Peace Corps Thailand Volunteer Wiki - Recently Updated Pages

Gender and Development

CWDazzle — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 21:43:08 CST

A global initiative group serving Thailand

“Gender equality is more than a goal in itself. It is a precondition for meeting the challenge of reducing poverty, promoting sustainable development and building good governance.”
- Kofi Annan

About GAD

Conferences

Newsletters

Links and Resources

Protocols

2009 GAD Elections
Need a little GAD in your life?
GAD elections for interested 121ers

28 November 2009
9:00 am
Peace Corps Office
Large Conference Room

Recent Media
News clip concerning transgender bathrooms in Thai schools on YouTube

The 2009 Gender and Development Committee

Angela Wyche
Committee Chair

Jeremy Johnson
Secretary

Christopher Dula
Website/Information Resources

Alex Medina
Newspaper Editor

Lacey Monson
Conference Coordinator

Project Design and Management Resources

alec.paxton — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:36:37 CST

Current PRC Members	Project Design and Management Resources	Grants and Grant Writing

Current PRC Members

Project Design and Management Resources

Grants and Grant Writing

Overview:

Designing a project with your counterpart can often be difficult because of cultural and language differences. These bi-lingual resources help guide the project planning process so that at the end both you and your counterpart have a thorough project plan, and are on the same page about what needs to be done, who needs to do it, what the goals and objectives are, and how much it will cost. If your counterpart attended one of the PDM workshops, use the project design workbook and pull from the knowledge you gained there. If your counterpart is new to project design, use the power point presentation to help teach them some of the basic tools and techniques of project design while completing the project workbook.

Resources:

The Project Design and Management (PDM) Workbook: Flexible enough to be used with any project idea, use this bi-lingual workbook to focus and fully develop an idea for a project. There are tools to identify community assets, obtain project ideas, design goals and objectives, write an action plan and budget, conduct a feasibility test, and design monitoring and evaluation tests with your counterpart. The end result should be a common understanding between you and your counterpart about what will be done, when, by whom, and why. If you are stuck on a certain part, take a look at the sample workbook.

The Project Design and Management (PDM) Power Point Presentation: New as of PSTII for group 121, this power point presentation can be used with a counterpart who has no knowledge of project design and management. It, in conjunction with the project design workbook, will help you to teach the basic tools needed to turn an idea for project into a well designed project complete with goals, objectives, an action plan, a budget, and an evaluation plan.

The Project Design and Management (PDM) Training Manual: From Peace Corps Washington. This is a book designed for trainers of the PDM. It fully explains the goals, explains the intricacies and reasoning behind each step of the PDM process, and gives useful hints and tricks to use when facilitating the PDM.

Anatomy of a Project: Need an outline of the structure of a well design project? Here you are.

Goals and Objectives Worksheet: Having problems with goal, objectives, and the differences between the two? This handout will provide you with additional clarification.

The PRC is always looking for ways to improve these tools, if you have suggestions or feedback, please contact one of us.

Karen

peteo — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 22:29:48 CST

Karen Language Websites

Downloadable Dictionaries: (towards the bottom, under "reference")
Reading Karen, speaking Karen, and transliteration
Wonderful beginning Karen Language "Course," with transliterations and sound

Thai Language Home

Peace Corps Resources:

Karen

Welcome

showeropera — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:46:10 CST

Welcome to the Peace Corps Thailand Volunteer wiki.* Explore the site through the section links below, or use the search box above to the right.

Help current and future Volunteers stand on the Shoulders of Giants. Contribute information to the wiki!


	Community Development		Teaching English
	CBOD-like Project Ideas; Human Rights Information, Links; OTOP; Thailand NGOs: Organizations; Information; Best Practices Project Database		Co-Teaching, English Camps, Teacher Trainings, Phonics, Speak English, Create a Self -Access Learning Center

	Life In Thailand		GIGs and Committees
	Cooking, Internet Connections, Mail, Money Matters,Travel Tips, Telephones, Thai Language		CEC, GAD, HIV/AIDS, ICT, PRC, Root Group, TYT, VAC, Youth Development

	Life After Peace Corps		In-Country Resources & Publications
	DOS, International Grad Schools, Jobs After Peace Corps, Packing Up and Shipping Out		IRC Library, Online Resources, Sticky Rice, PC Admin Documents

	Secure Wiki -- PCVs Only		About The Wiki
	PRC, Skills Bank, Travel Ideas		Wiki Policies, Glossary, Pages Worth Checking Out, Information Requests, Wetpaint Help

The Peace Corps Thailand volunteer wiki is a source of information for Peace Corps Thailand volunteers. Volunteers can search through the wiki for project ideas and advice, and can post project ideas for future volunteers. The wiki was created by Peace Corps Thailand volunteers, but does not reflect the views of the Peace Corps or the United States government. It certainly does not reflect the views of the government of Thailand.

