Greyman Blog

Northern Thailand.
My wife and I are sitting on the verandah of the trekking lodge that Grey Man provided the initial funding for and was then finished with help from Nike, Thailand. We are taking a break from our hectic schedule of checking on Grey Man projects and kicking back with a cup of coffee and admiring the view. As the sounds of the village below drift up to us I have a chance to reflect on what can be accomplished when people who care enough choose to take action.

The trekking lodge

A few years ago this village was very poor and had the unenviable statistic of having the highest incidence of AIDS in Thailand.  Sad but true. Our friend Sila took me to the bamboo grove just outside the  vllage where they bury their dead.  So many gravesites, so many deaths from AIDS.  So many good people.  Young girls lured to the cities and into prostitution, trafficked often by relatives or people they knew.

Every time I pass a certain house in the village which is more elegant than the bamboo huts surrounding it I am reminded of the girl who went to Bangkok to work in a karaoke bar , only to catch HIV and come back to the village to die. This house is the one she built for her mother before she died.

However, in just a few short years, our partner agency Kids Ark has helped turn the statistics around through education, HIV/AIDS awareness and alternative income sources. Each time I come here the village quality of life has improved just a little bit more.

One view from the verandah of the lodge

This trekking lodge that Grey Man started now provides full-time income for one family and part-time income for another 23 families, including 3 school-girls (Nana (12), Ima (12) and May(11)) who help with the cooking. It also contributes funds to the community health centre, the village temple, regular sports days for the school kids, upkeep of the toilets, and assists with taking trekkers and locals to the district hospital if sickness or injuries occur.

Our initiatives to transport kids to school and support kids education, including assistance to their families, in this and other villages has reduced the chances of trafficking to virtually zero.

One of our school buses

Think on this. These initiatives were started by people who took action even when the obstacles were daunting. They were never ready to change the world but they did change it for this village. You will never be smart enough, capable enough, organized enough or strong enough to make a difference in the world……so stop waiting till you are and just do it anyway:-)

John.

We recently visited a trekking lodge that Grey Man seed money built in one of the Lahu villages of northern Thailand.  We trekked with the Lahu four years ago and looked at their infrastructure.  They approached us about building a trekking lodge to support their fledgling trekking venture and bring income into the village (an important step in trafficking prevention).  So, we provided the initial funding to build the lodge and now only two years later the lodge provides a rotating income for 25 of the villagers who assist with the trekking as well as a percentage going to the community fund.

When we visited we were impressed with the job they had done.  It is such a nice place with a beautiful view that we will always stay there when we vist the Lahu in the future to check on the progress of various projects.  Eventually we may organise treks from Australia to raise more income for the village but for now we look forward to our next visit.  Providing people with income is one more nail in the traffickers coffin as there is less incentive to sell children when an alternative income is available

Lodge funded by The Grey Man