(Related: See progress of UPLift's Garden Project in Fang)
This time has also taught us an important lesson that is usually daunting when beginning a development project: Sometimes the hardest barriers to overcome for marginalized groups are the most immediate. Whatever this initial barrier may be, ways can be found to bypass it. Through listening to stories and interviewing workers, simple challenges (and creative solutions) are found.
Finding a sustainable source of food is a serious issue for many Shan families in Fang district. The meager income of most Shan working on orange plantations is further reduced after having to purchase food; as much as 70% of daily income is spent on rice, vegetables, proteins and cooking supplies. One answer would be to begin a vegetable garden so that families can lower the amount they spend on food purchases. However, this simple answer comes with an equally simple challenge—having the capital to start a garden, although small in our eyes, is inaccessible to workers who are barely surviving day-to-day.
UPLift is helping overcome this challenge by working with plantation owners to provide a small plot of land and supplying startup supplies and training with the ultimate goal of Shan migrant workers being able to maintain their own crops, produce their own organic fertilizer/insect deterrents, harvest their own vegetables and reduce their food costs in the process. These savings can then be put towards their children’s future in education and legal status in Thailand.
