Who are the hilltribes? They're groups of people living in the hills of Northern Thailand... but they aren't Thai. They are Lahu, Shan, Karen, and a number of ethnicities that do not have a country to call home.
Many of them are refugees who had to escape Burma or other places due to ethnic persecution. Living in Thailand can also be difficult, due to a lack of citizenship rights and protection. Every step of the way, however, they've been committed to making things better for future generations through sustainability and community management.
In November 2017, I had the opportunity to visit the communities of Huay Lu Luang and Ja Su Pah outside the city of Chiang Rai. The community members of Huay Lu Luang had been a part of Plant With Purpose's program for close to a decade. As I met with people from the village, they expressed how their lives had gradually gotten better as they learned to manage their forest as a community.
I was able to capture several stories of Plant With Purpose's impact.
VIDEO
NA KUH: CHANGE STARTS IN THE BACKYARD
Meet Na Kuh, a refugee, a farmer, and a grandmother. Years ago, she partnered with Plant With Purpose in order to pursue her big dream: for her community to work together within the village with no need to leave.