Thailand building projects

Our projects in this region are undertaken in partnership with a local NGO who seeks to empower communities and promote social change through mutual co-operation, self education and an active community. All projects are identified by the community who play an active role from concept to completion. This region is the home of various hill tribes: Akha, Lahu and Karen who are among the poorest communities in Thailand whose children are in desperate need of education. Many of the hill tribes are originally Burmese in origin and crossed the Thai border to escape persecution, others are born in Thailand but still have gained no citizenship; they therefore have little or no rights to education, healthcare and clean water. Examples of past projects include building water tanks, bridges to give access to roads and neighbouring communities, new classrooms and renovating local orphanages and schools. Projects will be a mixture of both building and teaching English whilst living in local homestay accommodation.

Our projects will really get you under the skin of your chosen destination; you will be fully integrated into the heart of a rural village where you will live, work, eat, drink and generally become part of the community. Everything we do is in partnership with our village hosts, living and working as part of a team of volunteers. You will make a very tangible contribution to the lives of those who have welcomed you into their lives by building basic infrastructure that will benefit the community for generations to come.

All of our projects are selected for their long-term benefits to the host community. Our focus on youth development incorporates health, education and sports and our community building and teaching projects build vital facilities such as schools, classrooms, clinics, toilet blocks, water tanks, community centres etc. We research each project to ensure it meets our strict criteria including an assessment of the need, benefits and long term-sustainability of the project itself, together with levels of community involvement, risk assessments, health and safety requirements, logistical practicality and living arrangements. We always work in close partnerships with village chiefs, village development committees and other NGOs as well as local, national and international charities to ensure that we gain as much local knowledge, expertise and support as possible. The projects are always initiated, owned and led by the village, community or local partner organisation to ensure the long-term support and involvement of the local people which also secures the sustainability, staffing and maintenance of the project long after we have left.

Our projects are very environmentally and culturally sensitive respecting local traditions, languages and religions. We live as the locals do as far as is possible, adapting to local conditions and employing local staff from within the village; these include cooks, carpenters, mason, engineers and local labourers to work alongside our UK crew on all of our projects. All accommodation is locally owned and hosted by a local family, we source all food, materials and supplies nearby to contribute as much as possible to the local economy. We minimise the use of valuable resources such as water and firewood to reduce the environmental impact of our projects, bucket showers are used for washing and towels are not provided. We operate small group projects with a maximum of 16 per group to ensure that volunteers are welcomed into each community ensuring that our presence isn’t overwhelming. We also provide comprehensive and accurate pre-departure information together with full orientations and responsible travel briefings to increase cultural sensitivity. We offset the CO2 emissions for every flight made by our staff and encourage all volunteers to do the same.

To describe this form of travel as ‘low impact’ belies the incredibly positive and tangible difference that you will make; your contribution will be highly valued as the community will benefit from an improved standard of living as a result of your decision to travel there.