*Disclaimer: This Web site is published by private individuals (who just happen to be Peace Corps Volunteers) and does not necessarily represent the official views of the Peace Corps or the U.S. Government.

Thai Language

showeropera — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 18:44:34 CST

Peace Corps-Produced Resources CEC Vocabulary ROOT Group Translation Resources	Online Dictionaries & Translation Find out which online dictionaries have been most helpful to volunteers.
Online Learning Resources Want to improve your listening or reading skills? Do you need online definitions with images or illustrations? Check out the links to useful Online Learning Resources for Thai	Romanization: How to Write Thai Names in English letters Help me! Everyone writes Thai names in English in strange ways. Now Thais are asking me how to write their names properly in English. Find out how on the Thai Romanization page.
Sentences for IRBing and Getting Settled at Site Are you just moving to site and feel a little tongue-tied? Find out some useful sentences for settling in.	Typing Thai Learning how to type in Thai may not be as crazy as it sounds. Check out this page for some resources that will make it a very attainable goal. Also, learn how to type in Thai on a non-Thai computer (i.e. one from the U.S.).
Minority Language Resources Hmong Karen Khmer Laotian Malay Other

Thai Sentences for Getting Settled

showeropera — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 18:35:46 CST

Sentences for IRBing and Getting Settled at Site

Here are some sentences that volunteers find useful when first moving to site.

Can you show me around this village to get acquainted with it?
ช่วย(ผม/ดิฉัน)ไปทำความรู้จักในหมู่บ้านนี้หน่อยได้ไหม(ครับ/ค่ะ)
Chuay pa (pom/deechan) bpai tam kwam ru jak nai bahn nee noi dai mai

I would like the community leader to help me introduce myself to the community.
(ผม/ดิฉัน)อยากให้ผู้นำหมูบ้านพา(ผม/ดิฉัน)ไปแนะนำตัวกับชุมชน(ครับ/ค่ะ)
(Pom/deechan) yak hai pu nam moo bahn pa (pom/deechan) bpai neh nam thua gup chum chon (krap/ka)

Please introduce me to the community (because I can’t speak Thai well yet).
ช่วยแนะนำ(ผม/ดิฉัน)ให้ชุมชนรู้จัก [เพราะว่า(ผม/ดิฉัน)พูดภาษาไทยยังไม่เก่ง]
Chuay neh nam (pom/deechan) hai chum chon ru jak
[prowt wa (pom/deechan) poot pasa thai yung mai gang.]

Can you help me look for a house for rent?
ช่วยพา(ผม/ดิฉัน)ไปหาบ้านเช่าได้ไหม
Chuay pa (pom/deechan) bpai haa bahn chao dai mai

I’m sorry, but I don’t like it because it’s not stable, it’s not safe.
ขอโทษแต่(ผม/ดิฉัน)ไม่ชอบเพราะไม่มั่นคง ไม่ปลอดภัย
Koh tot theh (pom/deechan) mai chop prowt mai man kong mai blod pai

Can you show me other houses?
ช่วยพา(ผม/ดิฉัน)ไปดูบ้านหลังอืนอีกได้ไหม
Chuay pa (pom/deechan) bpai doo bahn lang uun eek dai mai

Thai Language Home

Peace Corps Resources:

Online Dictionaries & Translation
Online Learning Resources
Thai Romanization
Typing Thai
Sentences for Getting Settled
Minority Languages:

Karen

Typing Thai

showeropera — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 18:35:05 CST

If the thought of typing Thai excites you, check out the resources below to learn how. Don't be intimidated; with a little set up and some practice you'll be typing like a pro!

Learn to Type Thai with Phim Sampat (พิมพ์สัมผัส) version 2

tutorials, tests, and games to learn how to touch-type in Thai (or in English)
Available at SE-ED bookstores and some 7-Elevens
It works on any computer, even non-Thai ones that aren't yet set up for Thai
You may also want to buy stickers for the keys with the Thai characters so you can find the keys easier, but the Phim Samphat program has animations showing which keys to press.
If you want to type in Thai on other programs, such as Microsoft Word, you'll need to either change your computer keyboard settings (see "Setting up a non-Thai computer" below) or use an interactive online tool (see below).

Website Tool for Typing on a non-Thai Computer

Link: Virtual Thai Keyboard
No download required. There's a text box, and whatever you type into it with your non-Thai keyboard appears in Thai characters. Then you can copy and paste it into documents or e-mails.
Click-able keyboard chart in case you're not sure where the Thai characters are on the keyboard.

