Dear Friends,
December 26th marked the five-year anniversary of the tsunami, the catastrophic event that brought the Andaman Discoveries global family together on this mission of compassion. We're constantly amazed by the degree to which the villagers of the North Andaman have recovered since that life-altering event. A recent example was Children's Day in Ban Talae Nok...
On December 27th we celebrated an afternoon filled with innocent laughter and fun with the villagers. Adults gathered to watch as children played games, sang songs, participated in an eco-quiz, and received gifts courtesy of Andaman Discoveries.
Despite 47 fatalities -- eight of whom were children -- and the physical loss of half their village to the wave, the people of Ban Talae Nok have worked diligently to create a better future for their children. Today, the village is an award-winning model of sustainable development with a highly engaged youth group and a successful responsible tourism program.
The inspiration we draw from such encouraging stories drives our passion to continue this challenging work. Standing together on the threshold of 2010, we can reflect our successes while looking to the challenges ahead. Your continued support and generosity not only motivates us, but makes Andaman Discoveries' work possible. We look forward to your encouragement and assistance as we face the challenges and accomplishments of a new year. Thank you for being a part of the story.
- The Andaman Discoveries Team
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Easy Being Green
Andaman Discoveries Wins TAT Award
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Andaman Discoveries has been chosen as Best Green Tour Operator for 2009 by the The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT). "The Green Awards are a symbol of TAT's recognition of outstanding quality and reliable tourism products offered by hoteliers and tour operators," said Joanna Cooke, Marketing Manager for TAT UK.
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Appeal from Phratong Island
Conservation Partners Need your Help
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Mangrove Action Project, in partnership with Naucrates, have established a Coastal Community Resource Center (CCRC) in Ban Lion Village on Phra Thong Island. Take a moment to read their special appeal, and if you can, please consider donating or helping to spread the word.
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Community Network - Profiles from the Field
Alee Salee, Niyom Prai Group, Ton Kloy Village
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Born in a nearby village, Alee moved to Ton Kloy as a young man, and, for many years, supported his family by hunting wild animals. The forests surrounding Ton Kloy are renowned for rare plants, a great diversity of butterflies, and abundant wildlife. Over time, Alee began to understand that it was important "to protect the forest and keep wildlife in this area for people to see in the future."
While keeping a clear eye on the future, Alee is also addressing the pressing conservation problems of today. Along with other former hunters from Ton Kloy, Alee visits surrounding villages, and asks hunters to refrain from shooting the deer, gaur, serow, and other wildlife that come to Ton Kloy's fruit orchards for food and water. Alee reports that his efforts have been successful in reducing illegal wildlife hunting; there are no longer any hunters in his village and five hunters from nearby villages have stopped poaching.
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Bright Futures
Scholarships Keep Dreams Alive
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Wilasinee "Clang" Klatalae dreams of completing her university degree in tourism management. "It's my goal to communicate with foreigners from different cultures. I love nature, meeting people, and to travel and share experiences," she said during her recent long-term scholarship interview.
Clang is from Bak Jok village, which was totally destroyed in the tsunami five years ago; her father now earns about 8,000 Baht ($240) per month making model boats. Clang could not attend school without her scholarship "because we have to pay a lot of money for tuition, fees, boarding, and daily expenses. Without the scholarship, my father would have to work twice as much, and I would have to find a day job to support myself and my family."
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Seeing is Believing
Visit us in 2010!
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As a follower of our work, you are aware of the remarkable recovery of the villages of the North Andaman region in the years since the tsunami. We continue to extend the personal invitation to come and see for yourself the fruits of the work you're supporting. On an Andaman Discoveries Village Tour, you will relax on a pristine golden beach where the rainforest meets the sea, and experience the traditional livelihoods of these small rural communities firsthand. The villagers in these idyllic communities invite you to participate in a genuine cultural exchange that directly supports their long-term strategy to reduce pressure on their natural resources and allow fish populations to recover.
As an incentive, we're offering special cultural homestay tours each month from now through April. These small group tours provide an affordable way for individuals, budget travelers, and families to experience the magic of a cultural tour in this fascinating and beautiful area of Southern Thailand. You'll participate in activities such as fishing on the beach, exploring mangrove forests by long-tail boat, making your very own batik painting, and preparing a home-cooked Thai meal. Group sizes are kept deliberately small to enhance the experience for both guests and villagers alike.
For more information, please contact us.
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Amazing Views
Crooked Trails Volunteer Experience
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Environmental activist Edward Abbey famously said: "May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view." Crooked Trails, the non-profit, community-based travel organization whose name was inspired by this quote, joined Andaman Discoveries for a service tour in November seeking their own amazing view of the North Andaman region. They found it at the Burmese Learning Center and in Tung Dap village.
