Tel. +44 (0)1273 600030 (UK)
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We have been providing volunteers and financial support over two years for small scale community development projects in Thailand. Surin is the 73rd out of 76 poorest province in Thailand and due to the low rainfall and hot weather can only produce one rice crop a year. The majority of Surin people are poor farmers struggling to survive. We arrange a number of community projects each year which support rural families and schools.
Our efforts have provided a water system for the children's home in Maehongson, a toilet and shower block at a very poor school, refurbishment of other buildings and much more. For the poor elderly women we have so far bought them a bed, mosquito net, fan, clothes, bed cover, food supplies plus built them a fish pond (for food or sale in the market) and made a vegetable garden. We have also completed a number of community projects in Surin. Without the financial support and time of volunteers these projects would not have been possible.
Volunteers are supported by local Thai staff who know the region well. They are given information about local facilities such as restaurants, shops, villages etc to visit in their spare time. We actively encourage volunteers to visit the villages outside of the town and to support their local handicraft production. The area is not a tourism hotspot so volunteers will be contributing directly to the local economy and assisting small businesses to survive.
Volunteers stay in rented accommodation and are advised upon water and electricity usage. We provide bicycles for volunteers to get around on. We do not provide food for our volunteers, but encourage them to buy from small restaurants and local market stalls. All our volunteers receive a briefing kit which talks about dos and don'ts. Moreover our staff are always on hand to advise, help and ensure our volunteers have a positive impact.
Travellers are encouraged to use local facilities. None of our placements include food. We encourage our volunteers to eat at local restaurants. Our Thai coordinators advise volunteers on good places to eat locally, supporting the local community and enhancing their experience. We wish our volunteers to become part of the local community. Our staff give all our volunteers a full orientation to the area, showing them all local amenities: shops, restaurants, internet cafes, post offices, etc. All our support staff are employed Thai people. Volunteer's time and fee ensures our projects are completed. They are integral to the development work. We do however employ local tradesman for specialist work such as welding, electrics, plumbing, etc.
All of our projects need financial assistance, help with planning, technical support and project management and we support where and when we can. As an organisation we do not print brochures. We minimise paper by using internet and email. We always support locally owned businesses, hotels, etc. We believe in putting back into the local economy and one of our key aims is to support small scale long term development initiatives throughout Thailand.
We invite every traveller who books a holiday via us to send in a review. Because we don't run the holidays they're completely independent and unedited... remember to read between the lines though, as two people on the same holiday can have different views!
