Village Mayhem!

These past several work days, we have been traveling to all of the villages in the Mae Wen subdistrict. There are 11 of them in total, and we have been able to visit 10 because the 11th village did not want outside workers entering. During these visits, we have been meeting with all of the village headmen to discuss water resources and distribution. The systems in the villages ranged from central wells with filtration, aeration and distribution systems to a complete lack of water distribution. In the villages with no water systems, each family has had private wells dug by hand and purchased pumps to bring the water into their homes. In these villages, the wells are shallow and water supply and quality is variable.
We now have to categorize the villages by type of water problem and then decide which villages we can improve. We will then come up with solutions and try to apply them everywhere they will help. Visiting the villages has given us a very good overall perspective on the region. Also, it has been very enlightening and has taught us much about the local culture.
Today we journeyed into the mountains to visit one of the mountain villages. There, we had the privilege of experiencing the culture of the hilltribes. What we found intersting was the isolation of these villages to the rest of Mae Wen. The particular villages we went to were inhabited by Lisu people, which is a minority ethnic group in Thailand and Myanmar. Everyone was very hospitable and welcoming. We have been very fortunate to see all of these wonderful places and meet these friendly people. Hopefully we will give back much to these communities.