Sustainable community well-being through Buddhism

Project Sustainable community well-being through Buddhism

“Sungkathan” online delivery, the offering over offering”

Overview

I am an individual person working in tourism field. I grew up both up-country and in a capital city. I have a chance to witness diversity of life. The difficulties being in a big cities, high standard living cost, a family living in a small rooms (they can be more comfortable in their home town), work hard earn money send to parents and relatives. Leap of joy on long weekend, beat heavy traffic to visit family, spend quality times with them even only a few days.

These things give rise to the idea what if they have a career can bring sustainable income in the area, then the family members can stay together at home, no one has to stay far away struggle in big city.

I would like to take this opportunity build up more job to those rural area of Thailand.

Bring more income to the community directly without passing through middle person.

Bring out good products from each community to the market. Let them speak out with pride to the world.

This is because I believe fundamental of good life start from good family..

How?

Thailand is a Buddhism country, “Sungkathan” is one of the activity almost every Buddhist willing to do.In easy meaning, “Sungkathan” is an offering dedicated to the monks. What we give is mainly related to daily life such as soap, toothpaste, toothbrush, sandal, razor, candle etc. Buddhist in Thailand do “Sungkathan” on important occasion such as birthday, relatives pass away, or even when they feel depressed, facing difficult time in life or do it as a family activity. Basically this is all-year-round happening in every Buddhism family.

Sungkathan is the common and easiest activity to do at any temple. People normally go to market or supermarket get the items, then to the temple. The more convenient way is to get ready made set that always in a yellow bucket can be found at any market or supermarket as well.

However, those readymade set often put items doesn’t really benefit or useless for the monks, or even expired. Therefore, this project come up hopefully I can bring the benefit to both rural communities and the Buddhist monks.

Our “Sungkathan” aimed to be minimal trash at most possible. We don’t want to bring more trash and task to the temple. The aim is our products must be environment friendly.

Our “Sungkathan” aimed to use products from OTOP projects. We want to directly support local products from communities & villagers. We want to bring net income to those people without passing through middle person.

(Please see more information about OTOP at end of the page)

We will be using products from different sources, and keep them rotating. Not limited to just few communities, in order to achieve rotation, product development and spread income evenly.

In the meantime, we also play a part in nurturing Buddhism by choosing quality products according to Buddhism principles.

We believe foundation of a good life begins with a solid family foundation.

You can be a part of helping bring this project to life. Create a sustainable income distribution to the local area. Spread the prosperity to the local.

I am raising $9,700 to start with the following:

• $3,500 – Purchase community products to start the project
• $2,800 – Equipment, printing service, administration, marketing & traveling expenses
• $3,400 – 6-8 months of manpower cost to give the project time to become well-known

Positive community impact

• Income will go directly to the community, they will not need to deal with middle person
• Indirectly promote their community / village, draw in visitors
• The more demand will eventually lead to product development
• Create more job in community

Thank you all for your visit and support, I wish you happiness and prosperity to all of you.

For all support, we will send you a souvenir when this project has started.

What is OTOP? OTOP stands for ‘One Tambon (meaning sub-district) One Product’. It is a local entrepreneurship stimulus program which aims to support the unique locally made and marketed products of each Thai tambon all over Thailand. OTOP drew its inspiration from Japan's successful One Village One Product (OVOP) programme, and encourages village communities to improve local product quality and marketing. It selects one superior product from each tambon to receive formal branding as a "starred OTOP product", and provides a local and international stage for the promotion of these products. OTOP products cover a large array of local products, including handicrafts, cotton and silk garments, pottery, fashion accessories, household items, and foods. So far a number of product groups have been classified for promotion; these include food items and beverages, textiles and clothing, woven handicrafts, artistry items, gifts, household and decorative items, and non-edible herbal products. These cover traditional items made in village communities, each lovingly crafted with the inimitable flavours and style of their localities.