Skill development project for the disadvantaged

Skill development project for the disadvantaged

Voluntary Activity Creation Association  

Rationale 

Every sector of the population has been significantly affected by Thailand’s 1997 economic crisis.  One negative byproduct of the economic crash has been an increase in the incidence and severity of social problems. Nationwide, the poor and those from marginalized communities have had to struggle for their survival. Many have migrated to the capital, Bangkok, seeking jobs and opportunity; instead they have found meager dwellings near canals and railroads, under bridges and flyovers.  In any Bangkok bus station one can find beggars and homeless, downtrodden souls.  These wanderers are not only adults; children and, frighteningly often, homeless families can be found. The number of people in such straits is rapidly increasing.  Homelessness carries with it other social problems, including the spread of drugs, AIDS, crimes, and violent behaviors.  

These behaviors occur merely because these disadvantaged people want to make their lives better; due to a lack of educational opportunity and family support, they wander through society with no better options.  Indeed, their risky behavior is itself indicative of the lack of available alternatives.  

Voluntary Activity Creation Association has been carrying out a skills development project beginning in 2000, funded by the World Bank. It began by recruiting one-year part-time volunteers. The program has been working continuously with street children and deprived slum children in Bangkok and surrounding provinces, groups which are traditionally difficult to access. The center can reach them and has conducted learning activities, developing an informative curriculum regarding the negative affects of drugs as well as age-appropriate sexual education. The curriculum includes information on how to protect oneself from drugs and sexually contagious diseases. The program has been a preliminary success. 

The center realizes the importance of working continuously to improve the lives of the disadvantaged by carrying on creative activities and building the skill set and information awareness necessary to live one’s life free from drugs and with a higher quality of life.   An increased quality of life results in better social adjustment, consequently reducing the proclivity for violent behavior. The center is in the process of developing a holistic curriculum in an effort to reach the most difficult-to-reach target groups, as well as attempting to engage state and private agencies as collaborative partners in protecting the rights and solving some of the problems afflicting this target group. 

Purpose 

1.      To promote knowledge and skills regarding how to live life safe from violent behavior and drugs.  To encourage a better quality of life among villagers and deprived slum children.

2.      To promote and develop sex education programs for villagers and deprived slum children.

3.      To increase awareness of the risks of drugs, as well as building a core group of children who can educate other children and help deal with drug-related issues from a peer perspective.

4.      To publicize the experiences of the organization and exchange information and best practices with other relevant organizations and agencies in Bangkok 

Target 

Quality-  Reduce violent behaviors, use of drugs, and premature sexual relationships - Encourage development of problem-solving and teamwork skills, including the building of a core group of youth to help other youths - Encourage youth to advocate for their rights, receiving the opportunities they deserve from public agencies and relevant private firms. 

Quantity1,000 Villagers and disadvantaged children in the target slum will come to understand the negative affects of drugs and premature sexual relationships. 

Target area  

Sanamhlong ,Klong hod ,Trok sa kae community; Pranakorn, Bangkok 

Duration of project 

                     12 months 

Implementation 

1.      Use survey to collect necessary information such as the number, gender, age, and behavior of target group, as well as to begin building relationships with community members

2.      Visit the area to build familiarity with the new target group to engage with those who will participate in project’s activity

3.      Produce eight monthly project newsletters (250 newsletters/printing) in order to publicize the work and exchange information on development with involved agencies and the target communities

4.      Promote the knowledge and skills necessary to live life safe from violent behavior, drugs, and AIDS.  Use informative media, pictures, videos, puppets, and group processes suitable to problems, genders, and ages of the target group in order to communicate these messages.

5.      Promote “Friends Help Friends” through a camp to promote cooperative living, problem solving, and helping behavior.  This is a way to increase group cohesion and practice what has been learned in the group

6.       Support “Friends Help Friends” and follow up, evaluating target group in each area continuously through field meeting activities

7.      Follow up the work of the target group in the area continuously by noticing, participating, and adapting to problems, promoting change in the knowledge, behavior, attitudes, and quality of life of the target group.

8.      Hold evaluation meetings every six months among project staff and other related agencies in order to share results and improve the project. 

Expected results 

The project will benefit the target groups by:

1.      Transmitting knowledge and skills regarding how to live life safe from violent behavior, drugs, and sexually transmitted disease

2.      Promoting social opportunity, health care, and counseling support, where needed, by connecting the target group to relevant agencies

3.      Providing career and educational assistance to the target group through partner agencies, building a network to solve problems and assist members

4.      Outlining the problems and needs of the target communities to partner agencies, helping to create solutions to these problems 

Evaluation criteria 

1.      The project should reach at minimum 80 % of the target group 2.      The target group should understand the violent behaviors that resulting from the use of drugs, reduce the use of drugs, and realize the negative results of drugs and sexually transmitted disease

3.      Drug addicts should be sent to responsible agencies and treated in rehabilitation programs

4.      Volunteers should remain engaged and the number of volunteers should increase 

Evaluation 

Internal evaluationStaff, volunteers of the center evaluate the program in meetings following every activity 

External evaluationInterviews of target group members are conducted following every activity using an informal evaluation form  

Strategic Partners 

Four local community associations

Foundation for Child Development

Asia Resources FoundationDrug

Awareness and Prevention BoardAIDS

 prevention in community: Project AIDS research center, Red Cross

King Kan Bai group 

Responsible organization   

Voluntary Activity Creation Association

50/357 soi Nimittramai 1

Minburi Bangkok 15100

(KRTH THBK   031-0-03432-9) 

Budget

208,700 Baht

Description	Baht
1.Area survey (outside of office hours) - Field traveling expense for coordinator 10 days x 200 baht  =   2000 baht - Food for children in the field 10 days x 200 baht                  =   2000 baht- Coordinator expenses 500 baht	4,500
2.A 1-day seminar for volunteer and related agencies - Documents 50 copies                                                             =  1,500 baht - Food (lunch and breaks) 50 persons x 50 baht                      =  2,500 baht- Presenter fee 2 persons x 500 baht                                         =  1,000 baht- Coordinator                                                                            =  1,500 baht	6,500
3.Area meetings and field travel for information distribution Materials                                                                                =   5,000 baht - Snacks for children                                                                =   9,000 baht - Vehicle for carrying equipment                                             = 15,000 baht - Volunteers’ traveling expenses                                              =   5,000 baht - Monthly newsletter expenses for 1 year and postage            = 12,000 baht - Coordinator                                                                            =   1,500 baht	58,000
4. 3 days/2 nights camp (on drugs and sex education) - Bus 8,000 baht x 3 days                                                        = 24,000 baht Materials                                                                                =   3,000 baht- Food for 70 persons x 120 baht x 3 days                               = 25,200 baht Place                                                                                        =  5,000 baht - Presenter fee 4 persons x 1,500 baht x 2 days                       = 12,000 baht- Coordinator                                                                           =   1,500 baht	70,700
5.Friends Help Friends activity - Field traveling expenses for coordinator 10 days x 200 baht = 2,000 baht - Food for children in the field 10 days x 200 baht                   = 2,000 baht- Coordinator                                                                             =    500 baht	4,500
6. Report preparation	2,000
7. Film development for reporting	2,500
8.Office expenses 12 months x 3,000 baht                              =  36,000 baht        9. Coordinating expense 12 months x 2,000 baht                   =  24,000 baht	60,000
Total	208,700