Chakri Day Action in Phana

Last week was a busy week of blogging for me. But my blogs last week had very positive responses and outcomes. I am always aware that people at the tetsaban read my blog, and they are always very helpful in providing me with information, and with photos when I need them. I am generally in favour of their initiatives and feel positively about their contribution to life in Phana (as it is lived, not just the blog). Although I am not their mouthpiece, I felt somewhat apprehensive about being critical about what was happening in Don Chao Poo forest with regard to the litter problem and the monkeys.

It seems that I needn't have worried. The response from the tetsaban and from lots of other people in Phana has been very positive. Pensri attended a meeting at the tetsaban on Thursday and distributed copies of a village development plan that was drawn up 46 years ago by her father and a noted abbot in Ubon (born in Phana). Half of this plan was to establish Don Chao Poo as a conservation area encompassing Buddhism, wildlife, traditional medicine and so on. The other half of the plan was to foster village unity through communal days on which the village would be cleaned, roads gradually  improved, ponds dug and so on. Over the years the idea of communal village/town action has diminished in importance as the tetsaban has taken over responsibility for many of these areas of life.

Nevertheless, the meeting, which involved all the village heads, kamnan, councillors and community representatives, agreed to revive the plan and to revise it as necessary. And action was immediate! The following Wednesday, Chakri Day, 6th April was declared a 'community action day' with the emphasis on cleaning up houses and streets. And it worked. People came out of their houses, got together and cleaned up. The mayor, in a cowboy hat (don't ask me why) drove an ice-cream motor-bike contraption around and gave free ice-cream to people out working. Good thinking; he's a real politician. I didn't get any pictures of most of the communal action because I was with Pensri and a gang of a few other adults and some young people in Don Chao Poo. The tetsaban sent a truck to take away our bin bags of rubbish and in the afternoon succumbed to our pleas for more active help. I think 95% of the task has now been completed.

Another turn for the better appeared on Friday. One of the English teachers at Phana Suksa came round to invite us to a meal with him and his colleagues on the Saturday, to celebrate his promotion to a higher grade. We weren't able to accept because we were going to Ubon for the wedding of one of our former volunteers to a young Thai man. But the teacher, Mr Prakong, came with us for alitter-picking session in Don Chao Poo, and afterwards he said that when the new school year began he would arrange for a group of students to pick litter there on a weekly basis as part of the new 'Community Involvement' section of the curriculum. A lucky break that augurs well.

Here is one section of our gang from yesterday:

 

The two girls were brilliant. They came out and worked with us on 5 days, so they deserve a bit of a close-up, I think. They used to come round to the house and learn English when they were at primary school, but they will be in M3 next year, สาวแล้ว, as they say, so they don't do that any more. But it was very nice to see them again, they are two lovely Phana girls.

For some the day's work was just a walk in the park ... or was it a walk on the wild side?

Whatever, at the end of the day it's just nice to put your feet up.

Which is precisely what I was glad to do after 7 days in the forest, helping to collect more than 100 bin bags full of rubbish.

Comments

[Martyn]

Lawrence how nice to read that positive things are happening from yours and others actions toward cleaning up the community. Pensri's father would be really proud if he was around today. Keep up the good work and through it all your community will benefit in many different ways. Work does sometimes forge long lasting bonds of friendship.

[Lawrence]

Hi Martyn, sorry it has taken me so long to get to your comment( continuing computer problems). Pensri said it brought a little tear to her eyes! The work does seem to have had good results and the forest looked good for the songkran celebrations, Pensri tells me. My accident has meant that I haven't been out since getting back from Samui so I don't know how things are there now, but I sense a new determination not to let things get so bad again.

Looks like we are flying in opposite directions early in May. It seems we are missing some good weather in Devon. I'll be thinking of the mango juice when I'm back there. Enjoy your time in Thailand.