Setting up a non-Thai computer (Windows)

Initial Setup

Go to Control Panel and open "Regional and Language Options"
Switch to the Languages tab
In the "Text services and input languages" section, click on the "Details..." button
In the "Installed services" section, click on the "Add..." button
For the "Input Language" box, select Thai

NOTE: If your computer doesn't have Thai as an option, you may have to install it by using a Windows operating system CD or by searching on the Internet

For the "Keyboard Layout / IME" select "Thai Kedmanee"
click OK in the "Add Input Language" window
Under "Preferences", click on the "Language bar..." button
Make sure the following box is checked "Show the language bar on the desktop", and click OK
Click OK to get out of the other windows

Switching keyboard languages
- There should now be a language bar on your desktop or taskbar. you can click it and choose between English, Thai, and whatever other languages are set up
- Sometimes you can press the ` key (to the left of 1) to alternate between the languages. On other machines you might have to press ALT + SHIFT. You can change this setting by right-clicking on the language bar
Stickers: You may want to buy stickers for the keys with the Thai characters so you can find the keys easier

Typing on Cell Phone

Many cell phones bought in Thailand can predict the Thai words you're trying to type, so all you have to do is get close and it will give you suggestions on how to finish the word. This is a fun way to practice spelling with training wheels still attached.

Thai Language Home

Peace Corps Resources:

Karen

Thai Romanization

showeropera — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 18:34:25 CST

How do I write Thai names in English Letters?

Writing Thai names in English letters is called Thai Romanization. While many people use different systems, there is one that is sanctioned by the Thai government.

In 1999, the Thai Royal Institute created the current OFFICIAL system for writing Thai names in the Romanic alphabet (aka English). It is the system used on all highway signs, and it is the basis for current spellings of province and city names
- English Version - This is Chulalongkorn University's translation of the official romanization system.
- Official Thai Version

Your Thai counterparts will appreciate the official Thai version, linked directly to the Thai Royal Institute's website. Don't be afraid use it yourself. Skip to pages 3-5 for the consonants and pages 6-7 for the vowels.

Romanization Software - Download free software from Chulalongkorn University that takes Thai script input and automatically puts it in English characters based on the official system. Can anyone see the Karaoke implications!!! Or let your students use it to learn how to write their names in English! (3.2 MB)
Equivalency Chart of Different Systems - This chart shows the equivalencies between the Poomsan Becker dictionary's transliteration, the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), and the official Thai romanization.

Some computational linguists have modified the Thai Royal Institute's system to cut out some of the ambiguity. While some consider it better, be aware that it is not the standard.
- Suggested but non-standard modified system (a Word document)
- Tech note: If you don't have SILSophiaIPA font installed on your computer, you must download and install it from the SIL site (click here) to view the document properly. Ignore warnings that it's obsolete.

Thai Language Home

Peace Corps Resources:

Karen

Thai Online Learning Resources

showeropera — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 18:33:48 CST

Check out the useful links below to find great online resources for improving your Thai.

Thai-Language.com

Basics:

over 12,000 audio clips
over 30,000 dictionary entries, all with transliteration
751 images and illustrations

Thai-language.com also has a "Reverse Phonetic Transcription" option that allows the user to enter a word "as you heard it." The site will then present a number of potential word options.
For those doing heavy SDL'ing, the site has a selection of "Categories" that contain various words and phrases related to a specific theme.

LearningThai.com
This site also has a number of resources, some of them with audio clips. Emphasis seems to be placed on having stories in both Thai and English, which might help if you want to practice reading something beyond the Peace Corps workbooks. The site is supported by advertisements for purchasing Thai resources books. Thus, it conveniently also becomes a starting place for finding non-web resources.

Learn Thai Podcasts
Find lessons with text, audio, and video to practice listening and speaking skills. For beginner to intermediate levels.

The Sounds of Thai: Thai Romanization
There's a chart where you can see an explanation of the sounds in Thai, along with the symbols used to represent them. It includes an equivalency chart between the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) and the system used in the Thai-English dictionary by Poomsan Becker. For more information about the IPA, go to the Phonetics page.

Reading Practice

DekGeng.com
For advanced readers. The left column contains link to sayings and parables (table 1), comprehension questions with answer feedback (table 2), and test questions for primary school students (middle column). Bonus: site also has English page with practice questions for ESL students.

Thai Language Home

Peace Corps Resources:

Karen

Thai Online Dictionaries and Translation

showeropera — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 18:32:38 CST

Google Translate - Google's online translation service, can translate entire web pages. Can also be accessed by the "translate this site" link next to normal Google Searches.

Thai2English.com
Thai2English always seems to have slightly less content than Thai-language.com, but the site certainly has it's positives. In addition to providing a second take on word which do not easily translate from Thai to English, Thai2English can be set to use the the transliterations found in the standard PCV Dictionary (Choose "Thai for Beginners" in the bottom box).

