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  • Title: Interview with Mechai Viravaidya: "We have to strive for self-reliance".
    Author: Holcombe SJ.
    Journal: Integration; 1990 Apr; (23):24-5. PubMed ID: 12316322.
    Abstract:
    In an interview, Mechai Viravaidya, secretary general of the Population and Community Development Association (PDA) of Thailand, said that there is a great need in rural areas for earning a higher income. Much economic development has taken place in Thailand, but most of it is in Bangkok. This is what led to the development of the Thailand Business Initiative in Rural Development (TBIRD) Program. He also said that it is very important for nongovernmental organizations to have programs that are self-supporting and which generate income. In the 6th year of the PDAs community-based family planning program, it came to be half self-financing from the return on contraceptives. The PDA sold contraceptives at 1/3 the market price. He said that if people pay for contraceptives, they will use them. If you give them away free, you never know. Some of the PDAs programs, he feels, will never be self- financing. Service and sales activities are part of the fund-raising program. PDA runs the Cabbage and Condom Restaurant and catering service in Bangkok. It also sells condom key chains, T-shirts, and other items. The urban health checkup program has generated 4.2 million baht (about US $167,000) in 1988. More companies have been paying attention to workers health lately. The Japanese Organization for International Cooperation in Family Planning helped to start this program. The Integrated Family Planning and Parasite Control Project has aided improved health conditions, Viravaidya feels. Furthermore, a technical base was built so that toilet construction, water storage, and water sanitation projects could be carried out. Some money from the income generation projects could be put into latrine and water tank construction. Construction of over 20,000 water storage units (tanks, giant jars) has been done. The villagers have financed the health and sanitary improvement costs. PDA will not expand in the future, except for some self-reliant programs like factory and school health checkups. There are limited resources; therefore, PDA will work to get larger funding sources involved. PDA will concentrate on pioneering and innovative activities, he said. Contraceptive users will be able to buy contraceptives from the market. Therefore, PDA will not go on with its community-based family planning activities. The pay training courses conducted by the PDAs Asian Center will be strengthened. Training courses are being held for workers from developing countries. The Asian Center has a 2-year South-to-South Global Innovations Small Grant for Community-Based Self-Reliance Projects programs.
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