• Background

PDA and UNDP launched the project with a focus on helping vulnerable groups, women, elderly person, children, the disabled and the disadvantaged affected by COVID-19 which hit Thailand with renewed force in 2021.

The IT component of the project (use of internet, e-commerce, social networks, video-conferencing) has become crucial for project success due to the Covid-19 epidemic.

• Objectives

1. Promote food production to create food security with focus on vulnerable group affected by Covid-19
2. Promote holistic medicine and prevent Covid-19 transmission in the community
3. Help communities to access basic services provided by government through IT
4. Promote online communication and innovation to enhance economic capacity for disadvantaged.

• Duration, target area and operation

The project has several components. Target areas are villages in Chakkarat District, Nakhon Ratchasima Province, villages in Saiyok District, Kanchanaburi Province, and communities in Bangkok.

Activities are planned, participants recruited and trainings on health care and prevention of Covid-19 organized. Volunteers cooperate with community leaders to provide Covid-19 services, i.e. produce hand sanitizing gels.

For the communities in Bangkok two additional topics were added:

– Farming in limited space: training for growing vegetables for  household consumption using the area around housing compounds

– Creation of online platform for information and communication.

• Expected results

Improvements in health, food security for household and community, support to career development, better access to basic government services, improve resilience for future crises.