UPLift--Poverty Alleviation For The Ultra-Poor

UPLift is a program designed to empower communities on the Thai/Burmese border that lack food security, opportunities for income, and education. Through the use of small grants and skills trainings, these families receive the opportunity to pull themselves out of poverty without having to rely on external aid indefinitely.

Monday, November 12, 2012

October Project Update



October Project Update

 The cold air is beginning to show up in Mae Sot!  Here is an update of what we worked on in October during those chilly mornings:

Myawaddy Survey

In early October Paul, Mark, Win Ko and Ko Lynn conducted a survey of Myawaddy township in Karen State, Burma.  This is the border town directly across the river from Mae Sot, Thailand.

In addition, the Mae Sot team has been making frequent visits to Myawaddy in order to research various subjects: early childhood projects, income and wages, product availability, and market prices for construction supplies, agricultural inputs, and agricultural products.

Check out pictures of our visit at our Facebook page here.

Special Thanks to visitor Brian Lyndon for the photos! 
 
Visiting a small nursery in Myawaddy township, Karen State, Burma
 
Garden Projects

With rainy season winding down, we were able to transition two existing projects, Heavenly Home and Dominican orphanges, into independent management for their garden projects.  We will still support them with seeds and technical advice for subsequent rounds.

Cold season has us focusing on four different schools: Parami, Love and Care, Min Ma Haw, and Hsa Mu Htaw.  The latter school has a very interesting urban gardening setup, thanks to the research of our Agricultural Officer Win Ko.  There will be a post later this month with more details.
 
Students making organic fertilizer for the urban garden at Hsa Mu Htaw School
 
Pig Projects

As of the end of October, the FBS pig projects at Hway Ka Loke and Thoo Mwe Khee migrant schools have resulted in 26 pigs reaching target weight and being sold for an average of 5,500 Thai Baht ($180 USD) per pig! Another 23 pigs are in the process of being raised, and three have died overall.

We will continue these projects into the cold season, and also have a plan for collaborating with other organizations in order to set up a training center for participants from Karen State, Burma.

Visitors

Brian Lyndon (Visitor)
Paul Hancock (KLDF Director)
Radri Chaichumpa (KLDF President)
Posted by at