FRIENDS OF THAILAND PCV Project FINAL FUNDING REPORT

PLEASE PREPARE YOUR REPORT TO INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION.

Date of Report: February 27, 2008

Total Funds Received: $1,207 (39,734.84 baht)

Program/Project Title or Description: Income Generation via Mushroom Cultivation

Location and Address of Program/Project: Moo 7 Tambon Tungjahan Amphur Non Suwan Buriram, 31110

Name and Address of Person Preparing and Submitting the Report: Welcome Bisson, 118 Ban Dongbangsubsomboon School Tambon Dong-E-Jarn Amphur Non Suwan Buriram, 31110

Name and Address of Person Responsible for the Program/Project: Welcome Bisson, 118 Ban Dongbangsubsomboon School Tambon Dong-E-Jarn Amphur Non Suwan Buriram, 31110

Position of Person Responsible for the Program/Project: Peace Corps Volunteer – Group 118

Beneficiary(ies) of the Program/Project (Please be as specific as possible): Waan Tamachard Prayong Muangchan – Head of Mushroom Cooperative

PLEASE PROVIDE INFORMATION ON THE FOLLOWING.

Background Information of the Program/Project: **This is the same information provided in the original proposal.

Prayong is a farmer in Non Suwan, Buriram (in orange hat in attached photo). In addition to owning his own fields of cassava, he has been growing mushrooms since 2000. After working directly with PCVs, visiting an established successful mushroom farm in 2005, Prayong was able to identify and cultivate a more profitable mushroom called เหดโคนญปน (Japanese mushroom). Prayong teamed up with other community members and created a mushroom cooperative to begin cultivating this more profitable and cost effective mushroom.

With the mushroom Prayong was cultivating in 2000, he was challenged with making a profit due to mold contamination, temperature sensitivity and rising production costs. Currently Prayong and co-op members have a monthly earning potential of 10,000 baht because the new type of mushroom does not have the same sensitivity to temperature, the production costs have lessened and this type of mushroom is not affected by mold.

Now that Prayong’s family’s financial situation has improved greatly, he is not only interested in training members in his community, and he is also very motivated to pass along his knowledge about mushroom cultivation in order to help assist low income families. Mushroom co-op members have a vested interest in training new members for the cooperative in order to increase the amount of product they can supply to their buyers in Bangkok and Surin, which will strengthen their standing as a consistent supplier of a quality product.

Prayong Muangchan has been working with Peace Corps Volunteers since 2004. He is a respected member of his community: a Somancheek Awbawdaw, the head of the local Mushroom Cooperative, a member of Peace Corps Thailand’s Project Assessment Committee for the Community-Based Organizational Development project, and helps train new PCVs in small business development during Pre-Service 2. Prayong has also trained other mushroom groups outside of his amphur.

Prayong has identified six local families that he and the mushroom cooperative would like to assist. The initial trainee will be Waan Tamachard (see attached photo). Waan is a widow and a neighbor of Prayong’s. Her husband died eight years ago and she lives with her 21 year old daughter, Omjan. She has two other children who are married and do not live with her. Before her husband passed away, they collectively earned 4-5,000 baht per month. Currently Waan and Omjan earn approximately 2-3,000 baht per month as day laborers.

Waan has been involved with the mushroom cooperative since 2005 when she participated in the planting of Japanese mushroom after the cooperative visited the successful mushroom farm. She is an active community member, and extremely motivated to join the cooperative as a full-fledged member. Prayong feels that Waan is an excellent candidate to be trained in mushroom farmer because she is motivated, hard working and shows particular interest in mushroom farming. Additionally, Waan is an is an active member of her community, always attending local events and festivities, such as Sports Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and the Kong Dee Festival and encouraging others to do the same.

Waan will grow Japanese mushrooms, the same as the cooperative. Lead by Prayong, the co-op will train and support Waan in the process of starting her own mushroom farm. She owns property that is suitable for a mushroom hut (see attached photo). In August, after Waan and Prayong purchase the required materials, they and the members of the co-op will help Waan build the hut. In September, Prayong will train Waan in accounting and budgeting. An important aspect of this training will encompass identifying her household expenses, long term financial goals and the expenses required to maintain the mushrooms.

Most of the training will be hands on as Prayong and co-op members begin to show Waan how to raise mushrooms. The initial spores will be purchased from the co-op at a discounted rate than if purchased from an outside source, benefiting both Waan and the co-op. Preparing for and installing the spores is a three-day process. All co-op members will be on hand to guide Waan through the process with Prayong acting as the leader. After the initial installation of the spores, Prayong will continue to play an active roll in Waan’s ongoing production activities and monitoring of the spores. The first harvest will be ready in 2-3 months. Waan will reap the first harvest with the guidance of Prayong and the co-op members. The mushrooms will be sold along with the entire co-op’s harvest to the pre-established buyers in want of additional product. Waan will continue to harvest on a 20-day cycle.

Waan’s involvement with the co-op is not limited to the training of mushroom cultivation. The accountant and budgeting training that will occur in September will include a repayment schedule plan. The funds that Friends of Thailand provides will act as start up capital, providing funds to train five additional co-op members over the next eight years. When the complete 37,730 baht is repaid, the co-op will loan the funds to a previously identified low income family. In this way, Prayong and the co-op members will continue to provide income generating opportunities to low income friends and neighbors. By 2015, Prayong and the continually growing co-op will have added 6 member families, including Waan, and will have solidified its position in the niche market of Japanese mushrooms.

