Donation protected
Please help our friend Ham provide for himself during this tough time by contributing to help him start a farm on Koh Phangan. Any size donation would mean so much to him as he currently has no opportunity to make an income.
Our dear friend Ham watched his livelihood vanish nearly overnight when the world shutdown and tourism hit standstill due to Covid-19. Since the economy of Thailand is so heavily reliant on tourism, many businesses have closed indefinitely and employees are left with no prospects for work. Ham, "like hamburger or ham sandwich" as he would introduce himself, has been serving and entertaining tourists on the beach at the Haad Yao Resort for over a decade. He worked tirelessly every day from morning until late at night, often drenched in sweat and literally running from one task to the next while answering ‘Why not?’ to every request a tourist threw at him. He is simply a bright ray of sunshine that spreads joy everywhere he goes. Ham has four children and a family back in Lao that he supports with his income from Koh Phangnan.
We met Ham the day after we arrived on the island in February and he continued to shape our experience up until the morning we quickly left Thailand due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Ham spent many days entertaining our friends and family during the week of our wedding and after. Along with his friend Charlie, Ham helped us throw the wedding afterparty at his place where our friends DJ’d and made a magical party. They also allowed us to DJ a number of times at sunset helping to create some of the most beautiful moments. Once the relationship was made, Ham helped with everything; taxis, motorbike rentals, house rentals, room rentals, free fruit shakes and toys for Skye, and finally our ride to the ferry when we suddenly left the island.
When we spoke to Ham this week he told us that while the resort would love to reopen, there is no one on the beach and they expect it to take years for tourism to recover. He showed us his small yard, which he immediately converted from dusty barren dirt into a lush garden when he lost his job. His father was a farmer and in Ham's words "when things get tough, you do what you know." And as it turns out, Ham knows a lot about farming and permaculture.
Ham is a resourceful entrepreneur who is one of the hardest workers we’ve ever met. He is interested in creating a sustainable garden where he can grow food and bamboo to sell to the local markets. He has dreams of incorporating a Koi pond for permaculture purposes. He would also eventually use the bamboo he grows to build a hut on the property. Ham needs support to rent land and purchase basic equipment to get started. This is where we're hoping to help. Thankfully, land is quite cheap on Koh Phangan at the moment and he can get about a half acre (1.5 rai) on a year lease for $2000 (60000 baht). Additionally he needs seeds and starts ($250 - 7500 baht), a water pump ($500 - 15000 baht), and equipment to work the soil and irrigate ($500 - 15000 baht). While anything we can send will help him get started, the goal we've set will cover his first year lease and what he needs to start his new enterprise.
When I told Ham we wanted to do this he was overjoyed and asked that we give him the names of each person who contributes so that he can thank you next time you are on Koh Phangnan and help you in any way he can. We are so excited to see what he can accomplish with a little help.
xoxo - Tracey, Adam, Skye
Our dear friend Ham watched his livelihood vanish nearly overnight when the world shutdown and tourism hit standstill due to Covid-19. Since the economy of Thailand is so heavily reliant on tourism, many businesses have closed indefinitely and employees are left with no prospects for work. Ham, "like hamburger or ham sandwich" as he would introduce himself, has been serving and entertaining tourists on the beach at the Haad Yao Resort for over a decade. He worked tirelessly every day from morning until late at night, often drenched in sweat and literally running from one task to the next while answering ‘Why not?’ to every request a tourist threw at him. He is simply a bright ray of sunshine that spreads joy everywhere he goes. Ham has four children and a family back in Lao that he supports with his income from Koh Phangnan.
We met Ham the day after we arrived on the island in February and he continued to shape our experience up until the morning we quickly left Thailand due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Ham spent many days entertaining our friends and family during the week of our wedding and after. Along with his friend Charlie, Ham helped us throw the wedding afterparty at his place where our friends DJ’d and made a magical party. They also allowed us to DJ a number of times at sunset helping to create some of the most beautiful moments. Once the relationship was made, Ham helped with everything; taxis, motorbike rentals, house rentals, room rentals, free fruit shakes and toys for Skye, and finally our ride to the ferry when we suddenly left the island.
When we spoke to Ham this week he told us that while the resort would love to reopen, there is no one on the beach and they expect it to take years for tourism to recover. He showed us his small yard, which he immediately converted from dusty barren dirt into a lush garden when he lost his job. His father was a farmer and in Ham's words "when things get tough, you do what you know." And as it turns out, Ham knows a lot about farming and permaculture.
Ham is a resourceful entrepreneur who is one of the hardest workers we’ve ever met. He is interested in creating a sustainable garden where he can grow food and bamboo to sell to the local markets. He has dreams of incorporating a Koi pond for permaculture purposes. He would also eventually use the bamboo he grows to build a hut on the property. Ham needs support to rent land and purchase basic equipment to get started. This is where we're hoping to help. Thankfully, land is quite cheap on Koh Phangan at the moment and he can get about a half acre (1.5 rai) on a year lease for $2000 (60000 baht). Additionally he needs seeds and starts ($250 - 7500 baht), a water pump ($500 - 15000 baht), and equipment to work the soil and irrigate ($500 - 15000 baht). While anything we can send will help him get started, the goal we've set will cover his first year lease and what he needs to start his new enterprise.
When I told Ham we wanted to do this he was overjoyed and asked that we give him the names of each person who contributes so that he can thank you next time you are on Koh Phangnan and help you in any way he can. We are so excited to see what he can accomplish with a little help.
xoxo - Tracey, Adam, Skye
Organizer
Adam Nicewonger
Organizer
Vancouver, WA