Basic Garden Training at TPC School
On July 1,
2014, team Uplift delivered basic garden theory and maintenance training to the
81 students currently studying at the Teacher Preparation College (TPC). The
trainings were each led by a different trainer from KLDF team. Each UPLift
member was responsible for delivering certain objectives. Mainly, UPLift team
encouraged the students to use Natural Farming Methods for the TPC school
garden.
 |
| UPLift team carrying out Natural Farming & Garden Training at the TPC |
The
training included different sections such as basic knowledge of ecosystems and
agriculture, soil management, Natural Farming (use of natural micro-organisms (IMO)
without chemical fertilizers) versus chemical fertilizer farming and compost
making by using natural resources and waste from school kitchen. In additional
to that the UPlift team shared how to set up different planting crop layouts,
such as container/recycled bottle gardening, sack gardening, vertical
gardening, raised beds or traditional mounds and circle beds. Moreover, the UPlift
team and the TPC teachers together worked on the school garden management plans
for 2014-15 school years. It included
different responsibilities for garden care to the TPC students, broken into six
groups each responsible for 1 area or 1 bed in the future.
Because it
rained a lot this month, the TPC students will only do preparation and cleaning
for the school garden areas. Depending on the TPC school schedules, after the
rainy season each student’s group will start growing the vegetable by using
Natural Farming method and compost making process. UPlift team member U Tin Yu
will assist teacher Eh Ku order to make sure TPC students are taking care of
the garden every week.
Economic
Development for Burmese Migrant women
In one of
the Migrant communities (Paseidan), 5 women are taking part on the UPlift
Economic Development Program which helps women members set up small businesses
in the community. There were a total of 5 women members, 4 of whom already
started a small business in the last three months and one woman will start next
month.
 |
| UPLift officer receiving a loan repayment from one of the KLDF women Small Business members |
This month,
two of the women have already repaid 50% of the loans they received the first within
3 months. The first lady’s business involved buying a mobile phone which was used
to make calls to and from Burma for people in the community. Another lady was
selling goods to another remote migrant community such as coffee, onion,
garlic, soap, shampoo, etc. She also has already met her goal to pay back the
KLDF small business loan in this month. Both women are still doing their
business as usual. KLDF team will do follow up every week for other small
business members in order to use their business plan and keep the goal to be
met in the future.
A woman
member Cho San said that ‘’ I was really happy that I reached my goal within 3
months to payback my loan; I really appreciated KLDF staff who are sharing
their knowledge and skills for me. I will keep running my business as usual by
using the guideline and business plan from KLDF team. I also would like to expand
my business in the future. Right now I have saved 2,000B extra money from my
business.’’
Next month
another business lady will pay back her loan to UPLift. The team will do the
follow up every week and meet with these women and discuss any challenges and
success from their small business.
Financial
literacy training for rainy season
 |
| Moe Thu conducting a community survey for FL training at Hua Fai community |
This month the
UPlift team visited two new communities. The team aimed to conduct the
community survey for four communities in the rainy season. So this month, we have done the survey for
two communities called Hua Fai community and Mojedin community.
The purpose of the community surveys was to choose a community for the FL
training in the rainy season.
This year, the
UPLift team intends to do two rounds of FL training. The first round the UPLift
team will deliver the FL training in the community which will be in the middle
of the rainy season. For the second round, the UPLift team will collaborate
with Wide Horizon School in order to deliver the FL training to a large
community in December 2014. This coming month, the UPLift team will visit
anther two new communities in Mae Sot area. Then the team will complete the
community analysis for FL training.
Pig
project
By the 3rd week of July 2014, our piglets were one month old already. They are still
drinking milk from Mama Pig this month and they are really healthy. They enjoy the
natural pigpen filling with manure, rice husk, and IMO fertilizers. This month
we have carried out Health/Maintenance such as having vaccinations and castration
for male piglets.
 |
| Piglets getting vaccinated by the KLDF farm manager and enjoying NF method bedding |
Next month,
all piglets will stop drink milking from Mama Pig and they will be divided to
another pig pen. They will be introduced low-cost feeding systems, which will
include 3-4 Kg of cracked rice and rice bran, along with green snacks and
kitchen leftovers twice a day. As of now, the pigs are growing nicely.
Pig pen
flooding
We have
had rain for the last two weeks.Fortunately, the pigpen where the pigs
are currently living was not affected by flooding—only minimally which we
remedied quickly with extra bedding. However, the other two pens did not
fare as well. The pen on the far end was affected the most with a huge
amount of water retention and deterioration of the concrete walls. To fix
these issues, we need to purchase a water pump to drain the current “flood” in
the pens and ensure this will not happen again in the future.