"I have fallen madly in love with some Burmese children. They follow you with their eyes until contact is made and then they might smile at you. Once these two things have happened, you realize your heart is no longer your own," said participant Noelle, who helped the group paint classrooms at the school. Todd, who led the group of ten, added, "the school project was wonderful and meaningful. The group felt their presence was appreciated."
You can read Noelle's complete Blog entry on our website.
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BBC World Challenge
Thank You for Voting
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Andaman Discoveries was one of twelve finalists (out of a record 900 nominations) for the fifth annual BBC World Challenge awards. We appealed to you to help support our nomination by voting for us online, and are extremely grateful for the tremendous outpouring of support we received. The time and energy you consistently show us is a source of hope and inspiration -- to say nothing of our very existence -- and we offer our gratitude.
The experience garnered tremendous positive exposure for us, helping to spread our message to a much wider audience. We were humbled by this honor, especially considering the formidable talent competing for this award. Please join Andaman Discoveries in congratulating this year's winner, the Safe Bottle Lamp Foundation of Sri Lanka.
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Viva La Revolution!
Youth in Action Final Seminar
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It was the belief of Thomas Jefferson that every generation needs a new revolution, and for the past year Youth in Action for Next Generations (YNG) strived to make sustainability a key issue for the next one. This global project, organized by Pistes-Solidaires, actively united young people from both developed and developing countries in sustainable development projects. In Thailand, Andaman Discoveries collaborated with Mangrove Action Project (MAP) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to create a network of ten youth groups in the North Andaman region.
Andaman
Discoveries hosted the final meeting in November 2009, which summarized
the various outcomes and was attended by NGOs from the eight
participating countries. "The project helped strengthen and broaden networking and participation amongst the youth along the North Andaman Coast," said Jaruwan "Ning" Kaewmahanin of MAP. The group reflected on their environmental and natural resource management experiences and community development project implementation.
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Sowing SEEDs
Fellow Award Winner visits BTN
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Jagriti is a community-based organization empowering poor, disadvantaged hill women in India through the sale of locally-produced herbal and organic goods. Mimi Chueng of Andaman Discoveries met force behind the venture (and fellow 2008 SEED Award winner), Mamta Chandarat, at the United Nations Commission for Sustainable Development (UNCSD) in New York last June.
"We strive to improve livelihoods by increasing social, environmental, and economic sustainability," said Mamta of her project. Seeing the obvious parallels between her work and that of the Ban Talae Nok women's soap group, she visited Andaman Discoveries in November to see the operation firsthand and share her advice.
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Accounts Balanced
Nan Joins Andaman Discoveries
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Andaman Discoveries recently welcomed Nadanong "Nan" Chanpaibool as our new accountant and translator. Nan comes from Bangkok, where she completed a degree in accounting and finance before working as an accountant for Callaway Golf accessories. Anxious to expand her skills in a more pastoral setting, Nan was excited by the opportunity to join the Andaman Discoveries team. "It's exciting to work with people from so many different cultures, from the international staff at Andaman Discoveries to the guests who come here from all over the world," said Nan. We're equally pleased to have Nan's expertise and effervescent personality on the team roster!
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Copyright
2010 Andaman Discoveries
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Why Us?
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Andaman Discoveries' internationally recognized community development and tourism projects make a real difference. Our International and bilingual staff have extensive knowledge, allowing guests to enjoy a true cultural exchange.
We have developed comprehensive teaching materials for those planning to volunteer in a school. And for folks new to Thailand we can arrange regional transport and accommodations, and even offer advice on traveling (our staff loves to explore the country, too!).
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Stay Connected!
Become a friend on Facebook, follow our moves on Twitter, and watch us on YouTube!
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"My time with Andaman Discoveries has been amazing. I have memories that will last a lifetime (or two) and feel I have made bonds with the people I met. Our guides and translators were fun, helpful, friendly, and amazing. If you are looking for the adventure of a lifetime, look to Andaman Discoveries."
Nora, USA
Crooked Trails
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"We had an excellent stay here. Everybody was helpful and smiling ... the food was fantastic and the cultural exchange was warm and very interesting. We could not have been more pleased and think this is the best way to see and learn about Thailand."
Soeren, Denmark
Active Tour
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"My four weeks of volunteering in Thailand was fantastic. Having previously used other volunteering organizations, I can honestly say that Andaman Discoveries was a far better experience -- the children and teachers at the school were amazing to work with and made me feel incredibly welcome."
John, UK, Burmese Learning Center
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