School area
Village Background
Kuan Mai Bong is a Buddhist village located in Cha-uat district of Nakorn Sri Tammarat province, Southern Thailand. The population of the village consists of approx. 720 people (212 homes). Most villagers make a living on their property such as rubber plantation and fruit orchard. Some others are temporary workers earning wages from occasional hire.
The village was named Kuan Mai Bong deriving from its abundance in timber (Kuan Mai Bong = hill of timber). Due to its fertile of natural resources of hardwood and minerals in the past, this province as well as the neighboring provinces, Trang and Pattalung, was announced a concession of forestry by the government in 1971 along with mine industry. The concession had continuously taken away lots of valuable trees and minerals for years. In the meantime, the government challenged an uprising of anti-government communist groups at the time, it therefore launched a campaign of communist crackdown throughout the nation; the mountainous landscape of the three provinces was thought to be a hidden place of the communists. The forestry and mine concession and throughout the area covering the mountain range of the three provinces were permanently restrained and being under surveillance of the concerned government.
Years later after the situation improved, the government allowed people to make a living on the once-spoiled land. It was possessed by newcomers from nearby villages and soon after that an agricultural community founded.
In 1982, the government proclaimed this area to be restricted and turned it into a preserved forest covering 70,000km square meters throughout the 3 provinces, and launched a policy of pushing settlers to relocate. The villagers rejected but after a negotiation with the government, they were allowed to live on under the agreement.
Year 2005, Kuan Mai Bong villagers began to be aware of their forestry resources. Losses in natural abundance in the past made them concern on how man and nature can live in balance. Serious forestry preservation and rehabilitation were taken place. They gathered to explore their forest, paid more attention to natural resources management concerning protection of flash flood and soil problems. They came up with activities such as building a natural dyke, making a wildfire-defending range and building a boundary mark between villagers’ land and preserved forest, for example.
The running project
Roywan Pan Pba Alternative School is one of the two long term voluntary projects where DaLaa is involved nowadays. It means that some international volunteers (about 5 to 10) are joining this project on a long term basis (from 2 month to 1 year).
It was started from nothing but motivation and solidarity in March 2011 by the initiatives of a local environmental activist Pi Ju along with endless support of Kuan Mai Bong villagers and the work of the pilot international volunteers from Finland, Denmark, Germany and Thailand.
The main aim shared with the local community of Kuan May Bong is to make the next generation (local kids) be able to stay self-sufficient in their environment and to respect it as a vital part of their life. Actually it could be done only with the transmission of elders’ local skills and knowledge, but 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.
The alternative school is located in a mountainous village of Ban Tad Mountain Range. It is approx. 16 kilometers far from the main road reaching up to the mountain. It is surrounded by rubber plantations, fruit orchards and scattered settlement of villagers’ homes.
Activities
As Short term volunteers in this long term project, you are expected to join the activities going on together with the host (Pi Ju family), the villagers and the long term volunteers.
The bigger project is to build and run this alternative school together. (the main building, the host house, toilets and a mushroom farm are now already done-Oct 2011). Volunteers also dedicate themselves for community work when there’s need. You can this way experience real solidarity in this strong community where money is not as important as some would like to make us believe.
There are still some accommodations to be build and in the clearing around the school, volunteers will grow their own fruits, vegetables, raise chickens and fish. One of the school plans concerning the campaign of agricultural self-sufficiency is that people need no buying food from a market but to grow or to raise whatever edible and make it into meals for their families.
On week-ends, the kids gather at the school to do activities with the volunteers. About 25 children come every week-end to spend time at the school. The volunteers decide together how the school days are spent. 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 20. This is never a problem. They like to participate in activities together. 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.
Concerning your short term project, we cannot be sure about the main activities to be expected but we will send you update of the activities to you about 1 month before the start. It could be:
-Building a library for the alternative school.
-Adjusting surroundings around the school, planting, gardening,
-Organizing activities with kids on weekends
This project is strongly recommended to ones coming with motivation to be embraced with nature, loving in tranquility 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 that you’re going to work in a team, everything shared, and responsibility taken equally. Please be prepared to handle hard, physical tasks during your stay at the project.
**Drinking habit of male villagers**
You may be surprised to see men gather up for their after-work drinking party. After the exhausting day of gardening work, drinking is what they normally enjoy. It’s a local habit, way of community lifestyle.
