and their hospitality. Also, P'Tui, AD's director was never far away to translate, staying with Janice and Andrew, the volunteers who spent the whole week there.

We were quite busy making postcards from handmade recycling paper, planting palmtrees and mangroves and we even painted a sign for the women's soap group. At an intercultural evening with the local kids, they had a great laugh listening to my repeated thai rhymes before I thaught them to sing "Tirol isch lei oans" - a famous traditional song from Tyrol, Austria, where I come from - which also was quite funny! :)

Also, we had the chance to jump into the ocean at the beach nearby which was wonderful after getting all dirty in the muddy jungle where we got the mangroves and palm plants for reforestation.

What a great experience to get to know life in a small authentic village while helping the locals!

For the weekend, we went to the closeby Khao Sok National park in the jungle where we did rivertubing and relaxed in a beautiful resort surrounded by rainforest and its animals! Amazing. If you want to know more about my time in Kuraburi, working as an Intern in the office of Andaman Discoveries, check out my personal Blog: http://u-did-snider.blogspot.com/.

Labels: Ban Talae Nok, community development, community-based tourism, homestay

Recently, we were chosen as nominee for the Asia's Responsible Tourism Award. If you can, please take 30 seconds to vote for us at their website, so we can keep up the good work!

The website is


Our connection to the villages comes from rebuilding our lives together, and our projects focus on the big picture, empowering people to define their own future. This means that, along with responsible tourism, we also support scholarships for 120 kids, reforestation, a community development network, and a lot more. Pardon the spiel if you've already heard it, but it's the real deal.

Winning the Asia's Responsible Tourism Award would mean a lot: the award will underwrite our projects, and the publicity will help us spread our message, which is always a challenge with a miniscule PR budget :) If you are excited by all this, feel free to post this message on your facebook account, blog, or email lists.



With thousands of nominations annually, the Asia's Responsible Tourism Award recognizes innovative business projects that increase investment into the local community and take a responsible approach to the environment in which they are operating.

So, if you could be so kind as to follow the link and vote for us, it would be of great service to our projects and the people they serve.

Andaman Discoveries' team

Labels: Asia's Responsible Tourism Award, community development

N-ACT Hosts Educational Events

“It’s important for those in our tourism network to meet regularly to exchange ideas, support one another, and share information,” believes Nattaya “Nat” Sektheera of North Andaman Community Tourism (N-ACT). Her conviction was the driving force behind two very busy months organizing a guide training, study trip, and network meeting with members from nine communities.

With three days of expert facilitation from the Thailand Community Based Tourism Institute (CBT-i), village guides were trained in showcasing village attractions and practicing the “safety, meaning, and service” (SMS) philosophy. The guides strengthened their knowledge through role play activities.

To improve their administrative, hospitality, and financial management skills, villagers traveled to the Koh Lon Homestay in Phuket for a study tour. The study tour participants engaged in hands-on activities such as reforestation and inspecting and learning about the operation of a local dam. “We’ve been able to use ideas from the Koh Lon study trip and implement positive changes to the appearance of our homestay guest areas,” said Manee Kong Gim.

Finally, a network meeting provided a chance to tie everything together by communicating recent news and encourage each other’s activities. N-ACT staff informed the group about recent FAM trips, lessons learned from the study trip, and the outcomes of the recent Homestay Standards meeting in Bangkok.

Labels: community development, community-based tourism, study tours

Short-Listed for Wild Asia Award

For a third consecutive year, Andaman Discoveries has been selected as one of the eight finalists in Wild Asia's Responsible Tourism Awards. These awards aim to support the creation of sustainable destinations in Asia. “We are delighted to be considered for this prestigious award. Our team sends a big thank you to the Wild Asia team for their patience and support while filming the villages, our projects and our staff,” said Tui Chomphusri, Andaman Discoveries Director.

Wild Asia sent a team of experts to visit each of the finalists; Deborah, Gonthong, and Imran visited and inspected our program in September, and were able to join the FAM trip. To get a taste of what they experienced, check their entry on the Responsible Tourism Awards’ blog, and don’t miss their video on You Tube!

Labels: community development, responsible tourism, Thailand tours, Wild Asia

FAM Trips Promote Region

Andaman Discoveries and the North Andaman Community Tourism Network recently hosted two familiarization (“FAM”) trips, and were honored to host media and leaders in Southeast Asian tourism. As the name implies, the goal of the trip is to provide potential partners with an overview of the richness of area and its potential for responsible tourism. Nick of Buffalo Tours observed: “[T]he best parts of the FAM were when we were hanging out with the Muslim villagers. Spending time with local people in a respectful manner offers the chance for cultural exchange.”

People from Berlin to Bangkok attended. From the Thai perspective, Rattanaporn from SpiceRoads tours observed that our community-based tours and homestays are “a good trip for Thais to learn more about our country and culture, and discover sustainable travel.”

The tour also provided an exchange of ideas, while giving the villagers additional experience with groups and media. The program included livelihood activities in five villages, as well as optional visits to the Burmese Learning Center and a local orphanage. “Being a part of this trip was brilliant. It gave me an opportunity to build stronger ties with villagers through further collaboration,” said Karen Spackman, Andaman Discoveries client and community relations manager.

The FAM Trip is essential to the support and development of Andaman Discoveries and N-ACT programs. Thank you to all who participated in the event. If you’re interested in collaborating and exchanging ideas about responsible tourism, please contact us to learn more about attending our next FAM trip.

Labels: community development, community-based tourism, FAM tour, Thailand tourism, Thailand tours

World Challenge 2009 - Voting Opens September 28

The BBC film crew captures moments of the UCLA study tour in Ban Talae Nok.

Andaman Discoveries (AD) is one of twelve finalists for the World Challenge 2009, a global competition aimed at finding projects or small businesses from around the world that have shown enterprise and innovation at a grassroots level. As a finalist, AD will be featured by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). In July we welcomed a film crew for a three-day visit that coincided with the UCLA study tour, allowing students to travel with the film crew.

The film crew visited several AD projects, including Tung Dap, the Burmese Learning Center, and Ban Talae Nok. “The visit to meet the Moken villagers on Tung Dap was truly a unique experience. I have traveled far and wide to over 80 countries in the course of my work and leisure, but rarely have I experienced what I did that day. I was let into and warmly received (with no strings attached) to a private and special community. The sensitive manner in which Andaman Discoveries and the communities it works with approaches these visits, is in my opinion the only sustainable path in order to retain a true taste of adventure without trampling all over and quickly losing what was special and attracted one there in the first place,” said the film crew director.

According to Kevin Hung, a UCLA student, “being part of the filming of this program as an active participant in ecotourism has given me hope for the people of Thailand and the world's environmental mindset as a whole. Thank you for the opportunity to be part of something so big and I wish you the best of luck in years to come.”

While the filming was timely to be during the study tour, it wasn’t timely for weather! During the three-day visit, Phang Nga province had record rains that caused severe flooding, closing roads and requiring evacuations. The students, guests, film crew, and all of us have a newfound appreciation for the term “monsoon”!

Andaman Discoveries will be in the spotlight on BBC World News on Oct. 17 at 2:30 p.m. (GMT) and Oct. 18 at 2:30 a.m., 9:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. (GMT). Also, Newsweek will have a feature article coinciding with the BBC World News broadcasts. We’ll announce when the Newsweek article has gone live.

You can vote for Andaman Discoveries from Sept. 28 through Nov. 13. Voting will be available at the World Challenge Web site.

Special thanks again to Stanislava Cholakova, on behalf of the SEED Initiative, for the nomination.

Labels: BBC, community development, community tourism, World Challenge 2009