April Fool's Day seemed an appropriate day for a new edition. This is no joke, however, this is very real. Enjoy.
Once again, The Coconut Telegraph has the pleasure of returning to Sangkhlaburi. This time, Jay "The Man" Flesher and Bruce "Broo" Hamelin joined me for the journey. Neither had the pleasure of visiting this scenic pocket of Thailand previously and they were both excited for the adventure.
We left Koh Phayam and Jayman and I did a visa-run before getting on our way. A short minibus across the Isthmus of Kra to Chumphon and a glorious ride to Bangkok on the sleeper train. Nothing compares with a good sleep on the way to Bangkok. The minivan to Kanchanaburi crawled around the road blocks and zig-zagged through the closures in Bangkok due to the Red Shirt protests. It took 35 minutes to wend our way to the bridge over the Chao Phaya River, but as soon as we crossed the water it was clear sailing. Another minivan to Sangkhlaburi arrived at our final destination 28 hours after setting foot on the speedboat.
Jayman and Broo were instantly enthralled with the town. After unpacking, they met Daisy Dwe, Programme Director for Weaving for Women. As the newly relocated loom clicked and clacked the boys were inspired to do a little shopping. Broo ordered a special bed sheet and a custom designed duvet cover - a first for the WFW weavers and tailors. Jayman bought a large stack of goods as well and the ladies had some work ahead to fill the orders before we left town. They succeeded and we departed five days later with more in our bags then when we arrived.
We paddled to the old Sangkhlaburi Temple which was flooded when the Vajiralongkorn Dam was constructed. At low water, the temple emerges from the water and we were able to walk about some of the structures.
I tour guided the boys to all the standard stops on my orientation tour: Wat Wangwiwekaram, the Mon Temple and the border at Three Pagodas Pass. We stopped at the Sanghalei River for a snack and a cold beverage and shopped like demons in the Mon market. Broo purchased a large and impressive wood carving made from a single piece of teak. We also had the pleasure of visiting the more remote Karen village of Ban Sane Pong on the first day of a three-day festival.
When all was said and done, we were in agreement that Sangkhlaburi will remain on the list of preferred locations in Thailand.
Click to view the complete edition of Volume 12
Showing posts with label Sangkhlaburi. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sangkhlaburi. Show all posts
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Monday, October 11, 2004
Weaving for Women
Daisy Dwe and the Weaving for Women program
In a country ruled by a ruthless, xenophobic, military junta, that openly practices ethnic cleansing, the last thing you might expect to run across is a restaurant with the motto “Better Fed than Red”. However, if you were in the sleepy eastern Burmese border town of Three Pagodas in the early 1980s, you would likely have wandered in for a meal.
“Daisy's Revolutionary Restaurant”, owned and operated by Daisy Dwe, openly opposed the abusive regime with its bold slogan. After spending a week in a Rangoon jail in 1984, simply because of her ethnicity, Daisy decided to initiate her own personal protest. Daisy Dwe, is from the Karen ethnic minority. The Karen have long advocated democracy in Burma, fighting the Burma Army since the government was hijacked by the military under General Ne Win in 1962. As a result of their political ideology, the Karen have long been the victims of persecution by the military. This daring approach placed Daisy and her family in danger of military retaliation.
The disastrous political situation in Burma prompted Daisy and husband Dr. Hla Schwe to leave the capital of Rangoon and move to Three Pagodas Pass, near the Thai border, 350km northwest of Bangkok in 1974. This eastern Burmese state was controlled by ethnic Karen and remained relatively peaceful and safe. Dr. Hla practiced medicine at the River Kwai Christian Hospital, just inside Thailand, and Daisy opened a guesthouse. When Dr. Hla died in 1984, Daisy continued to operate her guesthouse and opened her defiant restaurant that year.
