After experiencing flash flooding, a community in a remote area of northern Thailand is building resilience through learning, resources, and support.
After experiencing higher than average levels of rain in the 2018 rainy season, Nan Province in Northern Thailand was hit by further flash flooding. Unsustainable farming practices led to soil erosion, which compounded the issue. Homes and lives were lost, the bridge to the nearest city was washed out for over a month, and a Hmong village in the Pua District lost a year’s income due to the ruined corn crop. The community struggled to recover, with many forced to move to Bangkok in search of work—a situation that put them at risk of trafficking and exploitation.
The Freedom Story was founded in 2008 to help prevent child trafficking and exploitation in Northern Thailand. With a grant from Facebook and the Disaster Recovery Team at GlobalGiving, The Freedom Story was able to implement a relief and recovery program in Nan Province in partnership with a local staff member from the impacted village.
The Freedom Story assisted in rebuilding some of more than 400 houses that were impacted in the village. They also helped provide support for villagers to buy necessary appliances, blankets, and medicine.
One of the students in this village has lived with their grandparents there since becoming orphaned at a very young age. This vulnerable family used the funds to replace things that had been lost in the flood: clothes, appliances, and other essential items for their home.
The Freedom Story also organized a training and workshop on sustainable farming practices, including how to prevent landslides and how to take action to protect your house if they happen again.
Providing relief and support, combined with learning and development, has given the community the chance to recover while also learning how to protect themselves in the future. This leads to more resilient communities, with lower risks of flooding, and reduces the pressure to engage in risky migration.
The Disaster Recovery Team at GlobalGiving has advanced a model of community-led relief and recovery since 2004.
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Featured Photo: In northern Thailand, Freedom story also runs an afterschool program for children at risk of exploitation. Photo by Freedom Story.
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