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Runs 'N Roses wants to help
preserve the local environment by:
creating financial benefits for locals
stimulating the maintenance of local lifestyle and skills
promoting education about the importance of nature and culture
To achieve this we have the following aims:
preserve the jungle
create secondary income for village people
respect local skills and culture
promote awareness and youth education
Preserve the jungle
Deforestation is a major global problem. Locally it causes droughts
and devastating floods as well as damage to the chain of life by
the disturbance and extinction of wildlife. It is extremely important
to preserve the few forests that are still left, such as the ones
high in the mountains in Phato. But how
do you tell a villager to stop cutting trees when this is his only
way to earn a living?
Runs 'N Roses is trying to preserve
the beautiful nature in Phato area by cherishing it instead of destroying
it. Runs 'N Roses wants to show
the locals how to conserve their forests in the long term. By hosting
tourists in a regulated way for example. Or to create Income for
villagers by jobs such as tour guides, shopkeeper, restaurants and
so on.
In 2007 a project named Save
the Rainforest was started to create more awareness amongst
local people about the importance of the forest.
Secondary income for village people
All monocultures are dangerous if one aspect of income is too heavily
relied upon. Most people in the rural areas of Thailand are very
dependent on the weather. If the rain comes late then their crops
may not survive. If there is too much rain their crops may be washed
away. For many families the small income they get from selling crops
is just enough to feed their family. Most people do not have money
reserved in the bank in case something goes wrong with nature, inflation,
or anything else. Tourism by itself is a very unreliable source
of income because there are so many factors that can lead a tourist
to a different destination from one day to the next. Such factors
include political situations, weather changes or simply a rise or
decline in the interest and lure of a certain destination.
The aim of the Runs 'N Roses
projects is to have a small yet steady flow of tourism coming into
the area to generate secondary income sources for local people.
Respect local skills and culture
In Thailand the results of globalization and western influence are
very clear. Young people are leaving the villages with the dream
of working in offices in the cities. Today the villages consist
of almost entirely old people and young children. Local skills are
being forgotten and local crafts are disappearing.
Hosting motivated people who have endured long plane flights and
expensive fees to come to a specific village to learn about Thai
"walks and talks" rather than to be in any other place
in the world (including westernized mass tourist destinations) can
stimulate people to utilize and share their skills and also be proud
of their rural lifestyle. A direct result of this are the projects
of the Thai Child Development Foundation
done on the same premises where Runs 'N
Roses is located. In the near future a local craft center will
be realized there, where people can teach and learn about handicraft,
make and sell their handmade products. Setting up such a center
is one of the ideas to realize together with the local authorities.
On smaller scale Runs 'N Roses
is organizing workshops and courses to introduce foreigners to Thai
culture. The participants of the workshop Thai
culture and language can feel comfortable in their travel through
the country and easily make Thai friends with their basic skills.
The fact that they are trying to adapt to Thai culture will break
the ice and open many doors for them.
Awareness and youth education
To be proud of one's village means taking care of its surroundings.
Besides the preservation of the forests, cleaning up, recycling
and reducing garbage is a major aim of Runs 'N
Roses. On the premises of the lodge youth
activities will be organized by volunteers of the Thai
Child Development Foundation regularly to raise awareness
on this subject.
In 2007 Runs 'N Roses started
the Save-the-Rainforest
project to help preserve the forests in the area. An educational
program in the schools is one part of the project to create awareness.
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