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Volunteering for the Greater Good
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Photo:USAID/Suzanne Ross
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Ambassador Boyce presents
village extension volunteers
with symbolic gifts — fish
seed for aquaculture and tree
seedlings for mangrove
rehabilitation — to help
communities restore their
livelihoods and reduce
vulnerability.
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Victims of the tsunami in Thailand are staking a claim on decisions that affect their future, with the support of USAID. Five tsunami-struck coastal villages elected gender-balanced volunteer extension teams that are working together to set up long-term plans that promote sound, sustainable development. The volunteers
ensure that information is shared among
citizens, local authorities, organizations and
businesses and, in the process, bring out
concrete and interesting ideas. USAID guided
residents to develop a shared vision and action
plan for their villages’ future, and through this
participatory approach, they were able to
establish trust and assert influence on decisions
that impact society as a whole. USAIDsponsored
cash-for-work projects have helped
these communities rebuild their livelihoods and
reduce their vulnerability to coastal hazards.
One village extension volunteer, Samran Laonumao,
commented, “We are learning to think logically through our
problems, assess our resources and leverage possible
solutions. We couldn’t have done this without this process.”
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