I have neglected my Blog for quite some time but here I start yet again.

I am back at The Mirror Foundation again for my third time round. I think I kinda like it here!! 555+ (hahaha)

I am on a program funded by the Australian Government, called VIDA (Volunteers for International Development Aid). My project is to stay at Mirror and work on one of their projects. The eBannok Handicrafts Project is directed by a dear friend of mine, P'Ao. I am placed here for 12 months, on this project, I am essentially a Marketing and Creative Officer for the eBannok Handicrafts Project.

The Project has been running for quite a few years, they basically hire local Hilltribe people to make their signature product, the Clay Bird Whistles as well as other handicrafts such as bags, pouches, laptop cases and clothing. The project at the moment is draining money from the foundation itself, so I have been brought in to basically develop the branding and start marketing the brand and gain more sales hopefully and get the project to start making a profit.

Recently we had a group of fantastic and enthusiastic consultants come from Australia. They included Emily (a previous volunteer and dear friend of mine), Jesse (he runs a fair trade business in Australia), Deb (a fashion designer and trainer) and Pedo (who was a documentor). This group came to Thailand to train six women how to make various new fashions which in the future be produced to sell to foreign market, essentially Australia, US and Canada. The foundation built a new building adjacent to the current eBannok Shop onsite, which would accommodate all the women and materials and machines for the next phase of the eBannok story.

So keep an eye out, as we will be loading up our new fashion story soon enough!

Cheers,
Z.

Home Sweet Home

Well here I am back at mirror foundation in Chiang Rai Thailand.

Sorry to say to home but it feels like home sweet home here.

I've been here for a few days now on my second trip back here. It was great to see people here that were here before. I don't have my same bed but funnily I am in my same dorm. Its the middle of rainy season here so the weather is humid and hot during the day then in the evening it pours down like nothing else, but that lasts maybe a hour or so.

Tuesday was spent in the office helping Stuart doing a few things and me going through close to 100 websites and screen shotting them so to see what my/mirror's site will be like. I will have to do basically 2 websites, one for Mirror org and another for the volunteers to use. Emily had also given me a report on Anti-Human Trafficking Project, so for the last few days I have been doing that. It was a bit tough at first but we now have the design down, so its a matter of just doing it. Hopefully I will finish it today.

Talking about today, its my birthday!!! So nice, went to morning meeting and got a cake, present and songs. So awesome and I have to wear a crown all day, I'll upload pics later.

Last night we went into town to the Night Bazaar, I haven't been there since I left last time (march 2010), we had some dinner and did a bit of shopping, I got a really nice skirt, which I am wearing today, a headband and a few other little bits and pieces. Its started pouring down around about 8pm. But before we left I needed to go to 7/11 to get a big bottle of water and some seaweed (my favourite), Nadia and basically drowned and nearly fell on our behinds numerous times. Stupid farang!!

Mirror Foundation have many projects on at once which essentially help better the living of the Hill Tribes people in Chaing Rai, Northern Thailand. They also help in these people getting citizenship so then they have access to Medical, Schooling and other benefits the Thais get on a normal basis.

Mirror Foundation is a grassroots NGO.