T2E will do word-by-word translations of Thai-language websites (using the box at the bottom of the homepage), though this feature is made less valuable by the arrival of Google-Translate.
T2E also recently made its online dictionary available for download. I haven't tried it yet, but it looks pretty amazing, with a number of additional features not found on the site. A fully functional 15-day trial version is also available.

Thai Language Home

Peace Corps Resources:

Online Dictionaries & Translation
Online Learning Resources
Thai Romanization
Typing Thai
Sentences for Getting Settled
Minority Languages:

Karen

Thai Romanization Chart

showeropera — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:53:39 CST

Thai Romanization | Thai Language Home

Thai Romanization is the transliteration (rewriting) of Thai proper names and terms using the Roman alphabet. The transliteration process is based solely on the sound of the words.

Below is a chart of equivalencies between different systems of symbols for representing the sounds in Thai. The "dictionary" column refers to the Thai-English dictionary by Benjawan Poomsan Becker, the one usually given to volunteers upon arrival to Peace Corps Thailand. The second column, IPA, refers to the International Phonetic Alphabet as established by an international organization of linguists. The third column, "Thai romanization," is the standard officially endorsed by the Royal Thai Government for the writing of Thai proper names of people and places in English. Note that the government's version is less precise with regards to a few of the sounds, but it is the only one of the three on this page that can be typed without specialized keyboards and software. The final column gives English examples of the sounds that the symbols represent, giving closest approximations of the sounds where exact Thai-English sound equivalencies don't exist.

Dictionary	IPA	Thai Romanization	As in the English Words…
g	k	k	skin, scan
k	kʰ	kh	cow, key
d	d	d	dog, deck
dt	t	t	stem, mustang
t	tʰ	th	ten
b	b	b	big, bin
bp	p	p	spit, spa
p	pʰ	ph	pat, paw
ng	ŋ	nɡ	singing, thank
j	d͡ʒ	ch	jam, jug
ch	t͡ʃ	ch	cheese
s	s	s	sun, sit
y	j	y	you
n	n	n	note, new
f	f	f	fun, fat
m	m	m	me
r	r	r	burrito (with the Spanish rolled rr)
l	l	l	law
w	w	w	way, we
h	h	h	how, hat
i	i	i	me, tea,
ʉ	ʉ	ue	say “too” and make your lips smile
u	u	u	moon, rule
e	e	e	day
ε	æ	ae	fan,
ə	ə	oe	about, again, under (without pronouncing the r)
a	a	a	like “far” but without the r, and the tongue a little closer to the front of the mouth
o	o	o	so
ɔ	ɔ	o	law, caught, rod


Diphthongs (multiple vowel sounds pronounced together)
Dictionary & IPA (identical here)		Thai Romanization
ia		ia
ʉa		uea
ua		ua
ai, aai		ai
ao, aao		ao
ui		ui
ooi		oi
ɔi, ɔɔi		oi
əəi		oei
ʉai		ueai
uai		uai
iu		io
eo, eeo		eo
εo,εεo		aeo
iao		iao

Thai Language

Family Workshop

janetrose — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 02:01:41 CDT

Volunteer Name:

Janet Rose

ContactiInformation:

Project Name:

Family Workshop

Project Description:

Timeframe:

2 days

Goals/Objectives:

To create more cohesive families that listen to each other and work together.
To build a network of families helping each other
To projects for the community

Successes:

About 60% of the families have better communication skills and plan projects for the community

Challenges:

Lessons Learned:

Funding Sources:

Tessabaun

Attachments:

Please refer to the SharePoint attachments page for instructions on how to make your documents available online.

Grants and Grant Writing

alec.paxton — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 21:48:36 CDT

Current PRC Members	Project Design and Management Resources	Grants and Grant Writing

Current PRC Members

Project Design and Management Resources

Grants and Grant Writing

Overview:
Like most types of technical writing, there is a technique to writing a good grant proposal. Many of the skills are developed during the Project Design and Management workshop, such as wrighting SMART objectives and budgets that include in-kind donations. However, a second pair of trained eyes can be invaluable, especially if this is your first time writing a grant. Its the PRC's job to help you find the right level of specificity for your proposal, develop a compelling introduction, let you know what is and isn't required and prefered by a specific funding source, and double check spelling and grammer all before the PCV submits the proposal (or has the PRC submit it on their behalf depending on the funding source).

Grants Presently Available:

Friends of Thailand (FoT): The alumni organization for Peace Corps Thailand, this group provides grants up to 50,000 baht for PCV projects. Preference is given to non-capital intense projects that enhance a community's self sufficiency and can demonstrate how the project will be sustained after FoT funding ends.

Guidelines	Application	Sample Proposal

Guidelines

Application

Sample Proposal

Host-Country Contribution Small Projects Assistance (HCC-SPA): A Peace Corps sponsored grant that is reviewed directly by the PRC, it provides up to 30,000 baht and gives preferences to sustainable and community driven projects design to directly help the community. This grant requires that at least 25% of the budget is provided by the community (including in-kind donations) and the grant money requested is matched a 5% cash contribution from the community. The application must be completed in both Thai and English.

