Thailand

◆ In 2005, we began coffee cultivation instruction to improve the lives of ethnic minorities living in the mountainous regions of northern Thailand.
◆ From 2008 to 2011, we promoted projects utilizing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' “Japan NGO Grant Aid” system.
      [Life improvement project for ethnic minorities near Chiang Mai: CMPP Phase 1-3]
◆ follow-up since 2012.

Only the last part of the contribution (Footnote 2) by Hozumi Nakano (Footnote 1) serialized in the September and October 2017 issue of the Japanese Society of Thailand “Krungtape”) is displayed as follows.

　　　　～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the start of the student dormitory. As a commemorative project, we decided to start an activity to create a water source forest with young people living in mountainous areas. In recent years, in mountainous areas, there is a lack of water for daily use at the end of the dry season. In each village, measures have been taken to set up water storage tanks and change the waterways, but I thought that the reliable solution to the problem even on a detour was to plant trees.

This is an attempt to expand the water source forest by having the villagers collect seeds and seedlings of forest trees, mainly young people, planting them in pots and planting them for a year.

The seedlings are purchased through the project (footnote 3), and the income is used by individuals, groups, and villages. When the rainy season begins, everyone plants near the water source, and in the dry season, make a fire protection zone to protect the seedlings from wildfires and slash-and-burn fires. We want you to protect young people's community and foster a loving heart together with the water source forest. I hope this will continue for 10 years and see how the forest expands.

Coffee trees, tea trees, avocados, various fruit trees, and other creatures will grow while being protected by the large forest. And we can't help hope that the lives of the people living in the mountains will be filled in the forest and will remain peaceful.