Thailand Project

Project Leads: Tom Bryan and Jonathan Koenighain

Project Summary

In 2014 EWB-JSC began working with the village of Maejanoi in northwestern Thailand. This village is mainly comprised of members of the Karen tribe who have come from further up in the mountains in search of better living conditions. There are approximately 200 people in Maejanoi today, which has grown from 5 to 40 households in the last 10 years.

During EWB's assessment trip in November 2014, the community identified their top needs as water supply and quality. Their water comes from a mountain source across the road from the village. While there is plenty during the rainy season, this source dries up during the dry season. In the dry season, the community rations water for drinking, and there is not enough water for their vegetable gardens. The pipes are sometimes damaged by forest fires and falling trees. Some villagers reported health issues such as bladder stones which may be related to the water. The EWB team found bacteria, including E. Coli and coliform, throughout the water system.

In March 2016 EWB, working with villagers and a local contractor, constructed a 40,000 liter ferrocement storage tank at the village entrance. During a second trip in May, EWB and villagers installed pumps, small catchment tanks, and pipelines to bring water up from a natural source downhill from the village. As a result, Maejanoi will have easily accessible drinking water throughout the year. EWB is currently starting to look at ways to purify the water to improve the health of the village members.

Our projects wouldn’t be possible without the help and support of others. If you are interested in getting involved with the Thailand project, contact us for more information. We are always happy to receive new volunteers or donations.

Thailand Project Documents

Presentations

Reports

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