Standing on your own feet is happiness... a lifelong happiness

“Sufficiency Economy Start-ups” program is to create junior businessmen by developing agricultural skill for youths so they are able to generate income for themselves and their families, and also for them to set up “Sufficiency Economy Learning Centres” in their villages as the places to share agricultural-based knowledge to their peers and everyone else in the communities with sufficiency philosophy. From this program, we also hope that our youths will be able to demonstrate in public how to live wisely, be happy with what they have, and knowledgeable with moral standards. So their lives, economy, societies, and environment can be balanced and ready for any changes may happen in life.

"Kwang" follows HM the King’s footsteps for she believes perseverance does change her life.

• In 2013, Kwang raised 400 catfish with no success, she then raised 100 tadpoles, but they died from eating each other.
• Second year of trying different ways, she turned to raising hens. Starting with six, two died, she fed the four with leftover food and green vegetables, they gave her 3-4 eggs each day.
• Kwang’s third year was showing the success. She had learned harder and gained more experience to reach this point, the numbers of hens increased. With this home based small chicken farming, she is able to help her uncle and her aunt reduce family expense on food.

Today, Kwang is the leader of  Young Farmer’s Group for BanDan District, selected by Buriram Agricultural Officials. Her duty is to give advice on school agriculture covered six different projects: catfish raising in cement pond, frog raising, hens, breeder pig farming, bean sprouts planting and Angel mushroom cultivation. Moreover, Kwang has been chosen among her peers to act as the leader of Children and Youths Council for Prasart Sub-District.

Ek, his grandparents’ pride

Ekkarat or Ek, 16, from Amnartcharoen is one of CCF core youth leaders who has been trained on Sufficiency Economy Program. He came home and started his home-based mini farming project seriously, raising fish and chicken. The fowls produce many eggs that are more than enough for his whole family; he sells those extra eggs, and brings in extra income.

Raising real ducks is more fun than the online ones, and we make money out of it.

Jantarak or BaeBae, 14, CCF’s Karen Child Leader. She likes bringing in her peers to participate any activities CCF organizes. Two years ago, she received 4 ducklings from CCF, but two of them died in the first week. She was then more careful. As there is no pond around her place, she took an old worn-out basin, fixed the holes, and made a little pond for her ducks. Food wise, her free-range ducks are mostly self-fed.