Guidelines	Application	Sample Proposal

Guidelines

Application

Sample Proposal

Peace Corps Partnership Program (PCPP): This grant connects small, community-initiated PCV projects with partners in the United States for financial support. The partnership program covers a wide range of projects, and funds are raised by donations from friends and family of the PCV as well as other individual donors via the website. Project proposals are reviewed by the PRC before submission to PC Washington, who then creates an account on the official website. Once the project funding goal has been reached, funds are transfered to the PCV at site. The community must contribute 25% of the total project cost to qualify for this grant (including in-kind donations).

Guidelines	Application	Sample Proposal

Guidelines

Application

Sample Proposal

Other Sources of Funding and Support: These sources have been used in the past with some success. However, these funding sources have no direct relationship with Peace Corps and volunteers must to clear any funding received from these groups with staff and the PRC prior to accepting the funds.

The 1% Fund - for community driven projects up to 20,000 baht, especially in the area of environment.
Water Charity - for water and sanitation projects.
American Women's Club of Thailand (AWC) - for income-generation, medical, educational, and nutritional related projects.
Your Home State RPCV Group - for community based project assistance between $100-200.
Disney Minnie Grant - for youth service related projects.
Thai Health Foundation - for health-awareness related projects.

The Project Proposal Archive: A tidbit left to us by 119ers of past, and, unfortunately, a bit outdated. We're working on updating this information as you read this. Until then, enjoy.

Youth Activity Ideas

reneeschlatter — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 23:33:32 CDT

Youth Activity Ideas

ความคิดเห็นเกี่ยวกับกิจกรรมของเยวชน

Make Recycled Paper
ทำกระด่าษรีไซเคิล

Make Recycled Books
ทำสมุดรีไซเคิล

Clothing Drive
บริจาคเสื้อผ้า

Big Buddies Club
กลุ่มเพื่อเด็กและเยาวชน

Earth Day Activities (Recycle Day, Make Wooden Trash Cans, Make Recycled Products)
วันพัฒนาโลก(ในพื้นที่ตำบลศรีดอนมูล)

Mural Paintings (about Youth Life, Health, etc)
วาดรูปและระบายสีกำแพงสถานที่ราชการ เช่น โรงเรียน สถานีอนามัย

Expressive Art: Communicating and Connecting (Making Art Objects)
สร้างสรรค์งานศิลปะ

First-Aid and Health Workshop
อบรมเกี่ยวกับการดูแลสุขภาพและการปฐมพยาบาลเบื้องต้น

Youth giving announcements about activities over loudspeakers
ผู้ประกาศข่าวของกลุ่มเยาวชนแต่ละหมู่บ้าน

Life Skills Training
การอบรมทักษะชีวิต

Volunteer day/week (volunteer at the Anamai, daycares, in the fields, etc)
อาสาสมัครเยาวชน ช่วยงานต่างๆ เช่น สถานีอนามัย โรงเรียน

Take the Students to Work Day
ฝึกงานกับหน่วยงานต่างๆ ในพื้นที่ตำบลศรีดอนมูล

Youth Sports Tournament
การแข่งขันกีฬาเยาวชน

Youth Sports Teams (Organized and Played by the Youth)
ทีมนักกีฬาเยาวชน จัดการแข่งขันกีฬาเอง และเล่นเอง

