Isaan June 2008
Tuesday, 24th of June, Buriram, Isaan. Together with our partner organisation PDA we have selected a village where we wish to set up a village development bank. The goal of this project is generating income in a traditional elephant village, to stop elephants from having to beg in the streets. An experimental and ambitious project, but one with a lot of potential. The village where we will start is called Baan Pai Noi. In the coming rainy season we will plant 30,000 trees on a heavenly island, to magically turn it in to a true elephant island! It is the perfect place to plant trees, to let elephants roam freely, and start up animal friendly tourism. The plan we are developing together with PDA, is to have two additional elephants staying home every year. The mahout families will develop a different livelihood, and the elephants will have plenty of space and food in the wild. We will start with two elephants, among which Ning Nong, who saves two girls during the Tsunami. The following year, two more elephants can come to the island. The year following that one, two more… We can hardly believe it. It is such a lovely place, such a great project. We can completely imagine the elephants foraging through the trees on the island. As well as the tourists meeting the elephants in the wild. I think I will go and live here. But first, we need to get things rolling and plant those 30,000 trees. It will happen on August 12!
