In Pa Daeng Village, I had a chance to have an interview with Nun Pranorm, who started this program. I could tell by her response to my questions that she is very passionate about this program. Q: Do you find any improvements in a financial sense due to the weaving program; could you specify how the former life was? ---They receive some money by acquiring more income whereas they did agricultural production such as orchid beforehand. Having an experience of weaving in the early age, I decided to help people by weaving. Having said that though, there is still agricultural business.
---They have advantage in possessing knowledge, and prospect is teaching techniques to all of the women in the village. Q: Do you think this program can be a role model for other villages in countryside; if so, how should this program be applied to other villages? ---To tell the truth, it is already a role model: a village that observes this village and applied the ideas to its way. As far as Pa Daeng is concerned, they have several aspects that are considerably applicable. First, they do not have to jealous towards other villagers due to the lack of skills: what we do is allocating a suitable task for each. Second, they did weaving before, so I could exchange some ideas. Q: Do you find any difficulty in this program so far? Do you think this program can be sustainable and original or even independent eventually? ---Well, there was difficulty such as lack of money, skill, market and personnel. If this program achieve organic production, there would be a strong market for it. Q: What makes you support village the most? ---Because I want to elevate the poverty, improve the situation where skill deficiency and even HIV issues exist. Especially HIV issue is big: by making an industry strong, they can get confidence. |
| Interview with Nun Pranorm March 2007 By Ryosuke Miho |
Padaeng Village Women's Weaving Group
| Talking with Ajan Nittaya Mahachaiwong, Provider of Padaeng Weaving Group's Basic Resources February, 2009 By Laura Ellis |
The Padaeng Village Weaving Group would not be possible without the help of Ajan Nittaya Mahachaiwong (“Ajan” is Thai for “professor”), manager of the Knowledge and Technology Center for Northern Textile (or, Fai Gaem Mai) at Chiang Mai University. The center is a part of the Institute for Science and Technology Research and Development, and part of their budget is allocated for providing rural villages like Padaeng with cotton seeds, silk worms, and training in cultivation and spinning. Through Chiang Mai University, Ajan Nittaya supplies Padaeng Village with these basic resources to give them a solid foundation for their weaving in order to improve production. Why does CMU choose to invest in these small, rural weaving groups? Ajan Nittaya says that it is a research opportunity for them, but more importantly, it’s their duty to provide material resources and knowledge to the community. It is not a monetary donation that CMU offers, but an educational opportunity. “We cannot provide money,” Ajan Nittaya says, “only the knowledge.” This “knowledge” not only includes how to harvest their own resources, but what they might do to improve their weaving to increase marketability. Though not directly involved in marketing, Ajan Nittaya is able to offer an experienced critical eye and make suggestions for improvement. She is like the bridge between the production and the income: bringing messages of improvement and education that increase their productivity. There is hope that one day visitors to Chiang Mai will be able to participate in a home stay program to learning about weaving in Padaeng Village. Such a program is already available through Fai Gaem Mai to five other villages in the area, and Ajan Nittaya says that in time, a similar option may be available for Padaeng Village, increasing the growth opportunities not only for the weaving group, but for the entire village. Visitors will be able to see first-hand the cotton and silk cultivating process, how to spin and dye the thread, and how to weave, as well as possible Thai cooking lessons and meditation sessions at the local temple. |
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