Chicken Pilot
In the first week of July, there was a feed diet changeto 90%
fermented feed and 10% commercial. We tried feeding 90% of fermented banana
which produced some challenges for us, not because of the fermented feed but
because of the time that we fermented the feed. The school only fermented for one
day and next day they fed to the chicken. As a result, some of our chicken stopped
laying eggs. For example, out of 10 chickens only one chicken was laying
eggs. After that we found out the
problem and we fermented the banana stem for at least 5 days and added some
protein ingredients such as some cracked rice, rice bran as well as 10%
commercial feed. Starting from that time, all the chickens started to lay eggs again and the
rate of laying eggs has increased. Now all the chickens are laying eggs every
day. In August, we would like to test only 100% fermented without any
commercial feed mixing into the batch.
 |
| Irrawaddy students making fermented feed for chickens and collecting eggs for lunch |
Group A
egg-laying rate = 77 eggs this month
Weight = 1.8kg average per chicken (Group A less than
Group B 0.1 kg)
Healthy looking
and regular eating habits
Group B
Egg-laying rate= 98 eggs this month
Weight = 1.9kg average per chicken
Healthy
looking and regular eating habits
School Garden Update
In the month of July, the UPLift school garden program
started doing school surveys and assessments. This year we have designed two
different assessments, one for the schools where we previously worked and another
for schools which wish to be considered for future garden programmes.
 |
| Garden visit at New Wave School and Sophia School for future possible school garden projects |
He previous assessment included how the school gardens were
running last year, and how they will continue for this year and the future.
Based on their garden assessment, KLDF will be helping to improve their gardens.
The purpose of the future garden assessment is to identify the schools that
UPLift will work with this year to setup new school gardens.
This month we have done two previous garden school
assessments (at Parami School and Heavenly Home School). One of the Parami
school teachers mentioned that they have faced an insect problem in their current
garden, which KLDF will resolve with a one day training to make natural insect
repellants. They also needed some materials such as watering can, some seeds,
and some compost. The second school had stopped running the school garden
because they did not have land available for a school vegetable garden. The
land in the school is narrow and has many rocks in and on the soil so the plants
did not grow well. They would like to continue doing again next year after they
move to another place which has more space and good fertile soil.
 |
| We also visited Parami School, a past garden project site. They have has some challenges with insects this year. |
In July, we finished four school garden assessments for
future projects. These are New Day, New Wave, Pyi Chit and Sophia school. The
schools were very interested to setup vegetable gardens. Based on our
assessments, most of the schools have enough space for school garden. They are
interested in receivig Organic garden training. They also want to use a garden for
their students’ nutrition and income generation project as well. They are also
interested in animals rearing such as chicken (village& egg laying chicken)
and pig rearing for the future.
Next month, our Agriculture Officer/Trainer, Sai Aung, will
continue to do more school assessments - 8 more schools for previous garden
assessments and 3 more schools for Future garden assessments.
‘’Waterfall’’
Karen village school project
This
project began earlier in the year when the UPLift team did some community
assessments and surveys in order to implement the project in in the Karen
state, just across the Moei River from
Thailand. UPLift is now helping to run the village primary school which has 57
children each year. In order to help the Waterfall village school, the village
committee and UPLift team came up with some income generation project ideas
which have a low risk and a high probability of success. After two or three
time of meeting with village committee, they have proposed growing corn as a
cash crop. Since the villagers had experience in growing corn every year, it should
be easy for them. The project idea was for the net profit from corn growing to provide
for village school running costs such as local teacher salaries, hygiene
supplies and school stationary.
 |
| The KLDF team observing the 10 acres of corn planting in Waterfall Village |
Village Committee
presented a simple proposal for getting a loan from UPLift KLDF. It included how
much they need for corn project setting up costs as well as how much could they
make profit. The village committee agreed to provide the 10 acres of land to
grow the corn for community income generation project. The project plan has two
phases in a year, one in the rainy season and another will be in cold season.
 |
|
The school
year began last month and children are in the school now
|
The profit
from the community income generation will go towards the project outcome which
can provide village school. The loan
agreement was set between WFV committee and UPLift, whereby the 100% loan will
be paid back interest free within 5 years. This month, the corn project was started immediately to
coincide with rainy season. The UPLift team and village committee will meet one
month two times in order to discuss challenges and successes from the project.
UBS parents’ interview
The UBS Montessori Random Controlled Test was created to aim
to monitor the effectiveness of the Khom Loy Montessori education program on
student’s behaviors and thinking skills in Thai Government Schools and Burmese
Migrant Schools. This month, we have done interviews with parents for their
children’s information. Currently we have done six schools (Tha Ad, Wan Ta
Kein, Mae Tao, Mae Tao Pae, Ka Pi Ban, Huway Mouang) with 93 parents and we
left four schools to interview such as Mae Sot, Hua Fai, Mae Pa Nue, Ban Tan
Suang. It was good to have conversation with children’ parents and it is good to
meet with parents and listen to their stories.
 |
|
KLDF
interviewed Parents at the Ban Tan Sua School
|
However, we still had some challenges. Most of the parents
working for a living so it was difficult to get the parents to meet on time,
and some parents were not able to come. To solve these issues, we we
communicated with school teachers in order to get these parents’ mobile phone
numbers, and if possible, we interviewed the parents by phone. If the parents
had no mobile phone, the UBS interview team will follow visit the parents’
houses to do their interview.
