August 8-12, 2008 – TVS (Thai Volunteer Service Foundation) team and RRAFA (Foundation of Reclaiming Rural Agriculture and Food Sovereignty) team headed off to Chiang Khong in Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai for the Mekong youth camp which will take place on 7-12 October 2008. This camp will help prepare participants and give good preparation before the forum. Before leaving Bangkok we heard from the radio there would be a big storm hitting the northern Thailand. Finally we arrived there safely and it was raining cats and dogs! During our trip, we met and learned from many people, community leaders, villagers, NGO social activists. Below are the photos and captions to explain what we experienced from the trip.
This is a part of Chiang Khong, covered with a big corn field, it is what we call, mono-cultivation, which brings no bio-diversity to the land.
Though, it was raining and the water level in Mekong was increasing on that day,
a fisherman was still on his way to catch fishes for his living.
One of the 'Save Mekong River Life' project staff and the 'Mekong Post' Magazine, based in Chiang Khong, was kindly taking us around his area and explaining about natural resource situation in the Mekong River. More info you can visit www.mekonglover.com.
This is the real 'Local FTA', villagers from Laos on the other side of Mekong river coming to a Thai village for this fair trade with Thai villagers. Most of the goods that Lao villagers brought for sale are 'corns' and after everything was sold out, they come home with some stuff like canned fish and instant noodle.
The corn field after harvesting!
Un-natural way of raising fish on the Mekong, maybe GMO fish!
Village people are worried about the increasign water level of Eing River.
Would it be the big flood soon???
The green montain seems to be covered with the corn field and other corps!
The big tall tree on the bank of Mekong River are falling down,
since the bank was getting collapsing!!!
We were standing in Chiang Khong river bank and zoomed out to shoot this shot - Green montain of beautiful LAO PDR. One of the villagers who kindly had a conversation with us, kindly said that "her parents and him are from Laos, and people here and people there are very good friends! We depend on each other like in the past!
-HappySeed Team-
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