Youth Leadership Conference
อบรมการเป็นผู้นำของเยาวชน

Reading Books to the Daycares
อ่านหนังสือให้เด็กฟังในศูนย์พัฒนาเด็กเล็ก

Taking Care of the Elderly
ดูแลผู้สูงอายุ

Giving Blood
บริจาคเลือด

Making Various Thai Kanoms
ทำขนมไทยต่างๆ

Training/Conference about Drugs
จัดกิจกรรมอบรมเรื่องยาเสพติด

Job Shadowing Various Places
มีการทัศนศึกษาดูงานตามสถานที่ต่างๆ

Organizing Youth Day Activities (the 2nd Saturday in January)
จัดงานวันเด็ก

Writing up an activity plan
กิจกรรม ชื่อเรื่อง (Activity Title)
ความคิดเห็น/คอนเซ๊ป ( Idea/Concept)
เป้าหมาย (อยากให้เยาวชนได้ความรู้อะไร) (Goals, What will be accomplished)
การพัฒนาเยาวชนสาขาวิชา (Youth Development Area)
-ครอบครัว , ชุมชน , เยาวชน... (Family, Community, Youth, etc)
-ช่วยเหลือ , การให้กำลังใจ ,... (Support, Encouragement)
-ทำงาน (Work) -ให้อำนาจตัวเอง (Empowerment)
-ความคาดหมาย และเขตแดน (Expectations and Boundaries)
-ใช้เวลาเกี่ยวกับการจัดระบบการทำงาน (Constructive Use of Time)
-การเรียนรู้การมอบหมายกิจกรรม (Commitment to Learning)
-มูลค่าด้านบวก (คิด , ทำในด้านดี) (Positive Values)
-เกี่ยวกับสังคมความสามารถ (Social Competencies)
-เอกลักษณ์ด้านบวก (มองในด้านดี) (Positive Identity)
เยาวชนจุดมุ่งหมาย (Target Youth)
เวลา (Time)
กิจกรรมแผน (Activity's Plan)
-ทิศทางสำหรับกิจกรรม (Directions)
กำลังทำ (Doing it)
เกิดขึ้นอย่างไร ทำอย่างไร (How to make it all happen)

Environmental Projects (non-camp)

peteo — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 04:05:11 CDT

Increase Your Knowledge	Find a Resource	Do Something	Share With Others

Increase Your Knowledge

Find a Resource

Do Something

Share With Others

Environmental Camps	Environmental Projects (non-camp)	Teaching and Training	Other Projects- ROOT

Environmental Camps

Environmental Projects (non-camp)

Teaching and Training

Other Projects- ROOT

Below are a handful of projects that PCVs can complete in their communities, with the SAO, or with their school. We are hoping to greatly increase the amount of TCCO/School- related projects. If you have had a chance to work with environmental projects at your school, please consider making that information available to other vounteers.

For the present moment, some of these pages also have a greater focus on information than on project implementation. If you decide that you are serious about moving forward with a project and feel you need more practical materials, please contact us and we may be able to pass along either in-depth assistance or connections with resources working on your topic.

Biogas

Biogas, Instruction Manual (Thai and English, Barrel Method)
Biogas Instructional Manual (English Only)

Biogas Training Powerpoint (This is a .pdf version of the presentation for you and a counterpart to look over. If you are interested in using this presentation, please contact ROOT and we can send the real version via CD or flashdrive)

Burning

Burning Project Ideas
Forest Fire Project Ideas
Pamphlets

Composting

Compostable Material (Thai/English)

Food Security

11_Easy_Actions_Related_to_Food_Security (web-version)
Integrating_Food_Security_Into_Existing_Projects (web-version)
Sample_PAPA_with_USAID_Mali (.doc)
Tip_Sheet-Obtaining_Seeds_for_Your_Project-PC (.pdf)

Make Stuff with Local Resources

Adobe
Liquid Soap
Plastic Bag Bag
Rainwater Catchment

Organic Fertilizer

Organic Fertilizer Recipe Book (Thai)
Organic Fertilizer Aeration System (Thai) - SAO Plong, Chiang Rai

Recycling

Starting a Community Recycle Bank - The basics about Communty and School-based Recycling Banks.
Community Recycling Presentation
School Recycling Bank Power Point Presentation (Thai) from Chiang Rai Provencial Environemental Services. It's only in Thai, so try some of the online translation resources to get the gist.
Recycle price list

Making Recycled Paper

Recycling Scavenger Hunt (Thai/English)

Solar Energy

Water

Water Filtration for Fish Ponds (work in progress)
Funding and support option for water projects

Other Helpful Material

Calendar of Environmental Days

_______

General Project Idea Page

Solar Cells

peteo — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 04:02:01 CDT

Increase Your Knowledge	Find a Resource	Do Something	Share With Others

Increase Your Knowledge

Find a Resource

Do Something

Share With Others

Environmental Camps	Environmental Projects (non-camp)	Teaching and Training	Other Projects- ROOT

Environmental Camps

Environmental Projects (non-camp)

Teaching and Training

Other Projects- ROOT

Solar cell- เซลล์สุริยะ (sayn sù-rí-yá) (normally, though, the loan word "Solan Cell" is understood and used by villagers)

As a way to bring energy to areas of Thailand that could not be reached by the normal power grid,, the Thai Government provided solar cells to rural villagers at steep discounts. Additional support was often also provided by international NGOs and Foreign Government development agencies.

Often times, though, the shipment of solar energy was not complimented by proper cell usage and repair trainings. As a result, as batteries go bad, connections get unconnected, and equipment generally wears and gets old, villagers are unable to complete simple, proper maintenance and repair.

To make matters worse, the actual instructions and schematics of solar cells are in English, Japanese and/or Korean.

When Solar Cells were introduced in the mountainous border amphurs of Tak Province, an NGO, BGET, was selected to provide usage and repair training. From that training, some amazing manuals were produced. The first set are "Owner's manuals," the second is for use by individuals who recieved more detailed upkeep and repair training.

