Agroforestry, Community Development Training, and beautiful Myanmar

By: Jonathan Rhodes
Co-contributor: Green Communities Consulting

Chan Nu Nu and her amazing mother

Project 1:

Chan Nu Nu’s agroforestry project

cutting bamboo free of the tangles (2 1/2 stories up)

In early July, GCC received the request to visit Chan Nu Nu’s property and begin work. Chan Nu Nu was the project leader and a local Karen youth. She was able to find local plant experts who could assist in our search for shallow rooted plants and will begin using them in conjunction with the pineapples already planted prior to our arrival. I arrived in Hpa-An on July 10^th and remained for 11 days commuting to her village 20mins outside the city. We were unable to secure permission to stay outside of Hpa-An because the region is still considered a black zone on the Myanmar government’s list. 

 

harvesting local bamboo

Chan Nu Nu ran the project smoothly and GCC was able to offer assistance in building designs, land use planning, and materials selection. GCC did not provide financial support and did not function as project leaders. This ensured the responsibilities remained the project leaders' and thus ownership of projects were  entirely theirs.

July 14^th through July 20^th GCC assisted with the construction of a pigpen and manure composer as well as a chicken coop. We were unable to assist with the living quarters due to time and their current financial capacity. The materials included recycled wood, concrete, sand, stone, wire mesh, and nails for the pigpen/compost structure as well as locally sourced bamboo, bamboo ties, bamboo woven mats, thatched teak leaf and palm leaf roofing, and plastic joint ties for both structures.

building pigpen

     Both structures were placed in the north east portion of the property to prevent contamination of the well water via seepage, underground water movement or run off from compost and feces.

chicken coop

The concept of free range pigs and chickens was accepted by Chan Nu Nu. They will be purchased in the second half of August. The chickens will help mitigate pest insects. We have also determined that the pigs will not damage the pineapple plants because of the variety of pineapple selected. The leaves are large and barbarous and thus a deterrent to foraging animals.

thatched roof of pigpen

                

I spent a good deal of time meeting and learning about Chan Nu Nu's family and village. Her village is a small Christan community, which is not unusual for ethnic minorities in the region. Even knowing this, I was not prepared for the the contrast between this village and surrounding Buddhist villages.

Project 2  

NEED-Myanmar trainings

NEED-Myanmar Eco-Village Foundation

GCC also conducted community development trainings for Burmese students in Hmawbi, Yangon Division, Myanmar (July 21^st through July 27^th) and in Chiang Mai (July 29^th through August 2^nd). The purpose of the trainings were to reinforce basic theoretical and practical concepts of community development and community engagement for the Eco-Village Foundation school in Burma and the Land, Law and Economic Training in Chiang Mai. The course was designed as a 5 day crash course with the following objectives:

• to develop one’s own working definition of development, community development, and sustainable community development
• methods of engaging the community
• why engagement with national and international actors is important

Jon with the NEED Director Khaing Du Wan

One of NEED's new buildings and one of their new cows