Waste & Water, Koh Sirae, Phuket, Thailand
Donation protected
“Establishing a Sustainable Kindergarten in a Moken Village: Koh Sirae Phuket Thailand”
“Giving children a happy, healthy smile for a bright and secure future”
Background
Koh Sirae is a small island linked to Phuket Island by a causeway people and is known for its gibbons “monkeys” and is the major fishing port which produces 200 tons of fish per day and represents 80% of Phuket’s fishing. It houses a few large hotels and a range of small businesses and atop of the largest hill is a “Temple of the Sleeping Buddha” From here small cruise boats takes tourists to the nearby scenic islands or for snorkelling and diving around the coral reefs
The Need
Kohl Sirae is the poorest area of Phuket, housing some 10,000 population (including 1000 Moken/sea gypsies,Burmese fishing workers and families of the poor and those in prison),which has high levels of toxins in water and the highest levels of waste in Phuket.
The Issue
Waste is the great challenge for Phuket Each person on the island generates 1.13 kilograms of waste per day (50% Bio degradable)Over 865,000 tons of waste is sent to the Saphan Hin incinerator per day .Lack of waste segregation means all kind of garbage including less flammable material is used for power generation . The high level of waste and the profligate use of one single use plastics (plastic bags 15%, straws 5% cigarette butts 5%) also leads to the destruction of over 250 sea turtle, dolphins and dugongs every year
Experts on waste management and environmental protection are warning that Thailand could become the garbage bin of the world.
The Plan
The Thai National Action Plan encourage citizens, including children, and the private sector to reduce waste at the source by following the 3Rs concept (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle). This is where schools, business groups and NGO’s do play a significant role. Schools are at the heart of the long term future and engaging them, the teachers and student s in the process is very important. The Thai government has recently adopted a roadmap to reduce and end disposable plastics.
To address the very serious issues in Koh Sirae an initial project has been developed by The Asia Pacific Environment Network (APEN) Thailand supported by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Direct Assistance Grant (2019) a working with Ratsada District Deputy Mayor.
This strategy aims to transform the community into a self-= sustained ecosystem, reducing waste to zero, breaking the poverty cycle by the empowering of local waste management and increasing commercial gain by creating saleable products and promoting them in local markets. It aims to involve people at the grassroots level through collaboration to create a zero waste, resilient and a sustainable community
The Process
The four education centres have become the hubs which generates action through waste assessments the sorting of waste, the training in waste utilisation, composting and building sustainable gardens and the development of young leaders who will change the future community through the full utilisation of opportunities in waste management into the local community through families.
These four centres are The Sunshine Village (90 children) Koh Sirae Primary School (800 children), Child and Family Centre (40 families) and the Koh Sirae Kindergarten (75 children).
All centres now have compost bins and are in the process of establishing organic gardens. Education initiatives to improve health are underway ( i.e. Wash Your Hands, Clean Your Teeth).The Happy Green World Foundation has developed educational programmes about waste, water and energy with the aim of teaching children in the age group 6 to 12 years sustainable behaviour and includes an activity guide, a student book and a game. It focuses on practical activities around reducing, re-using and recycling waste.
This project has been developed into Thai by students of the British International School and with the support of the Thailand Tourist
Working with these projects is a range of community based organisations including “Trash Hero’s” whose mission is to bring communities together to clean and reduce waste. They pick up trash but actively engage children through a multilingual kids’ program
New Action
At the beginning of this project it became apparent that the Moken Village housing some 2000 people were living in extremely hazardous conditions and the collection of waste was going into the sea impacting on marine life and the fishing industry itself.
This project has lifted the profile of this issue and the task is to ensure there is ongoing community engagement and a real health, social and economic gain through the regular provision of clean water, the establishment of organic gardens and compost from waste utilization, creating income opportunity from waste recycling, garbage bank and arts and crafts, restoring the natural ecosystem through cleanliness and waste reduction and to give respect to the environment through behavioural change.
None of this is easy and none will happen quickly and will require long term and sustained policy development.
The project was given a boost through the involvement of the Royal Australian Defense Forces visit which ensured the engagement of 80 Australian Defence personnel, 260 members of the Ratsada District Council as well a range of community groups. Resources were given to establish organic gardens and playground equipment.
Help Needed
The aim of this proposal is to give strong support to the kindergarten which is adjacent to a most squalid area, improve the health of children through education and the provision of clean drinking water and encourage families to be pro-active in waste and water management and secure ways using waste and particularly tourist potential as a means of raising income.
The support will ensure regular supply of clean drinking water and the beginning of a process of family involvement in waste reduction through the establishment of compost bins and organic gardens within family community groups.
Fund Raising Objectives:
Place clean cold water system into the kindergarten.
Establish 5 organic gardens in Moken Village with compost bins.