While it is unclear if BGET will have the time or resources to impliment further trainings off of the border, these manuals are very detailed, and it is likely that previous trainees could be used as SCR/ peer-to-peer trainers in your community.

Owner's Manual (Thai; pdf)

(.ppt)

Owner's Manual (Eng; .ppt)

Technical Manual (Thai; .pdf)

More information and downloads can be found here.

Best Practices Project Database

peteo — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 01:17:04 CDT

In the Best Practices Project Database volunteers can read about and post information pertaining to completed and ongoing projects.

ICT Projects

ICT Mini-Conference

English Camps

English Camp - Remedial
NongBuaLumPhu English Camp

Life Skills Camps

Family Workshop
Giving Swimming Lessons
Khon Kaen Life Skills (2007)
Kids Teach Kids HIV/AIDS Camp
Nam Phrae Environment Camp

Community Development

Build an Adobe house

Self- Access Learning Center

Income Generation

Logos, Packaging, Budgeting, and Marketing Workshop
Packaging Templates

Project Ideas

peteo — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 01:15:40 CDT

There are all kinds of projects that volunteers can do in their communities here in Thailand, with the main limits being questions of sustainability and the breadth of the volunteers imaginations. Still, there's no reason for volunteers to have to reinvent the wheel every time they want to do something. Here are some instructions for how to do various popular and easy low-cost projects.

Environmental Projects

HIV Education Project

ICT Projects

Making Use of Local Resources

Miscellaneous

Family Workshop

Governmental Institutions

peteo — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 01:05:31 CDT

ROOT Group	CEC	ICT	GAD	HIV/AIDS	Youth

ROOT Group

CEC

ICT

GAD

HIV/AIDS

Youth

Institutions and Organizations Database

NGOs	Governmental Institutions	Academic Institutions	Create a Profile

NGOs

Governmental Institutions

Academic Institutions

Create a Profile

Thai Government is a complicated mash-up of local-level and national ministries, departments, banks and officials. While neither ROOT Group nor and other committee can supply you with all the information you may need at site, the following pages and links can help you sort through some of the people and institutions that you may encounter.

(Important note: some of the Government Organizations listed below were compiled by PCVs in specific regions or communities. But even though the "Office of Agriculture," for example, listed here is in Chiang Rai, you should expect to find a similar office or organization in your community, too.
If you are interested in starting a relationship with one of these organizations, contacting the writer about their experiences in their community is a great way to get a jumpstart on creating relationships in yours.)

Local-Level Individuals/Institutions

Maaw Din - volunteer village-level farming specialist
Tanakan MooBan (Amphur Dok Kam Thai) - Government-sponsored village savings group

ROOT Group Community Surveys
CEC Community Integration tools (second heading)
Local Elections
"Who's Who at the SAO" (CEC)

Provincial and Amphur-Level Individuals/Institutions

Office of Agriculture (Chiang Saen)
Office of Environment and Natural Resources (Chiang Rai)
Department of Environmental Quality Promotion (Chiang Rai)

National Initiatives and Ministries

BAAC- Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives
Photos from the Chiang Mai Sufficiency Economy Museum
Chiang Saen International Institute for Skill Development
DEQP- (Department for Environmental Quality Promotion)
Highland Agriculture Extension Center

Crop Price Insurance Scheme
Non-Formal Education Act, 2008 (making official government support for Non-Formal and Informal Education; original govt. website is not trusted by Google, so uploaded to Sharepoint)
SML- Small, Medium, Large funds / Sufficiency Economy Fund

The Royal Irrigation Department
Department of Fisheries
Land Development Department
Department of Livestock Development
Royal Forest Department
Department of Agriculture
Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives
Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment

General Resources

Government Officials and Offices plus govt. related words- a translated list (no transliteration; sorry...)
Environmental Trainers

Rights and other Government-related Topics

Human Rights Websites
Rights Documents

Water Charity

peteo — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 01:02:26 CDT

ROOT Group	CEC	ICT	GAD	HIV/AIDS	Youth

ROOT Group

CEC

ICT

GAD

HIV/AIDS

Youth

Institutions and Organizations Database

NGOs	Governmental Institutions	Academic Institutions	Create a Profile

NGOs

Governmental Institutions

Academic Institutions

Create a Profile

Water Charity
Thai: (none)

Type: NGO;
Area: National;

Main Services:
Funding and expertise for water-related projects.

Contact Information:
Averill Strasser (COO and RPCV): mail@watercharity.org

English Speaking?: Yes

Institution familiar with Peace Corps/your name?: This is an international NGO/donor that was started by a RPCV, so they are very interested in doing PC projects.

Website: http://appropriateprojects.com/ ; http://watercharity.org/

Additional Details:
In 2009, PC-Thailand recieved two contacts from Mr. Strasser, the first to a 121 PCV, the second two staff. These are reproduced below:

I am COO of Water Charity, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that does water, sanitation, and public health projects worldwide. We have recently started a new initiative, Appropriate Projects, to fund small water and sanitation projects very quickly.

