Hi, photos will have to wait until I get to Pattaya next week guys. The upload speed here is absolute crap and i've tried 5 times to do the pics before I got pst off. The 1 I have posted is of granny seeing water in her village for the first time in her life.
Week 2 went well. After 36 hours in Mae Hon Son, following the road of 5oo bends, we returned to the village, all the kids fortified with a trip to 7/11. In and amongst putting up the 3rd and fourth layers of the water tqanks the villagers quickly discovered there was a 'Doctor' with the group and the fun started for me! Far more fulfilling for me than telling kids with the shits from drinking rice whiskey to drink more water and suffer (!) was sorting out a 2 year old with horribly infected insect bites. Within 24hrs he had stopped bawling and was wandering around quite hapily with mama. The monsoon kicked in with a vengance and all the kids were wet for the week but it did not curb their enthusiam for the task. Seeing villages carrying 3 time their weight at 3 times their age was quite humbling for some of them although others were focussing on their 4 days in Phuket.
The last day saw water in the tanks and water in the eyes of all the villagers and kids. What fresh drinking water means for these people (at a cost of approx 4ksterling or 8kUS, 260k Baht)in materials and transport per project) is freedom from the runs, no more kids with supporating sores, and the ability to improve the quality of their lives immensely. It sort of puts the post about the guy giving his BG over 2000000 Baht for her to blow( forgive the pun) into perspective.
Whislt in the village we were approached by the head of 5 villages further up the valley with no prospect of getting fresh water unless we can raise money for the materials. I'm off back to recce 2 villages tomorrow for projects in Dec and Jul, down to Patts and the promise of photos to back this up to be posted at the earliest opportunity.
PS anyone wanting to donate one night out's worth of fun in Patts or Patong to go towards the cost of future projects is welcome to visit
The Karen Hilltribe Foundation - Home Unlike other 'charities' every penny goes towards the projects and not on Landcruisers!