To provide a rain water harvesting tank.
“Giving children a happy, healthy smile for a bright and secure future”
Background
Koh Sirae is a small island linked to Phuket Island by a causeway people and is known for its gibbons “monkeys” and is the major fishing port which produces 200 tons of fish per day and represents 80% of Phuket’s fishing. It houses a few large hotels and a range of small businesses and atop of the largest hill is a “Temple of the Sleeping Buddha” From here small cruise boats takes tourists to the nearby scenic islands or for snorkelling and diving around the coral reefs
The Need
Kohl Sirae is the poorest area of Phuket, housing some 10,000 population (including 1000 Moken/sea gypsies,Burmese fishing workers and families of the poor and those in prison),which has high levels of toxins in water and the highest levels of waste in Phuket.
The Issue
Waste is the great challenge for Phuket Each person on the island generates 1.13 kilograms of waste per day (50% Bio degradable)Over 865,000 tons of waste is sent to the Saphan Hin incinerator per day .Lack of waste segregation means all kind of garbage including less flammable material is used for power generation . The high level of waste and the profligate use of one single use plastics (plastic bags 15%, straws 5% cigarette butts 5%) also leads to the destruction of over 250 sea turtle, dolphins and dugongs every year
Experts on waste management and environmental protection are warning that Thailand could become the garbage bin of the world.
The Plan
The Thai National Action Plan encourage citizens, including children, and the private sector to reduce waste at the source by following the 3Rs concept (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle). This is where schools, business groups and NGO’s do play a significant role. Schools are at the heart of the long term future and engaging them, the teachers and student s in the process is very important. The Thai government has recently adopted a roadmap to reduce and end disposable plastics.
To address the very serious issues in Koh Sirae an initial project has been developed by The Asia Pacific Environment Network (APEN) Thailand supported by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Direct Assistance Grant (2019) a working with Ratsada District Deputy Mayor.
This strategy aims to transform the community into a self-= sustained ecosystem, reducing waste to zero, breaking the poverty cycle by the empowering of local waste management and increasing commercial gain by creating saleable products and promoting them in local markets. It aims to involve people at the grassroots level through collaboration to create a zero waste, resilient and a sustainable community
The Process
The four education centres have become the hubs which generates action through waste assessments the sorting of waste, the training in waste utilisation, composting and building sustainable gardens and the development of young leaders who will change the future community through the full utilisation of opportunities in waste management into the local community through families.
These four centres are The Sunshine Village (90 children) Koh Sirae Primary School (800 children), Child and Family Centre (40 families) and the Koh Sirae Kindergarten (75 children).
All centres now have compost bins and are in the process of establishing organic gardens. Education initiatives to improve health are underway ( i.e. Wash Your Hands, Clean Your Teeth).The Happy Green World Foundation has developed educational programmes about waste, water and energy with the aim of teaching children in the age group 6 to 12 years sustainable behaviour and includes an activity guide, a student book and a game. It focuses on practical activities around reducing, re-using and recycling waste.
This project has been developed into Thai by students of the British International School and with the support of the Thailand Tourist
Working with these projects is a range of community based organisations including “Trash Hero’s” whose mission is to bring communities together to clean and reduce waste. They pick up trash but actively engage children through a multilingual kids’ program
New Action
At the beginning of this project it became apparent that the Moken Village housing some 2000 people were living in extremely hazardous conditions and the collection of waste was going into the sea impacting on marine life and the fishing industry itself.
This project has lifted the profile of this issue and the task is to ensure there is ongoing community engagement and a real health, social and economic gain through the regular provision of clean water, the establishment of organic gardens and compost from waste utilization, creating income opportunity from waste recycling, garbage bank and arts and crafts, restoring the natural ecosystem through cleanliness and waste reduction and to give respect to the environment through behavioural change.
None of this is easy and none will happen quickly and will require long term and sustained policy development.
The project was given a boost through the involvement of the Royal Australian Defense Forces visit which ensured the engagement of 80 Australian Defence personnel, 260 members of the Ratsada District Council as well a range of community groups. Resources were given to establish organic gardens and playground equipment.
Help Needed
The aim of this proposal is to give strong support to the kindergarten which is adjacent to a most squalid area, improve the health of children through education and the provision of clean drinking water and encourage families to be pro-active in waste and water management and secure ways using waste and particularly tourist potential as a means of raising income.
The support will ensure regular supply of clean drinking water and the beginning of a process of family involvement in waste reduction through the establishment of compost bins and organic gardens within family community groups.
Fund Raising Objectives:
Place clean cold water system into the kindergarten.
Establish 5 organic gardens in Moken Village with compost bins.
To provide a rain water harvesting tank.
Organizer
Sean Scott
Organizer
Oklahoma City, OK
