Organizational and business arrangements have

on community empowerment and teaches English to

been made within the groups and they are now

villagers, and a Wildlife Animal Rescue (WAR) project

producing good quality products, with coaching

on rehabilitating wild animals.

from an expert.

The batik group has received quite a few orders

Thaicraft Association

for shirts, shawls and other clothing, as well as or 

A group of women in Baan Talay Nok had been trained

namental pieces. They are very motivated and the

in soap making in a post tsunami government skills

president of the Federation is also very enthusias 

training programme and further assisted by NATR, but

tic.  Consequently, the Federation has been a very

they lacked the entrepreneurship skills required to

effective partner in this project.  The group is pres 

turn their training into a micro enterprise.  Through

ently working on "the longest piece of batik" de 

the project some of the women have benefited from

picting the tsunami and it will be ready in time to

the Get Ahead entrepreneurship training, others have

be exhibited at upcoming tsunami anniversary

benefited from an exchange visit with the community

events.

of Kiriwong, which is a good example of resilience and

One of the Federation s members has been trained

entrepreneurship, having been hit by disaster ten years

as a  Get Ahead Trainer .

ago.  A professional is now teaching the group how to

be competitive in business, how to package their prod 

Responsible Ecological Social Tours (REST)

ucts, market and sell them.

Approximately 60 people are involved in the Commu 

nity Based Tourism in Baan Talay Nok.  The community

EMPOWER

 in Patong has produced information materials,

benefits from networking between four projects

doing monthly community radio broadcasting on

within its territory: as well as the REST project on com 

"safe work", undertaking bi weekly outreach visits to

munity based tourism there is a Thaicraft supported

bars and entertainment venues and holding focus

micro enterprise of women producing soap, a North

group discussions on health. The group is also active

Andaman Tsunami Relief (NATR) project which works

in networking with members in other regions in Thailand.

SEXENNA

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