The Association For Akha Education And Culture

 Chiang Rai     Thailand

http://www.akhathai.org     << Visit Website

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The Association for Akha Education and Culture Charity Profile

The Association for Akha Education and Culture in Thailand (AFECT) is the oldest charity in S.E. Asia assisting ethnic indigenous minorities. Our humanitarian work focuses on Burmese refugees entering Thailand from Burma's Shan state and stateless 'hill tribe' groups. AFECT provides free education, health care, environmental support, human rights and cultural programme's for redeveloping Thai Hill Tribes in 264 villages within four northern Thai provinces.

AFECT Vision Statement

The Association for Akha Education and Culture in Thailand (AFECT) assists rural hilltribe communities to build educational resources, stabilize and regenerate forests, develop and expand health management and preserve hill tribe cultural identity.

At AFECT, we believe that including local communities in the management of natural resources, bettering education, utilizing traditional naturopath health resources and promoting human rights leads to increased livelihood security and poverty alleviation that, in turn, encourages greater sustainable development. AFECT enables hilltribe communities to manage strategies that can forge integral and sustainable indigenous populations. We are run and managed by the Akha Tribe for the Akha communities and other indigenous partners.

AFECT'S programs are implemented through eight interrelated thematic areas: 1) To Educate Hill Tribe Children and Youth, 2) Create an Affordable Health Programme, 3) Develop Natural Resource Management, 4) Promote Human and Women's Rights, 5) Promote, Conserve and Resuscitate Akha Hilltribe Culture, 6) Strengthen Hilltribe Communities, 7) Strengthen Citizenship, 8) Build International Hilltribe Relations within the Mekong Region.

The program components are designed to engage regional policy makers, professional practitioners, and communities to facilitate learning, reduce conflicts, and ultimately create management agreements that result in more equitable, sustainable Hilltribe Communities.

AFECT has no links to or alignment with any political parties. We work primarily but not exclusively with the AKHA Hill Tribe.

The Association for Akha Education and Culture Volunteer Information

Part of our work as a charity is bridging the understanding between Hill Tribe Culture and the outside world. AFECT runs activities that emphasize the exchange of knowledge between the community and outsiders in order to enhance understanding, reduce conflict and help attune Akha practices with Thai society. Tourism has had an adverse effect on hill tribe culture and without regulation it has caused massive erosion. In response to this we decided to start volunteer programs and an eco school to encompass the context of Hill Tribe Culture to our guests and friends.

We feel volunteering fulfills the need to counter balance our privileged lives in the west and bring meaning to ourselves and help those who are enslaved by unjust poverty. We also feel that in taking part of a humanitarian cause,
your visit can reach deeper levels, it can embrace tribal societies who live close to nature, and ultimately nature in all its forms, reconnects us back to our innermost being. Your time at AFECT will be colorful, cultural and a very rewarding one.

Many NGO's do great work and offer exciting volunteer exchanges but often centre on fragments of humanitarian work. Because we are run and managed by the hill tribe we believe in a holistic and progressive approach to charitable work. Working within the cultural structures of hill tribe society creates a lasting and more sustaining autonomy. As a volunteer you will not only touch the lives of the children but the lives of the families and communities with whom you live. In this sharing of culture, laughter warmth and friendship one can discover how much their is to life.

AFECT offers short and long term volunteering in Teaching, Conservation and Infrastructure.

The Association for Akha Education and Culture Donation Information

AFECT excepts donations for its charity work with Burmese refugees and stateless hill tribe ethnic minorities.

Donation Options:

Checks, Money Order, Credit Card, Recurring, PayPal, Cash, Online, Gifts In Kind, Matching, Assets, Real Estate, Annuities, Vehicle, Bequest Legacy, Justgiving, Fundraising, Bank Wire, Pledges, Grant, Direct Debit