Coming soon: agricultural cooperative at Dom Chum Village, Thailand
Grand Circle Foundation has been partnering with Don Chum Village in Thailand since 1994. The village’s local school, Baan Don Chum School, is supported by the Foundation’s World Classroom initiative, and OAT travelers visit this village as part of our Day in the Life experience.
In the coming weeks, Grand Circle Foundation will expand its partnership with a new Invest in a Village project by helping to create an agricultural cooperative for Don Chum Village.
Currently, villagers have to travel long distances to the nearest town to visit markets in order to obtain food since they don’t currently have a local source of food. This not only affects adults, but also students attending the Baan Don Chum school, which provides lunch for its students.
Grand Circle Foundation will work closely with the chief of the village, Mr. Udom Naksang, to establish an agricultural cooperative in the center of Don Chum. “The village chief will be a key leader to drive this project with strong support from the chief of the senior center, Mr. Me Manop,” says Rung Chatchaloemwut, OAT’s Regional General Manager for Thailand. “I believe in their strong leadership and have confidence that this investment will be worthwhile to change the lives of the people of Don Chum.”
The initial phase of this project—the first of its kind in the area—will help to fund the purchase of chickens, a fish pond, and local crops like mushrooms, greens, eggplant, and beans.
When the cooperative is complete, it will help to create jobs, improve nutrition, and generate income through the sale of produce, as well as eggs, fish, and seeds for farmers.
Visit Grand Circle Foundation’s website to find out how you can help to support this new Invest in a Village project, or to learn about the Foundation’s other Invest in a Village projects.
Learn more about the work of Grand Circle Foundation by visiting their website.