The peace of Three Pagodas was shattered in early 1989 when the Karen and Mon minorities entered a war over disputed territory. After one year, the army was sent in. The military demonstrated its ruthlessness, killing innocent people, primarily males, and destroying personal property. Daisy’s guesthouse and Revolutionary Restaurant were burned by the military.
Daisy fled to Thailand, a widowed refugee. Witnessing the tragic lives facing thousands of women in similar circumstances, she decided to focus on assisting as she could. In 1990, Daisy was instrumental in establishing the first United Nations refugee camp in Thailand for Karen. She acted as interpreter to foreign aid workers, highlighting the numerous issues facing a displaced community, largely comprised of widowed mothers and their children.
Encouraged by international efforts to assist the refugee community, Daisy desired to have a broader impact. By 1995, she had garnered the support of friends and started Weaving for Women (WFW). The primary goal of WFW is to teach refugee women a vocation and employ them, providing a fair salary and the opportunity to improve their situations.
Initially, a traditional Burmese sitting loom was used, but this method proved slow and labour intensive. With demand growing, Daisy sought to purchase a proper loom. WFW received support from the Burmese Relief Center and purchased the first loom. Master Weavers from Burma set the threads and taught their craft to the women and production of 100% cotton, hand woven textiles featuring traditional hilltribe designs was underway on a larger scale.
Weaving for Women has since expanded to 5 looms, employing weavers and tailors, exporting handicrafts to Europe and North America. Profits from WFW support the displaced Burmese community in her adopted town of Sangkhlaburi. If someone needs assistance, Daisy is there; paying medical bills; assisting HIV/AIDS victims; providing money for basic food and shelter, school fees and uniforms; assisting in legal issues; and, wherever else there is a need.
WFW received a telephone and computer with internet capability in 1996. A small truck is always available whenever there is need. From trips to the hospital to food delivery, the truck has enabled Daisy to extend the reach of her community assistance. Daisy continues in her efforts to broaden her business and thus her humanitarian aid.
In 2004, changes to Thai law allowed refugees to acquire documentation to work legally in the border regions. At an average cost of U$135 per person per year, this was well beyond the financial capability of most refugees. Thanks to a generous donation from the Bridge Street United Church in Belleville, Ontario, Canada, Daisy was able to procure the necessary paperwork. Daisy’s weavers and tailors were able to work without fear of legal reprisal from Thai authorities. A June, 2006 change in Thai law levies a heavy fine for unlicensed employees and jail terms for their employers. Daisy's challenge is to keep this paperwork current every year by paying the annual dues.
Recently, friends of WFW created a website to broaden the market potential for sales. Photographs of weaving in various stages, a catalogue with pricing, ordering and shipping information, as well as other information can be found at www.weavingforwomen.org
Weaving for Women is a grassroots organization. From providing training and employment opportunities, to improving the basic quality of life for the marginalized Burmese refugee community, WFW is an example of the positive effect one individual can have.
Daisy's true wish is that democracy will return to Burma and the displaced ethnic minorities may return to their former homes and land and live a peaceful and productive life.
Support Weaving for Women by purchasing product. Not only do you receive quality handicrafts but the satisfaction in knowing that you are helping Daisy help her refugee community.
Tim Morch, Copyright, 2004-2010
In a country ruled by a ruthless, xenophobic, military junta, that openly practices ethnic cleansing, the last thing you might expect to run across is a restaurant with the motto “Better Fed than Red”. However, if you were in the sleepy eastern Burmese border town of Three Pagodas in the early 1980s, you would likely have wandered in for a meal.
“Daisy's Revolutionary Restaurant”, owned and operated by Daisy Dwe, openly opposed the abusive regime with its bold slogan. After spending a week in a Rangoon jail in 1984, simply because of her ethnicity, Daisy decided to initiate her own personal protest. Daisy Dwe, is from the Karen ethnic minority. The Karen have long advocated democracy in Burma, fighting the Burma Army since the government was hijacked by the military under General Ne Win in 1962. As a result of their political ideology, the Karen have long been the victims of persecution by the military. This daring approach placed Daisy and her family in danger of military retaliation.
