“Baan Oon Rak” Dries the Tears of the Poor in Udon Thani Province – a Success of the “Thai Niyom Yungyun” Project

Abstract

The “Thai Niyom Yungyun” project was borne out of the Pracharat, or joint public sector and civil society concept, aimed at solving people’s problems and developing a better quality of life in a sustainable way in terms of economy, society and security. The government intends to make the Thai Niyom Yungyun project citizen-centered, starting with educating and creating understanding with the people, with the ultimate goal of building unity and cooperation. The project is intended to develop a sustainable quality of life, addressing the problems of poverty and social inequality. Many people have heard of the Thai Niyom Yungyun project but still don’t know exactly what it is, what it has done and how people will benefit. In Udon Thani Province the project has target areas in 20 districts, covering 156 sub-districts, 1,862 villages and 187 communities, for a total of 2,049 neighborhoods. Four public hearings are held at each location. The first is to hear grievances and make friends, to listen to all the people’s problems and difficulties and to determine their needs. The second public hearing is to build awareness of citizens’ rights, duties and how to co-exist peacefully, so people can learn how to cooperate and be united under a democratic monarchy system. The third hearing is to adjust people’s ideas so they can fully understand and apply the principles of sufficiency economy philosophy in their daily lives. The fourth public hearing is to encourage all the people to participate in sustainable development. When the first round of public hearings were held in Udon Thani to listen to people’s problems about their livelihoods, the core team members went to visit poor and disadvantaged people’s homes and they saw that many of them were falling into a state of decay and disrepair and were barely livable. The timing coincided with the 125^th anniversary of the founding of Udon Thani in 2018, so to mark the occasion Governor Watana Putichat initiated a project to build or renovate 125 homes. The goal of the “Baan Oon Rak” project was to provide new or refurbished homes and improve the quality of life for 125 impoverished families, but thanks to the generosity of donors, enough money was raised to build or repair homes for 220 families. Both the givers and the receivers are happy and many smiles, tears and laughs were shared through this project. This is an example of the good that has come from the Thai Niyom Yungyun project.