‘ Income Generation via Mushroom Cultivation’ is community initiated, driven and sustained. Prayong Muangchan, having benefited from his relationships with Peace Corps Volunteers, wants to ‘pay it forward’. Prayong greatly appreciates the opportunities he’s been given and sees great possibilities in his community members. He and I hope Friends of Thailand will help to make Prayong, the mushroom co-op and Waan’s vision a reality.

Describe how the Program/Project’s Objectives and Benefits were met:  A mushroom hut was built on Waan Tamachard’s property in October 2007  The first crop of mushrooms was planted in late-November 2007  The first crop of mushrooms was harvested in late-February 2008 – a total of 104 bags to be sold at 65 baht per bag for a total of 6,760 baht. Waan will be able to harvest mushroom approximately every 20 days for the next 13 months – a potential earning of 123,500 baht.  Waan repaid her first installment of the loan she received, 3,000 baht. She will continue to make a payment of approximately 3,000 baht each harvest – depending upon how many mushrooms she is able to harvest – until the entire 39,734.84 baht loan is repaid. At that rate, the loan will be paid in full in Fall 2008.

Describe how the Program/Project Schedule and Initiatives were implemented:  Materials for building the hut were purchased by September 2007  Due to weather conditions, the building of the hut occurred in early-October 2007  Prayong Muangchan trained Waan Tamachard about accounting practices in late-October 2007  Due to weather conditions, the planting of the mushroom spores occurred in late- November 2007  Due to late planting, the first harvest was reaped in late-February 2008

Detail the Program/Project Budget as implemented: Materials for Mushroom Spore Cultivation: Item Units Unit Cost Per Item Projected Actual Cost Cost Sawdust 1 ton 11,200/ton 11,200 11,200 Plastic Cap Bases 8 bags 200 ->250/bag 2,000 2,000 Plastic Caps 8 bags 360 -> 350/bag 2,800 2,800 Plastic Bags* 50 kg 90/kg 4,500 Electrcity/Water* 500 Pumice 5 -> 70 kg 90/kg -> 8/kg 4,500 560 Dolomite 5 bags -> 140/kilos 200/bag -> 8/kilo 1,000 1,120 Cotton Plugs 1 kg 190/kg 190 190 Epsom Salt 1 bag 350/bag 350 350 Arcadia 5 bags 100/bag 500 500 Yeast 20 kg 15/kg 300 300 Glutinous Rice Flour 50 kg 24/kg 1,200 1,200 Rice Bran 7 kg 200/kg 1,400 1,400 Rubbing Alcohol 100% 1 bottle 100/bottle 100 100 Rubbing Alcohol 70% 1 bottle 100/bottle 100 100 Kerosene 1 -> 5 canisters 500->100/canister 500 500 Fertilizer 1 bag 850/bag 850 850 Wood for oven 2 truck loads 1,000/truckload 2,000 2,000 Spores 8/bags -> 100/bag -> 8/bottle 800 960 120/bottles TOTAL Projected: Actual: 29,790 31,130

Materials for Building Hut for Mushrooms: Item Units Unit Cost Per Item Projected Cost Actual Cost Cement Pillar 10 -> 8 pillars 210 ->175 per pillar 2,100 1,400 Wooden Planks 40 4 meter planks 40/plank 1,600 1,600 Wooden Planks 18 5 meter planks 50/plank 900 900 Hay for Roof 1 bale -> 390 slats 1,800/bale -> 1,800 2,340 6/slat Nails 6 bags 40/bag 240 240 Cement Blocks 4 -> 200 blocks 200/block -> 800 850** 4.25/block Tarp* 32 meters 24/meter 768 Gas for car 20 liters 25/liter 500 500 (materials transport) TOTAL Projected: 7,940 Actual: 7,748

GRAND TOTAL 37,730 38,878 Original amount given by Friends of Thailand: 39,734.84 DIFFERENCE 856.84

* materials/items not indicated on original budget ** Cement blocks were paid for by Waan Tamachard; 850baht is not reflected in budget costs and money will be returned to Friends of Thailand

Detail any Community Involvement (if applicable):  The local government office (S.A.O.) has already provided the Mushroom Cooperative with an additional 50,000baht to assist an additional family  Many community members were involved in the building of the hut, as well as the planting and harvesting of the mushrooms; tools, labor and food was all donated by these community members. Some of these persons were from the family that received funding from the government office and that will receive future funding – thereby providing them with on-the-job training. Describe the Program/Project Sustainability (if applicable):  Waan repaid a portion of the loan, 3,000 baht, in February. She will continue to make a payment of approximately 3,000 baht each harvest – depending upon how many mushrooms she is able to harvest – until the entire 39, 734.84 baht loan is repaid. At that rate, the loan will be paid in full in Fall 2008.  Prayong Muangchan continues to train community members on how to build huts properly, plant the mushroom spores efficiently and effectively and on how to harvest the mushrooms at the proper time in addition to how to properly store them while waiting to be transferred to markets. By training additional people, the Mushroom Cooperative continues to grow and become a stronger organization, no longer relying on one person.  The government office has provided funding to the Mushroom Cooperative thereby supporting the program; that the project is viable and beneficial to and for the community  Waan has begun construction on a new home and her daughter will be married in March 2008 (photos will follow).

NOTE: All unspent funds must be returned to Khun Alisa Tangkanangnukul, our Project Liaison.