The disastrous political situation in Burma prompted Daisy and husband Dr. Hla Schwe to leave the capital of Rangoon and move to Three Pagodas Pass, near the Thai border, 350km northwest of Bangkok in 1974. This eastern Burmese state was controlled by ethnic Karen and remained relatively peaceful and safe. Dr. Hla practiced medicine at the River Kwai Christian Hospital, just inside Thailand, and Daisy opened a guesthouse. When Dr. Hla died in 1984, Daisy continued to operate her guesthouse and opened her defiant restaurant that year.
The peace of Three Pagodas was shattered in early 1989 when the Karen and Mon minorities entered a war over disputed territory. After one year, the army was sent in. The military demonstrated its ruthlessness, killing innocent people, primarily males, and destroying personal property. Daisy’s guesthouse and Revolutionary Restaurant were burned by the military.
Daisy fled to Thailand, a widowed refugee. Witnessing the tragic lives facing thousands of women in similar circumstances, she decided to focus on assisting as she could. In 1990, Daisy was instrumental in establishing the first United Nations refugee camp in Thailand for Karen. She acted as interpreter to foreign aid workers, highlighting the numerous issues facing a displaced community, largely comprised of widowed mothers and their children.
Encouraged by international efforts to assist the refugee community, Daisy desired to have a broader impact. By 1995, she had garnered the support of friends and started Weaving for Women (WFW). The primary goal of WFW is to teach refugee women a vocation and employ them, providing a fair salary and the opportunity to improve their situations.
Initially, a traditional Burmese sitting loom was used, but this method proved slow and labour intensive. With demand growing, Daisy sought to purchase a proper loom. WFW received support from the Burmese Relief Center and purchased the first loom. Master Weavers from Burma set the threads and taught their craft to the women and production of 100% cotton, hand woven textiles featuring traditional hilltribe designs was underway on a larger scale.
Weaving for Women has since expanded to 5 looms, employing weavers and tailors, exporting handicrafts to Europe and North America. Profits from WFW support the displaced Burmese community in her adopted town of Sangkhlaburi. If someone needs assistance, Daisy is there; paying medical bills; assisting HIV/AIDS victims; providing money for basic food and shelter, school fees and uniforms; assisting in legal issues; and, wherever else there is a need.
WFW received a telephone and computer with internet capability in 1996. A small truck is always available whenever there is need. From trips to the hospital to food delivery, the truck has enabled Daisy to extend the reach of her community assistance. Daisy continues in her efforts to broaden her business and thus her humanitarian aid.
In 2004, changes to Thai law allowed refugees to acquire documentation to work legally in the border regions. At an average cost of U$135 per person per year, this was well beyond the financial capability of most refugees. Thanks to a generous donation from the Bridge Street United Church in Belleville, Ontario, Canada, Daisy was able to procure the necessary paperwork. Daisy’s weavers and tailors were able to work without fear of legal reprisal from Thai authorities. A June, 2006 change in Thai law levies a heavy fine for unlicensed employees and jail terms for their employers. Daisy's challenge is to keep this paperwork current every year by paying the annual dues.
Recently, friends of WFW created a website to broaden the market potential for sales. Photographs of weaving in various stages, a catalogue with pricing, ordering and shipping information, as well as other information can be found at www.weavingforwomen.org
Weaving for Women is a grassroots organization. From providing training and employment opportunities, to improving the basic quality of life for the marginalized Burmese refugee community, WFW is an example of the positive effect one individual can have.
Daisy's true wish is that democracy will return to Burma and the displaced ethnic minorities may return to their former homes and land and live a peaceful and productive life.
Support Weaving for Women by purchasing product. Not only do you receive quality handicrafts but the satisfaction in knowing that you are helping Daisy help her refugee community.
Tim Morch, Copyright, 2004-2010
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