Ecological Farming

Ecological farming is another branch of activity for Ananda Vidyadharma.
A comprehensive farming system with agriculture, diary animals, mini forestry, mini ponds (water catchment) has been set up to support some of the daily needs of those living at Ananda Vidyadharma.

Among other things mung beans, long beans, bananas, avocados, star-apple, orange, soursop, pineapple, papaya, root-crops, sinequellas, cho-om, jackfruit, mango, rambutan, coconut and ylang-ylang (a flower tree to extract perfume oil) are cultivated here.

In the future more medicinal plants will be grown as well. At the moment there is neem (for blood and skin problems) and lagundi (for fever and aches).

Dairy Goats Lending Project

This project involves purchasing and lending goats to families in nearby villages. There was an initial purchase of six nanny goats and one male goat. Of these, the male goat and many of the females were lent out to willing families in a nearby village. There, the females are being impregnated. After the offspring are able to take care of themselves, the goats will be returned to Ananda Vidyadharma so that they can be lent out to another village. This process is repeated continuously, resulting in an ever increasing number of goats for the local residents.

Excess male goats can be sold, if desired, and nanny goats can be used for milk production. At first, this milk can be used for personal consumption. Once milk production exceeds the needs of the recipient families, Ananda Vidyadharma will start acting as a collection point. This milk can be sold for profit. Some of the milk will also be purchased by Ananda Vidyadharma, to be consumed by the children living there and at another home in Sangklaburi.

The project targets local widows and mothers/housewives to receive, care for and be responsible for the goats. It chooses women with the capacity to care for the goats, and who are not currently engaged in any kind of profitable work. These women have the free time needed to raise, breed and milk the goats, as well as the need for some extra income.

The first community which is benefiting from this project is the remote and isolated village of Molaka. Most of the villagers are landless, and either working for very low wages or are unemployed. The residents of Molaka have received 7 nanny goats and one billy goat. They are taking care of the goats in turns and benefiting from it as a collective.

This project's main objective is to act as a relief program, but it does not merely provide relief. It also provides a means for families to start up a small-scale business, while providing the foundation with an increasing capacity to include and help local families. The only input from the families involved is effort in caring for the goats.

With your support, we would like to extend this project to other surrounding communities in the future. If you are interested, then please refer to contacts.

Ananda Vidyadharma's Weaving Enterprise

Please see our photos of the woven goods:

-Photoalbum

-Thai weaving Enterprise Blogspot

The Weaving Enterprise began in late 2005 to employ poor residents of a nearby village. The women weavers use traditional handwoven techniques to produce shirts, shoulder bags, purses, change purses, and wallets while the men weavers produce large and small handwoven baskets, mini-takraw key chains, and table decorations from locally-sourced bamboo. This is a completely separate project from nearby Baan Unrak, Home of Joy. Proceeds return to the weavers directly, with 10% going to support Baan Dada and the 40 children who live here.

The Weaving Enterprise currently employs Karen ethnic minority weavers from nearby Molaka village.
The workers are paid 90 baht per day, which is above minimum wage for this area and enough for the worker to support their children if their spouse is unemployed. We consider these fairly traded products as the workers receive a fair price for their labour, they work in safe, clean conditions, and they use democratic, participatory strategies in maintaining the enterprise. No children are involved in this work.

We are currently building a Weaving Center on the land next to Baan Dada Children's Home, which will allow us to expand the enterprise by inviting more weavers to live and work here.

The objective is to raise the standard of living of Molaka village, and in the future, other villages in this area. As well, it seeks to raise awareness about the plight of Karen and other ethnic minorities living in rural areas of Thailand.

      SUPPORT THE WEAVING ENTERPRISE
Our products are colourful, inexpensive, and come in many sizes and designs. They make wonderful birthday and Christmas gifts. Please consider buying them for your family, friends, teachers, students, classmates, or co-workers today! You will be directly helping to improve the quality of life of some needy families in this impoverished area of Thailand.

To order, contact Lindsay Marsh at lindsay@volunteerinthailand.org

      VOLUNTEER FOR THE WEAVING ENTERPRISE
Do you know of a shop near your home that sells ethnic, fairly traded handicrafts from developing countries? Please forward their email and mailing addresses to Lindsay Marsh at lindsay@volunteerinthailand.org
Even better, approach the shop manager about the details of this project yourself and ask them to consider importing these products. This type of volunteering will help the project tremendously. Thank you for your support!
As well, by promoting our woven products to clubs, religious groups, sports teams, or other associations you may belong to, you will helping us to reach new markets, directly benefiting both our weavers and our Children's Home.

"Unite for Sight " Eye Care Program

This program provides free eye care for the local residents in nearby and remote communities. General examinations are given and reading and acuity glasses are distributed.

Ananda Vidyadharma coordinates the program for Unite for Sight, a foundation from the United States. They have provided Ananda Vidyadharma with the necessary equipment for performing the examinations, and also help with arranging the volunteers and the eye-operations. Ananda Vidyadharma helps the volunteers with reaching the villages, examinations and lodging. Glasses for reading and distance are provided by the volunteers.

Volunteer optometrists and ophthalmologists come every few months to do additional examinations and to perform surgeries as needed. In the Sangklaburi area, the major eye problems are pterygium and cataracts, as well as minor traumas.

Thus far 17 villages and the city of Sangklaburi have received services from this program. Approximately 10,000 examinations and over 50 major surgeries have been provided.

Health Awareness Project

This program seeks to promote the awareness of various health issues. Yearly events are organized around a certain theme, including yoga, HIV/AIDS, and drug awareness. Theatre, music and games are the primary tools of education used at these events, as well as informational posters.

NHE Vocational School

In this area, there is an enormous need for a vocational school, due to political reasons and cultural changes. The people in this area, the so called hill-tribes, are not fully recognized as Thai inhabitants and therefore don't have the same rights as the Thais. To protect the social, political and economical well-being of Thailand they are not allowed to leave the area without permission of the government. Most of the children don't have the legal papers to get this permission and therefore can't leave the area. For this reason it would be good to have a vocational school in the area. Another reason to start a vocational school is that the nearest one is at 4 hours away in Kanchanaburi and families don't have the financial capacity to send their children to the bigger cities.

Ananda Marga Gurukula has initiated the plan to start a vocational school in this area. Ananda Vidyadharma is cooperating with Ananda Marga Gurukula in this endeavor.

Next to Ananda Vidyadharma a land with a size of 56 rai has been purchased by Ananda Marga Gurukula. Within three years we would like to establish a vocational school, where the students can follow mechanical ,electrical, IT technology related and dress making courses.

The project will need a lot of funding. If you are willing to donate, then please refer to contacts.

On the same land, with the help of Ananda Marga Gurukula, a two-story twin cottage has been built for volunteers, which will later serve as the teachers Quarters.