I am a Rturned Peace Corps Volunteer (Bolivia ’66-’68), and am well aware of the difficulties Volunteers face in the field. Water Charity has successfully completed projects of various sizes in cooperation with the Peace Corps. However, it occurred to me that we needed to further simplify the process for volunteers to get things accomplished. This prompted me to develop the Appropriate Projects initiative.

Often there is that little project that must be done now (before the rains start, before school starts, or whatever), but there are no funds available. Traditional funding sources are cumbersome, and there are long forms, detailed requirements, limited resources, and long delays.

Appropriate Projects has a very specific and immediate goal: We want to help you do your favorite project now.

If you are working in water and sanitation, I know you have a bunch of projects lined up. If you are working in other project areas, there are usually water components to your projects, or facilities needed where you work or teach.

Sample projects may be: a rainwater catchment, handwashing stations for a school, water for a clinic, pumps, sinks, latrines, etc.

We also like to “finish” projects that have been started, and “fix” things that have ceased to function.

So, check out the Appropriate Projects website at http://appropriateprojects.com. If you have a project in mind, please fill out the application form. We want this to be easy for you, so we have developed a simple form that you can fill out in one sitting.

If you have any questions about the appropriateness of your project, or you need some time to get it together, just let me know.

If you do not have a project that qualifies, please pass this message on to your fellow Volunteers who may have an interest. Finally, if this initiative resonates with you, please let others know what we are doing through your social networks, websites, and blogs.

I look forward to hearing from you.

_____

Peggy and Jaree:
This is to follow up on a phone conversation I had today with Jake Gambati of your office, whom I am copying on this email.

I am COO of Water Charity, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that does water, sanitation, and public health projects worldwide.

I am a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (Bolivia ’66-’68). I am aware of the difficulties Peace Corps faces in carrying out projects, especially in light of current budgetary limitations.

Water Charity has funded Peace Corps projects of various sizes in several countries. We continue to fund projects through the Peace Corps Partnership Program (PCPP) when projects within our purview are posted. However, we also like to develop alternative means to get funds where they are needed in a timely manner.

Our regular projects may be seen on the Water Charity website. We have recently secured major funding for our activities, and are prepared to expand our work to fund more projects, of a larger scope, in more locations, than previously undertaken.

About 3 months ago we started an initiative, Appropriate Projects, to fund very small water and sanitation projects immediately. You can see that in that time we have funded 20 projects in 16 countries.

Here is an example of a typical project, which shows our ability to react to a critical situation: http://appropriateprojects.com/node/41. A week’s delay would have resulted in a large number of people being left without water until the next thaw.

I do not know the details about your programming areas in Thailand, but I’d like to let you know where we can help. If you have typical Peace Corps water & sanitation or community development programs, we can assist.

If you are more involved in health and education, we can offer assistance for projects where PCVs live, teach or work. Sample projects may be: a rainwater catchment, handwashing stations for a school, water for a clinic, piping, fixtures, pumps, sinks, latrines, etc.

We look for projects where there is some “hardware” involved, but we are OK with an educational and training component as an add-on.

We like to “finish” projects that have been started, and “fix” things that have ceased to function.

We encourage follow-up projects that expand upon the successful completion of the first small project.

We look for impact on critical needs, and sustainability built into the project.

To summarize, we have made it easy for PCVs to apply to Appropriate Projects for immediate assistance on projects up to $500.

As mentioned previously, with our new financial support, we are now prepared to provide funding for larger projects as well. The best way to start this would be if you could provide me with a summary of a package of projects in need of funding. At this time, for each included project, a simple explanation of the project concept, timetable, and dollar amount would suffice.

We will react at once, and we can work together on the details for the projects that fit within our purview.

If you wish to discuss this further by telephone, I would be happy to call you at a time convenient to you. We are in California, so I believe you are 14 hours ahead of us.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Regards,
Averill

Averill Strasser, COO

Comments:

Photos:

Peace Corps Thailand Volunteer Wiki - Recently Updated Pages

Gender and Development

Project Design and Management Resources

Karen

Welcome

Thai Language

Peace Corps-Produced Resources

Romanization: How to Write Thai Names in English letters

Minority Language Resources

Thai Sentences for Getting Settled

Sentences for IRBing and Getting Settled at Site

Typing Thai

Thai Romanization

How do I write Thai names in English Letters?

Thai Online Learning Resources

Reading Practice

Thai Online Dictionaries and Translation

Thai Romanization Chart

Family Workshop

Grants and Grant Writing

Youth Activity Ideas

Environmental Projects (non-camp)

Solar Cells

Best Practices Project Database

Project Ideas

Governmental Institutions

Water Charity