Akha Way Expedition (awe!)
Chiang Rai
7-24 Dec 2004
This is an 18-day youth expedition project in the region of Mae Yao, Chiang Rai, Thailand. 27 participants helped in an ecotourism site survey for a group of villages in Mae Yao sub-district using Global Positioning System (GPS), and in the building of a small-scale information centre at an Akha hilltribe village - Ban Apa. The project is a collaboration between the expedition team, Singapore International Foundation (SIF) and host organization - Mirror Art Group (MAG), and is co-sponsored by Canon (Singapore), Supratechnic, Maritime Communication Pte Ltd, Tech Ghee Clinic, and Alumni of Xin Min Secondary School.
The project began in early 2004, with a reconnaissance trip made in May 2004 when we met our host and gathered information for the project. Many problems are faced by the hilltribe: poverty, lack of knowledge, poor adaptation to low land living, trafficking of women and children, not able to get Thai citizenship, little job opportunities, poor health care, etc. such that it has become a vicious cycle.
Several strategies are adopted by MAG together with the villagers in overcoming some of these difficulties, one which being ecotourism. Different from the tourist industry that has already taken place at other regions run by external commercial groups, the idea here is to empower the villagers so that they can be self-sufficient in managing the tourist industry themselves as a way of income generation. In a way, this can also boost their confidence in preserving their culture and environment and presenting them to the outside worlds.
The definition of eco-tourism is thus unique in this case, i.e. the social aspects has become the main driving force for its sustainability, while nature and environmental aspects assuming a supporting role. As such, the expedition project aims to provide an understanding to the various social and cultural significance of the region, juxtaposed with the interest in nature, through the exercise of information gathering, planning, designing and finally delivering the outcome as a form of knowledge.
The expedition basically involves two primary projects: an ecotourism site survey for a group of villages in Mae Yao sub-district using Global Positioning System (GPS), and the building of a small-scale information centre at an Akha hilltribe village - Ban Apa. Through these projects Singapore youths collaborated with the local community and host organization in delivering both the information and the infrastructure that can serve as a reference to the development of ecotourism in this area. Through information gathering, planning and designing, the participants acquired greater awareness of the local culture and environment, while the actual expedition had provided them with first-hand experience in working and living (home-stay) with local community.
As a continuation of the efforts in promoting the awareness of the regional culture as well as sustainability, an exhibition was held in September 2005 (3 weeks) at the Library@Orchard, supported by National Library Board; and in November 2005 (3 weeks) at NUS Central Library. Not only did the exhibition help to raise the awareness of minority culture in this region, ideas in sustainability particularly in the case of architecture are also shared through re-interpreting their culture and use of local materials.
For more, visit Akha.
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