Village on Stilts in Thailand Rebuilds with Boat Bank

Built on the water, the entire eight-acre fishing village of Bang Pat, in Thailand’s Phang Nga Province, emerges from the sea on stilts. Boats are the only means of travel, and have long been the only means of survival.

Of the 57 households in the village, 25 were directly affected by the tsunamis. Fishing boats were lost, and engines and equipment were damaged beyond repair, destroying villagers’ only source of income.

Khun Wahara, a local committee member, explains that when the tidal waves hit, "they took away our boats, nets and traps and damaged many houses. Everything disappeared — and we were left only with our lives."

Government agencies approached Bang Pat immediately following the tsunami and told the villagers to prepare the fish traps that had been damaged, promising to bring thousands of fish to help them get back on their feet. After investing their remaining money in fixing the traps, the villagers are still waiting. With so many tsunami victims, the task of rehabilitating the affected communities has, understandably, proven challenging.

JDC and its local Thai partner, Population and Community Development Association (PDA) stepped in and "adopted" the village, providing assistance in all areas of community rebuilding over a period of three years. "Since JDC and PDA have been helping us, our burdens have decreased greatly… it is like turning over a new leaf, making a new start," says Wahara.

For Khun Marut, a 22-year-old fisherman, beginning again post-tsunami could mean surpassing his previous income. Before the deadly storm hit, he and his three older brothers had shared a boat. It would leak and was unsafe, forcing the fishermen to stay close to the shores.

Utilizing the Boat Bank launched by JDC and PDA in partnership with the citizens of the village, Mr. Marut and his brothers have now been able to take a loan and purchase a second-hand boat and fix the old one. Many villagers who previously did not own their own equipment have also been able to buy second-hand boats. The Boat Bank also rents out small fishing boats and engines to local fishermen for a daily fee that contributes towards their eventual ownership.

Proceeds from the Boat Bank and loan payments from JDC/PDA’s Women’s Economic Empowerment and Income Generation program, in turn, contribute to the Village Bank. This income is used in community projects. Minimal monthly deposits of ($1.25) by local residents to the Village Bank — a savings account in which every member of the village is a share holder — also help to encourage savings, the absence of which made the damage of the tsunami even more devastating. Villagers can then borrow from this fund to rebuild and expand their businesses. To further self-sufficiency and engage local residents on every level of the project, elected villagers, 50% of whom will be women, will be trained to manage the affairs of the bank. Plans are underway to establish banks in 10 additional villages in the south of Thailand.

Fishing villages adopted by JDC and PDA, such as Bang Pat, are being provided additional streams of assistance including school lunches, a school lunch farm, educational support, a food for work program, children and youth psychological rehabilitation, environmental activities (e.g. water, sanitation, tree planting, wildlife conservation), and a village youth government. Each facet of this comprehensive program is being implemented in full partnership with the village residents.

Women from the "adopted" fishing villages have been engaged in Economic Empowerment and Income Generation Projects which include Batik making, bread making, fruit selling and food processing — using fish products such as shrimp paste for cooking — and preparing lunches for the school lunch programs. For example, women from Bang Pat and two other local villages take turns preparing meals for the 274 pupils at nearby Ban Klang Primary School. Plans are underway to set up a school farm program, where the local children will grow their own food for their lunches. Presently, they are growing mushrooms and small fish which they will be able to eat in a few months time. As it is estimated that nearly 75% of the students do not eat breakfast in the morning, PDA is complementing this assistance with a school breakfast program.

With the help of JDC’s programs, this isolated "village on stilts" has had a marked resurgence following last December’s tsunamis. While some young men from Bang Pat moved to other provinces to support family members, many have returned home now that village life will again be flourishing. "Most parents want their children to continue to college level of education," one village committee member exclaims proudly. Some take out loans to send them for higher education.

Asked how they feel about the future, a hush falls over the circle of villagers. One member explains that they had previously been offered assistance on small group projects which divided the small village, but the efforts of JDC and PDA were fostering solidarity by encouraging everyone to work together. "This is why there is no doubt that our lives have improved and will continue to," she says. We are deeply grateful to JDC for giving us these opportunities and are very happy to see that JDC members are returning again and again to visit us, proving that it is a serious and caring organization."

December 2005